Thursday Best Bets: One NHL Pick, Two MLB Picks

Wednesday’s Best Bets went 2-for-3, a record we’ll take without hesitation.

Our cumulative record stands at 109-100-2 since starting this Best Bets experiment. That’s a 52.15% win rate. Once again, we’ll accept that without complaint.

So what’s on tap? The NBA Finals are on a hiatus until Friday, so Thursday’s Best Bets come from the NHL and MLB.

We have one NHL moneyline, one MLB moneyline, along with an MLB prop for good measure. Check it out below!

All odds updated as of 2:30 p.m. ET on June 8.

Best Bets Track Record

Wednesday: 2-1
Year-To-Date: 109-100-2

Bostonian vs. The Book: 34-33-2
BetPrep Prop of the Day: 31-39
NBA Props: 34-22
NHL Props: 6-6
MLB Props: 4-2
MLB Sides: 1-0

NHL Side: New York Rangers (vs. Tampa Bay Lightning)

The bet: New York Rangers moneyline
The odds: +105
Where to bet: BetMGM Sportsbook
From: Matt Perrault via The Bostonian Vs. The Book podcast

Matt Perrault of The Bostonian vs. The Book podcast likes an underdog on the ice Thursday. He’s taking the New York Rangers moneyline (+105) in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Here’s the analysis for this pick:

• New York won the first two games of this series at home.
• New York has won eight in a row at home in the playoffs.
• Rangers’ goalie Igor Shesterkin is historically better at home. This season he has a .940 save rate at home compared to .927 on the road.

Simply put, the Rangers are bad on the road and good at home. Don’t overthink it. The Rangers should bring the energy on home ice Thursday, and you can still nab them at plus-money (+105) at BetMGM.

MLB Side: New York Yankees (at Minnesota Twins)

The bet: Yankees runline -1.5
The odds: -125
Where to bet: PointsBet
From: Spencer Limbach (full article)

Paying juice for a runline? In this economy? Let’s go ahead and bet on New York to win by at least two runs in Minneapolis.

On top of the disparity in starting pitchers, Minnesota’s bullpen is hanging on by a thread. Rookie flamethrower Jhoan Duran is the only competent reliever for the Twins right now. If he pitches, that means we’ll have one inning where the Yankees are up against a quality hurler.

I’m expecting Thursday’s result to be along the same lines as New York’s 10-4 victory over Minnesota on Tuesday.

BetPrep Prop of the Day: SP Kris Bubic (Kansas City Royals)

The bet: Under 3.5 strikeouts
The odds: -120
Where to bet: FanDuel Sportsbook
From: BetPrep Prop of the Day via BetPrep.com

BetPrep found a winner yesterday, and they’ll look to keep the momentum on the diamond. The official pick is Kansas City SP Kris Bubic Under 3.5 strikeouts. Here’s the rationale:

• Bubic has recorded four-plus strikeouts in just 1-of-6 starts this season.
• Bubic has not pitched more than 5.0 innings in any start this year.
• The lefty has a struggling 9.33 ERA in 18.1 innings. He could see a quick hook.

Looking at those factors, it’s a surprise the juice is only -120. You can find that best price at FanDuel Sportsbook.