Jim Feist

At Angel Stadium, the Detroit Tigers begin a four-game series against the Los Angeles Angels tonight when the first pitch is scheduled for 9:38 p.m. ET. The Tigers who currently dominate the AL Central standings at 19–12 need to recover from their recent two-game loss to Houston Astros. Casey Mize, a right-handed pitcher with a 4–1 win-loss record and a 2.12 ERA through 29.2 innings pitched this season, will take the mound for the Tigers. Mize's early success stems from his excellent command and ability to keep base runners at bay.

The Angels' left-handed pitcher Yusei Kikuchi will face Casey Mize after experiencing difficulties with his performance as evidenced by his 0–4 record, 4.31 ERA, and 1.60 WHIP over 31.1 innings. Kikuchi struggled significantly in his latest appearance versus the Minnesota Twins allowing four earned runs during his two-inning performance. The Angels find themselves fifth in the AL West with a 12–17 record after enduring a five-game losing streak while struggling to produce consistent offense which has resulted in a team batting average of .211, placing them towards the bottom of the league standings.

The Detroit offense produces 4.6 runs per game as Spencer Torkelson leads with a total of eight home runs and 24 RBIs. The Tigers maintain a leading position in the American League with their pitching staff's combined ERA of 3.01. At present both teams show contrasting performances which positions the Tigers to take advantage of the Angels' weaknesses and secure an early victory in their series.

Jim's Play: 969. Tigers 

The Milwaukee Brewers aim to finish their three-game series against the Chicago White Sox with another victory on Thursday afternoon at Guaranteed Rate Field. The Brewers increased their win streak against the White Sox to eight games after defeating them 7-2 and 6-4 in the opening two games of this series.

The Milwaukee Brewers turn to right-handed pitcher Chad Patrick to take his position on the mound. Through his first season as a rookie Patrick has achieved a 2.45 ERA while recording 22 strikeouts during 25.2 innings pitched. Sean Burke from Chicago faces adversity with a 6.00 ERA and seven home runs allowed in 27 innings pitched.

Catchers William Contreras and outfielder Jackson Chourio have propelled Milwaukee's offense with Contreras on a nine-game hitting streak and Chourio delivering six home runs and 24 RBIs this season. Throughout their recent games the White Sox have struggled to show consistent hitting power but Miguel Vargas has shone with a batting average of .462 across seven games.

The Brewers stand as the clear favorites to win the series finale because of their superior pitching and recent winning streak. The Brewers are a promising run line bet because Chad Patrick dominates on the mound while their lineup shows powerful and balanced production. Jim Feist supports Milwaukee to win this game by a margin and designates the Brewers at -1.5 as the best bet for Thursday.

Take: 971. Brewers -1.5 runs (11:10 PT / 2:10 ET)

Tonight at Citizens Bank Park the Philadelphia Phillies will seek to finish off a three-game series against the Washington Nationals with the first pitch at 6:45 p.m. ET. Philadelphia Phillies have won the first two games of their current series including their Wednesday 7-2 win which extended their winning streak to four games.

The starting pitcher for Philadelphia tonight will be Taijuan Walker who has a 1-2 win-loss record and maintains a 2.78 earned run average. Despite Walker's effectiveness this season his underlying metrics indicate he may experience regression. His expected ERA stands at 3.93 and his WHIP registers at 1.37. During seven career starts against the Nationals Walker earned a 2-1 win-loss record and posted a 3.76 ERA.

The Nationals have chosen rookie pitcher Brad Lord to make his debut appearance as he works toward his first victory in major league baseball. After three losses, Lord's performance shows a 4.67 ERA and a 1.73 WHIP. During his most recent start he gave up two earned runs through four innings. The Nationals' bullpen is ranked at the bottom in MLB with a 5.27 ERA.

Kyle Schwarber has led the Phillies' offense by hitting a three-run homer during the first inning of Wednesday's game. During their five matchups this season Philadelphia scored 33 runs while Washington scored only 22 runs.

The Phillies are second in the NL East with 17 wins and 13 losses while the Nationals remain fourth with a 13-18 record. The Phillies have performed well at Citizens Bank Park with a record of 11 wins and 4 losses.

With the Phillies performing well lately and the Nationals facing pitching issues Philadelphia comes into the game with the advantage. 

Take: 958. Phillies -1.5 runs (3:45 PT / 6:45 ET)

The Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California will host the decisive Game 6 between the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday, May 1, 2025. Jamal Murray scored 43 points with Nikola Jokic recording a triple-double as the Denver Nuggets achieved a commanding 131-115 victory in Game 5 to take a 3-2 series lead.

While Game 5 ended with high scoring totals the next matchup is expected to result in fewer points overall. The Clippers maintain a reputation for defensive discipline which propels them to top rankings in league points allowed per game and they anticipate intensifying their defense to prevent elimination from the series. The Clippers plan to break Murray's game flow and limit Jokic's playmaking abilities which should push Denver into making difficult and less effective shot attempts.

As the Clippers fight to avoid elimination with desperation tactics and the Nuggets work to finish the series with control and poise both teams will focus more intensively on half-court execution and defensive plays. The high stakes and playoff environment of Game 6 will turn this Western Conference showdown into a battle of endurance rather than a game of speed which makes betting 'under' my choice.

TAKE: Nuggets/Clippers UNDER the Total 

The Cincinnati Reds look to recover from a tough doubleheader sweep when they face the St. Louis Cardinals in the series finale at Great American Ball Park on Thursday, May 1, 2025. The Reds enjoyed an initial series win with a 3-1 score but subsequently lost two Wednesday games by scores of 6-0 and 9-1. The defeats revealed problems with both pitching and hitting because the bullpen could not hold their leads and the team produced only one run throughout the two games.

Cincinnati selects left-handed pitcher Andrew Abbott (2-0, 3.60 ERA) to take the mound as he works to reinforce the team's rotation. Despite a strong season performance so far Abbott delivered a difficult outing against Colorado as he gave up five walks during four innings. Matthew Liberatore (2-2, 3.19 ERA) of the Cardinals will face him with his strong pitching performance demonstrated by excellent control and only two walks over 31 innings.

The Reds are counting on Elly De La Cruz to spark their offensive efforts. De La Cruz continues his 14-game hitting streak while maintaining the team lead in both home runs and RBIs. During Wednesday’s doubleheader the Cincinnati team failed to capitalize on scoring opportunities, managing only one hit out of thirteen attempts with runners in scoring position. Former closer Alexis Díaz and the rest of the bullpen demonstrated instability as Díaz allowed five earned runs during a single inning in the first game of the twin bill.

The Reds remain slight favorites for Thursday's game despite their recent difficulties. Winning this game enables the Reds to secure a tie in the four-game series and maintain their standing above .500 in the competitive National League Central. The Reds stand as the preferred choice for this game because Abbott will pitch and their lineup should improve performance.

Jim's Play: TAKE: 954. CINCINNATI REDS (A ABBOTT-L)