Best MLB Bets Thursday, April 23: Today’s Predictions, Picks & Props
Paul Connor
Host · Writer
The 2026 MLB season is in full swing, bringing a fresh slate of betting opportunities to the board every single day. As always, SportsGrid is here to help you navigate the 162-game marathon with our premier daily best bets. Whether you’re targeting moneylines, run lines, or player props, we have you covered.
Here are my top plays for today’s slate!
Note: All odds are courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook and are subject to change after the publication of this article.
Best Bet #1: Atlanta Braves vs. Washington Nationals OVER 9.5 Runs (+100)
The Over on 9.5 runs has hit in all three games of this series so far, and the finale is primed to do the same.
Atlanta is bringing up 22-year-old JR Ritchie for his MLB debut. Young pitchers almost always battle nerves and command issues early on, and the Nationals have dangerous bats like James Wood (9 HR, .999 OPS), CJ Abrams (6 HR, .945 OPS), and Joey Wiemer (.356 AVG, 1.086 OPS) who can jump all over those early mistakes.
On the other side, Washington hands the ball to Cade Cavalli, who enters with a 4.12 ERA and has pitched past the fifth inning just once in his first five starts. That should mean a heavy dose of the Nats’ bullpen, which is completely gassed after three-straight high-scoring shootouts and ranks 26th in ERA (5.37).
Both offenses should eat again today.
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Best Bet #2: PHI Bryce Harper to Record 2+ Total Bases (-110) @ Chicago Cubs
Harper has been one of the lone bright spots during the Phillies’ ugly 8-16 start, slashing .261/.350/.511 with five homers through 24 games. The star first baseman is in a perfect spot to keep mashing today against Cubs starter Edward Cabrera.
While Cabrera’s 2.38 ERA looks great on the surface, Harper absolutely owns him. In ten career at-bats against the righty, Harper boasts a massive 1.300 OPS with four hits, three of which went for extra bases, including a home run. Cabrera has also struggled with his command, walking 11 batters in just 22.2 innings so far this year. That’s enough for me to bank on Harper doing damage and cashing this total bases prop this afternoon.
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