Thursday’s MLB slate will take place over nearly the entire day. The first game is at 1:05 PM ET and the final game is at 8:05 PM ET.
I like a pair of teams throwing good starting pitchers on Thursday. Both clubs are favorites participating in interleague contests.
Can 28-year-old Diamondbacks righty Michael Soroka pitch well enough to earn his fifth win of the season on Thursday? Will Twins starter Joe Ryan improve his 2026 record to 3-2 in a road matchup with the Mets?
I’ll make picks for both games below. Read on for our Thursday MLB Best Bets April 23 article.
MLB Best Bets: Diamondbacks -153 vs. White Sox
Pitching Matchup: Michael Soroka (ARI) vs. Davis Martin (CHW)
The Arizona Diamondbacks are in a prime position to win outright as moneyline home favorites against the Chicago White Sox on Thursday afternoon.
Arizona has been highly reliable in their own ballpark, boasting an 8-4 straight-up record as the home team this year. They also excel at maintaining momentum, going 8-5 straight up after a win, and they thrive within the season’s daily grind with a strong 12-7 mark when playing on no rest in 2026.
Furthermore, the Diamondbacks have dominated interleague play this season, sitting at an impressive 8-3 straight up in those matchups. With these strong trends converging, expect Michael Soroka and Arizona to pitch well enough to secure the outright victory.
Betting Pick: Arizona Diamondbacks -153
MLB Best Bets: Twins -120 at Mets
Pitching Matchup: Joe Ryan (MIN) vs. Christian Scott (NYM)
The Minnesota Twins are in a good spot to win outright as road favorites against the New York Mets this Thursday night. They draw a favorable matchup against a Mets squad that is highly unreliable at home, posting a poor 4-7 straight-up record at Citi Field this year.
New York also struggles heavily with the daily grind, going just 5-14 straight up when playing on no rest this year. What’s more, the Mets are 8-16 straight-up when playing opponents on equal rest in 2026.
Finally, the Mets have routinely failed against unfamiliar competition, sitting at 1-4 straight up in interleague games this season. With these negative trends working against New York, expect the Twins to capitalize and secure the road victory.
Betting Pick: Minnesota Twins -120
If you’d like to fade the public or bet with them, check out our MLB public betting chart page.
For all the various odds for Thursday’s MLB games, be sure to click through to our MLB betting odds page.
Thursday MLB Best Bets April 23
- Arizona Diamondbacks -153
- Minnesota Twins -120