MLB picks, predictions, best bets for Thursday, June 19: Mets vs Braves, Angels vs Yankees, and more

Several interesting MLB matchups are on offer for fans to bet on. The New York Mets will be in business against the Atlanta Braves while the Yankees take on the LA Angels in some of the big games for Thursday.

To ease your search, here's a rundown of all the games with picks, predictions and best bets.

Rangers vs. Royals

Prediction: Texas Rangers 4, Kansas City Royals 3

Best Bet: Under 8 runs

Pick: Total Hits Under 16.5 (Game)

Both teams enter this game with an identical 36-38 record. Shawn Armstrong and Michael Wacha possess a sub-3.50 ERA and thus expect it to be a close game. The Royals are slight moneyline favorites (–135), but Texas could pull off a close win.

Angels vs. Yankees

Prediction: New York Yankees 6, Los Angeles Angels 4

Best Bet: Yankees Team Total Over 4.5 Runs

Pick: Aaron to record 2+ Total Bases

The Yankees will have one of their premier aces on the mound in the form of Carlos Rodon, who a 3.01 ERA with an 8-5 record. The Angel' Tyler Anderson has recorded more losses than wins (2-4) while holding a 4.44 ERA. With Aaron Judge leading the offense, the Yankees should win this matchup.

Giants vs. Guardians

Prediction: Cleveland Guardians 5, San Francisco Giants 2

Best Bet: Guardians to score over four runs

Pick: Jose Ramirez to hit a home run

The Giants will have Logan Webb on the mound, who is coming off a strong start, pitching seven innings. However, he could only strike out four while giving up three walks, raising doubts over his command. This could bother him against the Guardians, who have an in-firm Jose Ramirez in their lineup.

Diamondbacks vs. Blue Jays

Prediction: Toronto Blue Jays 5, Arizona Diamondbacks 4

Best Bet: Over 8.5 runs

Pick: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to record over 2 bases

Ryne Nelson and Kevin Gausman have both been decent but not stellar to start the 2025 season. The Blue Jays have the better team on paper and should come out on top.

Mets vs Braves

Prediction: Atlanta Braves 7, New York Mets 4

Best Bet: Total Runs (Over 8.5)

Pick: Braves to cover Run Line (-1.5)

In the first two games of the series, the Braves have subdued the New York Mets pitching, scoring five runs per game. Their bats will keep rolling at Truist Park against Clay Holmes, who is due a bad start.

Quick prediction and bets for rest of the matchups

Matchup	Score Prediction	Strong Best Bets
Twins vs. Reds	Reds 5‑3	Reds ML; Over 8
Rockies vs. Nationals	Nationals 6‑4	Nationals ML; Over 9.5
Pirates vs. Tigers	Tigers 6‑2	Tigers ML; Under 7
Cardinals vs. White Sox	Cardinals 5‑2	Cardinals ML; Under 8
Brewers vs. Cubs	Cubs 6‑5	Cubs ML; Over 9
Phillies vs. Marlins	Phillies 5‑3	Phillies ML; Over 7.5
Orioles vs. Rays	Rays 6‑4	Rays ML; Over 8.5
Astros vs. A's	Astros 6‑3	Astros ML; Over 10.5
Padres vs. Dodgers	Dodgers 8‑5	Dodgers ML; Over 8.5