Our free MLB picks are out for Tuesday, May 17th, 2022! Make sure you check our MLB picks before the action kicks off.
Look below to find our free MLB picks for the five best games on today’s schedule!
Detroit Tigers @ Tampa Bay Rays – 6:40PM ET
This will be the second game of the three game series between the Detroit Tigers and the Tampa Bay Rays. In game number one it was the Tigers who picked up the win and now they will be looking to clinch the series win in game two.
Tony Battalio
Detroit now comes into the second game of this three game weekday series looking to clinch the series victory after their win in the opener on Monday. They scored a single run in the top of the ninth inning and it was enough to secure the win as the game ended 3-2 in favor of the Detroit Tigers. The win improved their record on the season to 13-23, as they moved to only ten games below the .500 mark through their first 36 games of the 2022 Major League Baseball season. Beau Brieske takes the mound for them on Tuesday with a record of 0-2 on the year and an Earned Run Average of 3.86.
The Tampa Bay Rays will now have to find a way to bounce back after they lost to the Tigers in surprise upset fashion on Monday night. The loss drops their record on the season to 21-15 through their first 36 games on the year. Their normally reliable offense didn’t show up on Monday as they only scored two runs. However, as for the result of this middle game I look for that to change as I am going with the Tampa Bay Rays to get the win over the Detroit Tigers.
Tony’s MLB Pick: Tampa Bay Rays (-275)
Jeffery Thomas
The Detroit Tigers and Tampa Bay Rays will continue their three-game series on Tuesday after the Tigers got the upset win in the opener. It was another low-scoring affair involving Detroit, who have now won four in a row with each game finishing under 6 runs. The Rays have also been involved in a lot of low-scoring games recently, with each of their last five finishing at 7 runs or fewer.
The Rays are 3-2 during that stretch and still sit as one of the top five teams in the American League. Both teams are throwing out relatively strong arms again on Tuesday and with the way the recent games have played out for each team I don’t see a way this game hits the over.
Jeffery’s MLB Pick: Under 7 runs (-114)
Marko Nadin
The Tampa Bay Rays are second in the AL East with a 21-15 record. They came into the series against the Tigers after a 2-1 series win over the Toronto Blue Jays. The Rays are 17th in the league scoring 4.17 runs per game and with 4.23 allowed runs per game. Shane McLanahan will be the starting pitcher for Tampa Bay tonight who is 2-2 for the season with a 2.52 ERA. Tampa Bay has won 7 of the last 9 games against a starting right-handed pitcher and 9 of the last 13 games overall.
The Detroit Tigers are on the bottom of the AL Central with a 13-23 record. They have won the last 4 games and came into the series against the Rays after a 3-0 sweep over the Baltimore Orioles. Detroit is the worst offensive team in the league scoring only 2.95 runs per game and hitting 0.52 home runs per game. The Tigers will start Beau Brieske who is 0-2 for the season with a 3.86 ERA. Detroit has won the last 4 games against AL East opponents and have lost 10 of the last 12 games as road underdog.
Marko’s MLB Pick: Tampa Bay Rays (-275)
San Diego Padres @ Philadelphia Phillies – 6:45PM ET
This will be the first game of the three game series between the Philadelphia Phillies and the San Diego Padres. The Phillies come into this one off of a series win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. While the Padres come into this one off of a series win over the Atlanta Braves.
Tony Battalio
The San Diego Padres and Philadelphia Phillies will open up a brand new three game series in this one. As both teams’ seasons are going in completely opposite directions at the moment. As the San Diego Padres are expected to be towards the top of the National League and make the playoffs. While the Philadelphia Phillies are expected to finish towards the bottom of the league and miss out entirely. Both teams are in second place in their respective divisions at the moment but the strength of those divisions is vastly different.
The Padres come into this game with a record of 22-13 through their first 35 games of the season. While the Philadelphia Phillies come into this game with a record of 17-18 through their first 35 games of the season. The Phillies are currently 6-4 in their last ten games and on a one game losing streak. The Padres are also 6-4 in their last ten games but they are on a one game winning streak. As for the result of this game I am going with the San Diego Padres to pick up the victory.
Tony’s MLB Pick: San Diego Padres
Jeffery Thomas
The Philadelphia Phillies are coming off a very impressive West Coast trip where they went 5-2 against the Seattle Mariners and Los Angeles Dodgers, and now return home for a series with the San Diego Padres. Philly will be kicking themselves for squandering a late lead in the series finale against LA which would have gave them a sweep but they can at least take solace in the fact that they are playing much better and now have worked themselves within one game of being back at .500. The Padres are coming off a series win over the Atlanta Braves which has them tied atop the NL West with the Dodgers entering Monday’s action.
The Phillies will come into this home game confident and well rested. They are finally starting to look like the team everyone expected them to be and the offense is on a tear right now. As a team, they are averaging over 7 runs a game in their last seven games and now get a good matchup against Mike Clevinger who hasn’t made it out of the 5th inning in either of his two starts this year. I’m going to continue to ride the hot hand in this one and pick the Phillies at home.
Jeffery’s MLB Pick: Philadelphia Phillies
Marko Nadin
The Philadelphia Phillies are second in the NL East with a 17-18 record. They have won 4 of the last 5 games and are coming off a 3-1 series win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Phillies are third in the league scoring 5.02 runs per game and fifth hitting 1.26 home runs per game. Philadelphia will start Andrew Bellatti tonight who has a 2.89 ERA so far in the season. The Phillies have lost 4 of the last 5 home games and 9 of the last 13 games against NL Central teams.
The San Diego Padres are second in the NL West with a 22-13 record. They have won 3 of the last 5 games and are coming off a 2-1 series win over the Atlanta Braves. The Padres are 10th in the league scoring 4.59 runs per game and 15th allowing 4.13 runs per game. San Diego will start Mike Clevinger tonight who has a 5.00 ERA so far in the season. The last time the Padres visited Philadelphia, they won by 11-1. The Padres have won 3 of the last 5 road games.
Marko’s MLB Pick: San Diego Padres
Seattle Mariners @ Toronto Blue Jays – 7:07PM ET
This will be the second game of the three game series between the Seattle Mariners and the Toronto Blue Jays. In game number one it was the Blue Jays who picked up the win and now they will be looking to clinch the series win in game two.
Tony Battalio
The Blue Jays are finally showing signs of bouncing back from their recent struggles as they got the series opening win over the Seattle Mariners on Monday night. Now they will have an opportunity to grab the series clinching win here on Tuesday in the middle game of this three game series. They were expected to be one of the top teams in the American League and were expected to compete for the World Series before the 2022 Major League Baseball season began. However it’s been somewhat of a slow start for them as they now come into this game with a record of 19-17.
The Seattle Mariners are a young team with a ton of potential. So they are expected to have some bumps in the road more often than not this season. They come into this one looking to bounce back off of their series opening loss to Toronto. As they now come into this game with a record of 16-20 through their first 36 games of the 2022 Major League Baseball season. As for the result of the middle game of this series I am going with the Toronto Blue Jays to pick up the victory over the Seattle Mariners to clinch the series victory.
Tony’s MLB Pick: Toronto Blue Jays (-138)
Jeffery Thomas
The Toronto Blue Jays may have just needed a trip back home to snap out of their cold streak. On Monday the Jays beat the Seattle Mariners to end a 2-7 run they were on (all road games). It was also a significant game because the offense finally showed those explosive flashes we were accustomed to seeing from this fun young ball club. Bo Bichette led the way in the win with 3 hits, including a home run, and two RBI. The bad news for the Blue Jays though is Tuesday’s game will likely be a lot tougher.
Jose Berrios is taking the mound for them and he is not in good form right now, giving up 11 runs combined in his last two starts which were both losses. Seattle is turning to Logan Gilbert who has been a steady hand for them all season, going 4-1 and has given up 1 or fewer runs in 5/7 starts. I trust him a lot more in this spot and I see this as a pretty even series so give me the Mariners to take game 2.
Jeffery’s MLB Pick: Seattle Mariners (+118)
Marko Nadin
The Toronto Blue Jays are third in the AL East with a 19-17 record. They have lost 6 of the last 8 games but won last night against the Mariners by 6-2. Toronto is 8th in the league hitting 1.11 home runs per game and 22nd scoring 3.88 runs per game. Jose Berrios will be the starting pitcher for the Blue Jays tonight who is 2-2 for the season with a 5.82 ERA. Toronto has won 12 of the last 16 games against teams from the AL West, 22 of the last 32 home games and 37 of the last 51 home games against teams with a losing record.
The Seattle Mariners are third in the AL West with a 16-20 record. They have lost 3 of the last 5 games and came into this series after a 2-1 series win over the New York Mets. Seattle is 20th in the league scoring 4.03 runs and allowing 4.37 runs per game. Seattle will start Logan Gilbert tonight who is 4-1 for the season with a 2.13 ERA. Seattle has won 5 of the last 7 Tuesday games and has lost 10 of the last 14 games against teams with a winning record.
Marko’s MLB Pick: Seattle Mariners (+118)
San Francisco Giants @ Colorado Rockies – 8:40PM ET
This will be the second game of the three game series between the Colorado Rockies and the San Francisco Giants. In game number one it was the Giants who picked up the win and now they will be looking to clinch the series win in game two.
Tony Battalio
The San Francisco Giants got the win in the opening game of the series over the Colorado Rockies. It gets them back into the winners column after a short two game losing streak as their record now sits at 21-14 through their first 35 games of the 2022 Major League Baseball season. After finishing last season with the best regular season record in the league they currently find themselves in third place of the National League West at the moment. They are 7-3 in their last ten games as they are a game and a half back of the division lead.
The Colorado Rockies had a fast start to the 2022 Major League Baseball season. However, with each passing game they find themselves starting to get closer to the .500 mark. After Monday’s loss to the San Francisco Giants they are now under the .500 mark for only the second time this season and the first since they started the year with a record of 0-1 after an opening day loss. As for the result of this one I have the San Francisco Giants picking up the win to wrap up the series and set up the opportunity for a sweep on Wednesday.
Tony’s MLB Pick: San Francisco Giants (-164)
Jeffery Thomas
The San Francisco Giants were able to snap their modest two-game losing streak with a win in the series opener against the Colorado Rockies on Monday. In the 7-6 win it was catcher Curt Casali who led the way with his 3 hits (2 home runs) and 4 RBI. He was an unexpected hero as he came into the game with just one homerun and 5 RBI on the year. That’s the type of stuff that makes this Giants team so dangerous though, is their depth and ability to have production from many guys in the lineup. For Colorado it was their second straight loss, both by 1 run.
After Monday’s win, San Fran is now 4-0 versus the Rockies on the year and I’m expecting the dominance to continue. The Rockies are 29th in the league in runs allowed while the Giants are scoring at the second-highest clip in all of baseball. It’s just a severe mismatch and with Alex Cobb coming off a win in his last start, look for him to keep that momentum going in another blowout win.
Jeffery’s MLB Pick: San Francisco Giants -1.5 (-102)
Marko Nadin
The Colorado Rockies are at the bottom of the NL West with a 17-18 record. They have lost 7 of the last 8 games. The Rockies are 7th in the league scoring 4.88 runs per game and second to last allowing 5.74 runs per game. They will start Chad Kuhl tonight who is 3-1 for the season with a 2.88 ERA. Colorado has won 9 of the last 11 second games of a series, 9 of the last 13 games against a right-handed pitcher and has lost 12 of the last 17 games as home underdog.
The San Francisco Giants are third in the NL West with a 21-14 record. They have won 7 of the last 9 games including last night’s 7-6 win over Colorado. The Giants are second in the league scoring 5.10 runs per game and 7th hitting 1.13 home runs per game. San Francisco will start Alex Cobb who is 2-1 for the season with a 3.98 ERA. The Giants have won the last 10 games against the Rockies, 7 of the last 9 overall and 53 of the last 72 games as favorites.
Marko’s MLB Pick: San Francisco Giants (-164)
Minnesota Twins @ Oakland Athletics – 9:40PM ET
This will be the second game of the three game series between the Minnesota Twins and the Oakland Athletics. The Athletics come into this one off of a series loss to the Los Angeles Angels. While the Twins come into this one off of a series win over the Cleveland Guardians.
Tony Battalio
In game one of this three game series in the Bay Area it was the Minnesota Twins who picked up the victory over the Oakland Athletics. They remain in first place of the American League Central at the moment, as their early success during the 2022 Major League Baseball season is coming as a surprise to some. They now come into this game with a record of 21-15 through their first 36 games of the season.
The Oakland Athletics are having a rough season as they are coming into this one with the lowest attendance in Major League Baseball and one of the worst records in the league as well. It didn’t get much better for them on Monday night as they dropped the opening game of this series to the Minnesota Twins by a score of 1-3. It was their third straight loss and their fifth in their last ten games and it dropped their record down to 15-21 through their first 36 games of the year. As for the result of this game I am going with the Minnesota Twins to get the win.
Tony’s MLB Pick: Minnesota Twins (-126)
Jeffery Thomas
The Minnesota Twins started up their six-game road trip with a 3-1 win against Oakland Athletics on Monday. It was just the second win in six games for the first-place Twins who are trying to keep that distance between them and the second place Chicago White Sox. The As are on the other end of the spectrum, sitting at last place in the AL West and are now losers of three straight. They’ve scored exactly one run in all three of those losses and the lack of offensive output has been a constant problem for them all season.
Tuesday may be their best chance to show some life at the plate, as they will face Dylan Bundy who is 0-2 in his last two starts giving up a combined 15 runs. Even with his struggles I can’t get behind the As who won’t be able to keep this prolific Twins offense down and I see the road team once again squeaking by with the victory.
Jeffery’s MLB Pick: Minnesota Twins (-126)
Marko Nadin
The Oakland Athletics are at the bottom of the AL West with a 15-23 record. They have lost the last three games not scoring more than one run in each of them. The Athletics are scoring 3.30 runs per game which ranks them second to last in the league and they are 8th in the league allowing 3.86 runs per game. James Kaprielian will start tonight for Oakland who is 0-2 for the season with a 4.97 ERA. The Athletics have lost 20 of the last 28 home games and 10 of the last 13 games following a loss.
The Minnesota Twins are on top of the AL Central with a 21-15 record. They have won 3 of the last 4 games including a 3-1 win last night against Oakland. The Twins are 21st in the league scoring 3.95 runs per game but are ranked 6th in the league allowing 3.55 runs per game. Minnesota will start Dylan Bundy tonight who is 3-2 for the season with a 5.76 ERA. They have won 10 of the last 12 games after allowing 2 or less runs in the previous game and 13 of the last 16 games as favorites.
Marko’s MLB Pick: Minnesota Twins (-126)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
