Free Pick | Thursday | MLB | May 4

Nelly’s has a NBA Top Play tonight 3-0 in Western Conference Semifinal side plays!

We are on a 7-2 run in American League MLB selections – get 2/3 today!

Free Pick #915 New York Mets (Verlander) -170 over Detroit Tigers (Rodriguez) 12:10 PM CT

Justin Verlander makes his first start as a New York Met today and he will do so in a comfortable setting at Comerica Park where he spent most of his career before joining the Astros. The Mets are a hefty favorite despite a 2-8 run in the past 10 games, but New York has scored at least four runs in six of those games. Detroit is last in MLB in team OPS and second to last in scoring even with a recent rise to a more respectable 12-17 record. Detroit has scored 14 runs to win the first two games of this series, but they were out-hit in Tuesday’s one-run win and won yesterday despite a 7-5 disadvantage in at-bats with runners in scoring position, while getting three runs with two outs. Much of the recent success for Detroit has come against left-handers as in the past 10 games Detroit is batting .233 with 3.5 runs per nine vs. right-handers and the Tigers are 8-14 vs. right-handed starters this season. Expect Verlander’s first outing to provide a boost for the Mets and while this is a steep number for a first start of the season off a shoulder injury, Verlander’s track record is a good as it gets, and this is a discount from Max Scherzer’s price Wednesday in Detroit. Eduardo Rodriguez has overachieved with a 2.21 ERA in six starts as his FIP is 3.71 and he has just a 7.4 K/9 benefitting from a .219 BABIP so far this season.