Bryan Armetta shares his two favorite MLB bets today on DraftKings Sportsbook for Thursday’s eight-game slate.

Only eight MLB games are set for Thursday. Still, with the playoffs creeping closer, almost every matchup today matters. The action gets started this afternoon, when Garrett Crochet’s Red Sox aim for a sweep of the Orioles. Later, the Cubs will finish off their West Coast trip with a series finale vs. the Giants. As a nightcap, the Phillies will hope to take down the rival Braves.

Even with a modest slate of games on tap, there’s plenty of enticing wagers on the board. Before the start of Thursday’s contests, here are two MLB bets to consider on DraftKings Sportsbook.

Don’t look now, but the Giants have reeled off four straight wins against the Brewers and Cubs. This afternoon, San Francisco will attempt to sweep Chicago with staff ace Logan Webb on the mound. Over 166.2 innings of work, the right-hander has posted a 3.13 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, and 180 strikeouts. In addition, he’s allowed one run or less in four of his previous five starts. The All-Star has surrendered more than three runs in just five of his 27 outings this season (18.5%).

In theory, this game could prove difficult. After all, the Cubs own baseball’s seventh-highest scoring offense. However, the team has gone into a major slump at the plate in recent weeks. During the month of August, no squad has scored fewer runs than Chicago (83). Granted, former All-Star Shota Imanaga could keep things close. Still, the southpaw owns a lackluster 5.20 ERA in five road starts since July 1st. Considering how good Webb has been, there’s a good chance the Cubs go silent once again on offense.

A disastrous series in New York has made the NL East race competitive once again. Now, the Phillies need to beat up on some lackluster squads in order to keep pace with the Mets. It’ll be up to Aaron Nola to right the ship in Philadelphia. It’s been a brutal, injury-plagued 2025 campaign for the righty. Through 11 starts, he’s recorded an abysmal 6.52 ERA and 1.53 WHIP. If there’s any reason for optimism, the 32-year-old did deliver a six-inning, two-run performance last week vs. Washington. Still, he’s a difficult arm to trust. It doesn’t help that the Braves enter tonight having scored the third-most runs in baseball post-All-Star break (206).

Atlanta will counter with a struggling hurler of their own in Cal Quantrill. The right-hander’s numbers are lackluster, at best: 5.51 ERA, 1.42 WHIP. The veteran has made just one start with the Braves since being released by Miami. In that appearance, he tossed 4.2 innings while allowing three runs to the Mets. In two games vs. the Phillies this season, Quantrill has allowed ten earned runs in 7.1 innings (12.26 ERA). Right now, it’s impossible to trust any arm in this NL East showdown. Keeping that in mind, the over feels like the most promising bet on Thursday night.