Mal Bamford cautiously leans toward Cincinnati against Milwaukee, primarily due to Nick Martinez’s historically good performance away from home. Despite Martinez giving up four earned runs (including two homers) against the Giants in his previous start, Bamford highlights Martinez’s excellent 2.18 ERA in eight road starts last season and solid performance in limited appearances against the Brewers. Bamford feels the Reds appear sharper defensively and are generally allowing fewer runs early season, lending him cautious optimism even with uncertainty over Milwaukee's pitching situation after Aaron Civale (initial listed starter) was removed from consideration.

Mal Bamford strongly advocates playing the first five innings over between Tampa Bay and Texas due to severe concerns about both starting pitchers. Tyler Mahle notably struggled severely his last outing, only managing five outs while displaying reduced velocity in Spring Training. Likewise, Zach Littell has poor historical results against Texas hitters and was notably worse on the road last season. Bamford expects both pitchers to be vulnerable early, anticipating ample scoring opportunities from both offenses. Given these factors, he emphasized significant betting value on the first five innings over.

Mal Bamford strongly recommends backing the Texas Rangers at home against Tampa Bay, believing the Rays' strong start is artificially inflated due to games against weaker competition such as Pittsburgh and Colorado. He notes specifically the Rays faced just one good pitcher this season (Paul Skenes) and lost that game. Bamford acknowledges concerns with Rangers pitcher Tyler Mahle but points out Texas has won four straight games against Tampa Bay, making the current line of -130 favorable. Additionally, he trusts the Rangers' powerful offense to score early against Zach Littell and the Rays bullpen, projecting Texas to score at least four or five runs early, making Texas a strong value betting selection.

Mal Bamford strongly advises betting the first five innings under for the Marlins and Braves due to excellent starting pitchers. He highlighted Max Meyer's encouraging early metrics (seven strikeouts, one earned run allowed through 5.2 IP vs Pittsburgh), suggesting Meyer can neutralize Atlanta's struggling offense (14 runs total through seven games). He also praised Spencer Schwellenbach's superb recent performance (six scoreless innings vs Padres), recommending first five innings under as a safer play that minimizes bullpen exposure from less-reliable Miami relief pitching.

Mal Bamford endorsed backing the Yankees moneyline with Max Fried on the mound due to Fried's outstanding recent history pitching in Pittsburgh—14 innings without an earned run over two starts. He emphasized Fried’s solid road performances last season, confidence in Pittsburgh's underwhelming offense (19 runs in seven games against weak competition), and Keller’s average pitching. Given these factors at a reasonable price (-148), he strongly recommends betting on the Yankees to secure a win in this spot.

Mal Bamford advised betting the Arizona Diamondbacks' team total over against Jake Irvin and the Nationals. He highlighted Arizona's impressive offense, scoring 38 runs through six games and recently competing well against strong Yankees pitching. Bamford noted Irvin historically struggles at home, signaling an advantage for the Diamondbacks hitter-friendly lineup. He views Arizona as clearly superior at -134 on the moneyline but strongly emphasized the Arizona team total as a reliable betting opportunity given Irvin's vulnerability at Nationals Park.

Mal Bamford recommends betting the over on the Cardinals' team total against Boston, emphasizing Walker Buehler's shaky performance last outing (4.1 innings pitched, 4 earned runs, 7 hits against Texas). He noted the Cardinals have produced high-scoring games (67 runs in their first 6 games) and expects this trend to continue, even against a Boston team that hasn't given up many runs thus far. Bamford's prediction is driven by St. Louis's potent lineup and Buehler's vulnerability on the mound.

Mal Bamford likes the Padres as an underdog play (+139) against the Cubs, noting San Diego's impressive 7-0 start behind strong pitching, including Randy Vasquez, who delivered a scoreless outing last game (6 innings, 0 earned runs vs Atlanta). Despite Shota Imanaga pitching well for the Cubs against the Dodgers, Bamford believes the Cubs have been inconsistent and unreliable. He stressed the value in betting a team like the Padres at plus money, considering their excellent form, robust pitching staff, and bullpen (three shutouts in seven games).

Mal Bamford backs the Oakland Athletics on the road against Colorado at Coors Field, referencing Colorado starter Ryan Feltner's poor 5.10 home ERA from last season. He highlighted Oakland's power potential with hitters like Brent Rooker, asserting Feltner as vulnerable in this matchup. Additionally, the Rockies disappointed him offensively against Philadelphia during the week, adding conviction to his decision on selecting the A's despite their inconsistent start.

Mal Bamford advised playing the Chicago White Sox in the first five innings against Detroit, citing Jonathan Cannon's strong track record in first-five inning bets dating back to last season. Cannon pitched well in his previous outing against the Angels (5 innings pitched, 0 earned runs, 4 hits). Bamford highlighted the Tigers' weak offense and believes Cannon can contain them early. He also noted Jack Flaherty pitched adequately against the Dodgers last outing, prompting his recommendation towards a lower-scoring early game and specifically backing Chicago in the first five innings to avoid their unreliable bullpen.