Best bets today: Braves vs. Mets among SportsLine's top MLB plays for June 26

Bettors have nine MLB games on the slate to choose from on Thursday, June 26. The featured games pit the Chicago Cubs versus the St. Louis Cardinals, while the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets meet in the finale of their four-game series. 

We highlight the top betting opportunities with links to full game analysis and picks throughout the article while providing the top betting tips for today's matchups.

There is also a link to the best sportsbook promotion today from bet365. bet365 grants new users a bet $5, get $150 in bonus bets offer by using the bonus code SPORTSLINE. See more about the promotion below. 

Best MLB bets today

Chicago Cubs (-135, 9) at St. Louis Cardinals: 2:15 p.m. ET

The Cubs finally figured out St. Louis on Wednesday, winning 8-0. The Cardinals won the first two games of the series by rolling up 16 runs before getting blanked last night. Wednesday's game went Under the total, but that's not the norm for this series, with eight of the last 10 meetings going over. 

Shota Imanaga gets the start on Thursday as Chicago tries to salvage a split on the road before heading to Houston. Imanaga has been sidelined since early May with a hamstring injury. Before going on the injured list, Imanaga went 3-2 with a 2.82 ERA.

The Cardinals give the ball to Andre Pallante. Pallante is coming off one of his best outings of the season, where he pitched six scoreless innings against Cincinnati in a 6-1 St. Louis win. The current Cubs' lineup has had success against Pallante in a small sample size, hitting over .300 in 33 career at-bats. 

Get full analysis and expert picks for Cubs-Cardinals SportsLine!

Atlanta Braves at New York Mets (-110, 8.5): 7:10 p.m. ET

The Braves' six-game winning streak over the Mets ended on Wednesday. New York played one of its best games in the last couple of weeks, defeating Atlanta, 7-3. 

The Mets look to get a series split with Griffin Canning on the mound. That will be a tall order, though, given Canning's performance in his last three starts. The 29-year-old has allowed 14 runs in his last 14.2 innings of work. One silver lining: New York did win two of those three starts.

The Braves counter with Grant Holmes. Holmes is coming off an outing where he pitched 5.2 shutout innings against Miami. However, Atlanta has struggled recently with Holmes on the mound, going 1-4 in his last five starts. 

Get full analysis and expert picks for Braves-Mets at SportsLine!

Today's featured sportsbook promo

bet365 Sportsbook grants new users a bet $5, get $150 in bonus bets by using the bonus code SPORTSLINE. New customers deposit a minimum of $10 in your account and bet $5 on any market. Upon settlement of the bet, the user will receive $150 in bonus bets, regardless of whether or not the bet wins. The bonus bets must be used within seven days from when they hit your account. 

For example, let's say you bet $5 on the Chicago Cubs to beat the St. Louis Cardinals in MLB on Thursday. You will receive $150 in bonus bets whether the Cubs win or lose the game. 

bet365 welcome bonus terms and conditions:

• A minimum deposit of $10 is required to claim this promo.
• The bonus is available for new customers only.
• The initial wager must settle within 30 days.
• Bonus bets cannot be cashed out and must be used within seven days of receiving them.

Other games to bet on for Thursday, June 26

MLB: Seattle Mariners at Minnesota Twins (1:10 p.m. ET) 

MLB: Toronto Blue Jays at Cleveland Guardians (1:10 p.m. ET)

MLB: Tampa Bay Rays at Kansas City Royals (2:10 p.m. ET)

MLB: Philadelphia Phillies at Houston Astros (2:10 p.m. ET)

MLB: Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Colorado Rockies (3:10 p.m. ET)

Over at SportsLine, you'll get top-notch analysis, including game breakdowns, betting trends, predictions, and expert advice on all the MLB games slated for Thursday, June 26. You can also join the SportsLine Discord channel for even more betting tips and expert picks. 

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