Thursday is a lighter day on the MLB schedule with just six games, but the later stages of the day present three intriguing matchups, headlined by an NL Central showdown between the Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates that sees reigning Cy Young winner Paul Skenes take the mound. The Cubs have been baseball's streakiest team this year for better and for worse, and they just snapped a 10-game losing streak on Wednesday. The Pirates can secure a series win on Thursday, while the Cubs will aim for a series split. Here, we take a deep dive into the best trades on Kalshi for Thursday's three late MLB games using recommendations from the SportsLine Projection Model, which simulates every game 10,000 times. Use the latest Kalshi promo code CBSSPORTS for MLB games on Thursday and get a sign-up bonus:
Best MLB trades for Thursday, May 28
- Blue Jays to win vs. Orioles
- Cubs to win vs. Pirates
- Astros to win or lose by fewer than 1.5 runs vs. Rangers
Blue Jays to win vs. Orioles
The Jays have been one of baseball's more disappointing teams this season as they find themselves two games under .500 after making it to the World Series a year ago. Injuries have been a major issue, but Toronto has the pieces to make a run in a wide-open American League Wild Card race. The Blue Jays kick off a four-game series with the Orioles, who are a game behind Toronto in the standings amid another disappointing campaign. Lefty Patrick Corbin (2-1, 3.86 ERA) starts for Toronto here, while the Orioles counter with former Blue Jay Chris Bassitt (4-3, 5.51 ERA). For this series opener, the model has the Blue Jays winning in nearly 50% of simulations, a result that's trading at 47 cents per share at Kalshi. Trade on Blue Jays-Orioles with the latest Kalshi promo code CBSSPORTS:
Cubs to win vs. Pirates
The Cubs were atop the NL Central very recently, but they now are near the bottom of the division standings after losing 10 in a row. They snapped that skid with a 10-4 win on Wednesday, but they face a tall task on Thursday with Skenes getting the start for the Pirates. Skenes is looking to get back to his dominant ways after allowing nine runs over 10 innings across his last two starts. That came after allowing one or fewer runs in seven of his previous eight starts. The Cubs will send Colin Rea (4-3, 4.83 ERA) to the hill. The model has the Cubs winning 43% of the time, and a Chicago win is priced at 40 cents per share at Kalshi.
Trade on Cubs-Pirates and more MLB with the latest Kalshi promo code CBSSPORTS:
Astros to win or lose by less than 1.5 runs vs. Rangers
The AL West has been a disaster, with all five teams entering Thursday under .500. The Rangers at 25-30 are two games back of Seattle, while Houston is 25-32 and three games back. The Astros' pitching has been a major problem all season, but the offense has been great. The exact opposite is true of the Rangers for the second year in a row. Houston has also quietly played better of late. The Astros have taken two of the first three games of this four-game set and can wrap up a big series win over their in-state rivals on Thursday. Spencer Arrighetti (6-1, 1.32 ERA) goes for the Astros while the Rangers will start Nathan Eovaldi (5-5, 3.65 ERA). The model thinks the Astros will keep Thursday's game close, with Houston winning or losing by fewer than 1.5 runs in 67% of simulations, a result that's priced at 63 cents at Kalshi.
