We have a 8-game slate on Monday. We start with Rays vs. Guardians at 6:10 p.m. ET and close with Marlins vs. Dodgers at 10:10 p.m. ET.
Our experts have analyzed the matchups and found great options for Monday.
Below are four expert MLB picks and predictions for today's slate of games.
MLB Best Bets Today
The team logos in the table below represent each of the matchups that our MLB betting staff is targeting from today's slate of games. Click on the team logos for any of the matchups below to navigate to a specific bet discussed in this article.
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 6:10 PM | |
  | 6:40 PM | |
  | 7:07 PM | |
  | 7:40 PM | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our MLB Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
Rays vs Guardians Moneyline Pick
By Sean Paul
The second-best record in the American League belongs to the Tampa Bay Rays, who sit at 16-11 after beating the Twins on Sunday.
Steven Matz is on the mound for this series opener. In his first year as a starter since 2023, it's been a mixed bag. Matz owns a 4.81 ERA with a 5.04 xERA and a 5.10 FIP. The good for Matz is his strong 9.30 K/9 — his highest since 2022. The bad? His 3.70 BB/9 and 1.80 HR/9 are career worsts.
The Guardians just lost a series to another AL East foe — the Blue Jays. Cleveland heads back home with a 15-14 record, good for first place in the AL Central.
One of the big reasons why is the emergence of Parker Messick, who shone in seven games last year but looks like a legit frontline starter moving forward. The 6-foot southpaw boasts a 1.76 ERA with a 3.16 xERA and a 2.54 FIP.
I'm taking Cleveland here. Messick is legit and I think he needs to be priced like a No. 1 or No. 2 guy in the rotation. And given that Cleveland is just -136, I don't think the pricing represents Messick how I see him.
Take the better pitcher and possibly better overall team at home as slight favorites.
Pick: Guardians Moneyline (-136)
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Mike Ianniello's Cardinals vs Pirates Best Bet
While St. Louis showed a surprising early power surge to start the season, their offense remains wildly inconsistent. They have relied heavily on Walker’s power stroke and rallying for late comebacks over consistent hitting. The Cardinals are last in the league in runs over the past week.
Pittsburgh is going with a bullpen game on Monday with left-hander Mason Montgomery getting the start to face the top of the Cardinals lineup that features three lefties in the first five batters.
Right-hander Wilber Dotel will come on after that, a promising young prospect making his third career big-league appearance.
The Pirates used this piggy-back strategy a few weeks ago with Montgomery and Mlodzinski leading right to Soto and Santana to great success as the Bucs shutout the Nationals, allowing just three hits all game.
Dustin May has settled down over his last three outings, but he still grades out as a well-below average starting pitcher. His strikeout numbers are way down, he has one of the lowest whiff rates in the league, and teams have a 46.8% hard hit rate against him. Lowe, Ozuna, and Cruz have all taken May deep before.
May really struggles against left-handed hitters and with two switch hitters in the lineup, the Pirates could roll out six lefties on Monday. After May departs, St. Louis has a young bullpen that has been overworked early and is struggling to a 5.25 ERA. They have the second lowest K-BB% in the league. Pittsburgh’s bullpen has been nails recently and should have the advantage throughout here.
Take the Buccos at home to raise the Jolly Roger on Monday night.
Pick: Pirates Moneyline (-130, play to -135)
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Sean Zerillo's Red Sox vs Blue Jays Best Bet
By Sean Zerillo
With the total sitting at 7 for this matchup, I would need a price of +105 to consider the under, though I would prefer 7.5 at -120 or even -125. Ultimately, this is a bet on the Blue Jays.
I have priced Toronto at about -160, so I would bet them up to -150.
If the total hits 7.5, consider the under, but for now, Toronto is one of my favorite bets on the slate.
Dylan Cease has become one of my favorite pitchers to back, as the optimizations the Jays have made appear to be sustainable.
Read Zerillo's full Red Sox-Jays breakdown here:
Pick: Blue Jays Moneyline (-140, play to -150)
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Mariners vs Twins Prop Pick
By Jon Anderson
My projection model says 6.2 strikeouts for Connor Prielipp. I think this guy has a slider that the league will take some time to get used to. And the Mariners are a team you can sit down with the swing-and-miss. So that's where I'm going.
I don't see any pitcher hits allowed lines out as I write this, but my preferred attack method would be something like this:
- Connor Prielipp 4+ Strikeouts
- Luis Castillo 4+ Hits Allowed
That should get you somewhere near -150 or so. But to make it easier, my model does grade the individual Prielipp strikeout overs favorably.
Pick: Connor Prielipp Over 4.5 Strikeouts (-140)
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