We have a 9-game slate today, starting with Tigers vs. Rays at 6:40 p.m. ET at Tropicana Field and closing with Mets vs. Mariners at 9:40 p.m. ET at T-Mobile Park.
Our experts have analyzed the matchups and found great options for Monday, June 1. Below are 4 expert MLB best bets for Monday evening.
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 |
|---|---|---|
  | 7:10 PM | |
  | 7:40 PM | |
  | 7:45 PM | |
  | 9:40 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. | ||
PRO's Royals vs Reds Top Prop Edge
By Action PRO
Our PRO Projections system has identified a major edge in the player prop market for Monday's matchup with Cincinnati's breakout outfielder JJ Bleday.
Bleday's .784 slugging percentage against righties means he is actively hunting extra bases every time a right-hander takes the mound. On Monday, he gets a premier matchup against Avila, a conventional righty whose secondary stuff is still under development.
Avila relies heavily on a high-velocity sinker and a hard curveball, but his execution leaves plenty to be desired. Statcast data reveals a concerning 4.74 xERA and an elevated 9.5% barrel rate for Avila this season. Left-handed hitters have historically given him trouble when he fails to locate his changeup, allowing hitters to comfortably sit on his mid-90s fastballs.
With Avila struggling to find the strike zone consistently, Bleday should find himself in highly favorable hitter's counts where he can unleash his fluid stroke.
Pick: JJ Bleday Over 0.5 Doubles (+400)
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Sean Paul's Giants vs Brewers Best Bet
By Sean Paul
I like this Brewers team. The bullpen is filthy late in games. Left-hander Aaron Ashby has developed into one of the elite firemen in MLB, while Trevor Megill and Abner Uribe can close out games. However, I don't think they will have a chance to make a difference here.
The Giants' offense has been terrific of late, ranking second in MLB with a 123 wRC+ over their past 16 games. They've found a more contact-oriented approach in this hot stretch, hitting .270 and striking out 18% of the time.
Having Luis Arraez helps those numbers, but Casey Schmitt and Willy Adames each have a wRC+ above 160 in that span with a low strikeout rate.
Roupp should outduel Drohan, and the Giants' scalding-hot offense should create enough separation to allow San Fran's dicey bullpen to shut the door.
Pick: Giants Moneyline (+134)
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Jon Anderson's Rangers vs Cardinals Top Prop
By Jon Anderson
The Cardinals aren't the home run-heaviest lineup in the league, but they do have Jordan Walker, who can do that sort of thing. JJ Wetherholt has nine homers of his own. One sneaky guy that could be in the lineup today would be Nelson Velasquez.
This guy swings for the fences. He has a history of some high barrel rates when a team has let him stay in the Majors for a bit.
One sneaky price I'm seeing is +820 on Jimmy Crooks. He's just gotten the call-up from the minors to play some catcher. He has a high strikeout rate, and he's rarely seen pitchers like deGrom, but he can hit the long ball. I think you might get a dinger or two off of deGrom that makes you go "who?" tonight.
Pick: Jacob deGrom Over 1.5 Earned Runs (-139)
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Sean Zerillo's Mets vs Mariners Best Bet
By Sean Zerillo
The critical factor for both teams tonight is bullpen health. Yesterday, the Mets piggybacked Noel McLean with David Peterson, while the Mariners piggybacked Bryce Miller with Luis Castillo. Because both coaching staffs successfully used length yesterday, both bullpens enter tonight's matchup extremely well-rested.
I make this true total at 6.4, so there is still plenty of value even though the market has already moved this line down from 7.5 to 7. I am entirely comfortable locking in the current line.
I am betting the full-game Under 7 to -120. I would also heavily consider keeping an eye on a live betting angle. If the game is tied 2-2 in the fifth inning when Manaea takes over and the live total bumps up to 7.5, that is your cue to jump back into the market.
Pick: Under 7 (+100)
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