MLB Picks Today: Expert Predictions & Best Bets for Monday, August 24, including Rangers vs White Sox
A new week in Major League Baseball begins with a modest 10-game slate on Monday, August 24. It is headlined by an FS1 doubleheader featuring Rays vs Tigers at 6:40 pm ET and Reds vs Giants at 9:45 pm ET. Other matchups to look forward to today include Red Sox vs Marlins, Rangers vs White Sox, Cubs vs Diamondbacks and Phillies vs Mariners. Let's get into my MLB best bets for today, and also make sure you check out our expert MLB picks for predictions on all 10 matchups today and every game throughout the 2026 season.
MLB Best Bet: Tampa Bay Rays ML over Detroit Tigers (-130)
Even though it requires nothing more than mediocrity to make the playoffs in the American League, Detroit has waived the white flag on its season. We knew that when the Tigers unloaded Tarik Skubal to the Dodgers at the trade deadline, and – predictably – things have continued to go south in a big way. Detroit is on a five-game losing streak and has dropped eight of its last nine contests. There is no reason to think the home team will end its skid on Monday, as Tampa Bay is sending Drew Rasmussen to the mound.
Rasmussen is 13-5 with a 3.01 ERA, a 0.95 WHIP and a dominant 138-to-25 strikeout-to-walk ratio through 134.1 innings of work. The right-hander is sporting an especially impressive 2.79 ERA on the round. Framber Valdez (8-8, 4.35 ERA, 1.40 WHIP) has been a huge disappointment in his first season with the Tigers. He allowed nine runs in 11.2 innings across his past two starts, so his woes will probably continue against a far superior opponent.
Read our full Rays vs Tigers prediction for tonight's MLB matchup
MLB Best Bet: Chicago White Sox ML over Texas Rangers (-130)
The Rangers (65-66) are not terrible, but they stink on the road (29-37). Meanwhile, the White Sox 13 games over .500 in Chicago compared to seven games under .500 as visitors. With the Sox playing in their own park for this series, they should get off to a victorious start. Jose Urquidy is moving into the rotation after throwing 6.0 innings of scoreless baseball out of the bullpen in his new club’s 3-0 victory over the in-city rival Cubs last Wednesday. Texas is handing the ball to Kumar Rocker, who has never lived up to the hype. Rocker is 4-10 with a 4.46 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP. He is saddled with a nasty 6.87 ERA through four August appearances. The White Sox should win this one, and they will probably win it big.
Get MLB stats, trends and more in our Rangers vs White Sox prediction
MLB Best Bet: Cincinnati Reds ML over San Francisco Giants (-150)
Chase Burns is taking the mound for Cincinnati on Monday night. Burns is an incredible 14-2 with a 2.51 ERA, a 1.11 WHIP and a 159-to-48 strikeout-to-walk ratio through 136.0 innings. The right-hander has allowed just two runs in 12.0 innings across his last two appearances, both of which the Reds won (1-0 over Miami and 5-4 over St. Louis). He faced San Francisco earlier this season on April 16, firing 6.0 innings of shutout baseball on only two hits and one walk.
The Giants are countering with Carson Whisenhunt, who is saddled with a disastrous 7.03 ERA and 1.84 WHIP. Although the sample size isn’t huge (32.0 innings), those numbers are alarming. Perhaps even more discouraging is that he has almost as many walks (20) as strikeouts (23). San Francisco has lost four games in a row, so there is no reason to think that it is suddenly going to pick up a win over Burns.
Lock in our full Reds vs Giants prediction for today
