MLB Picks Today: Expert Predictions & Best Bets for Tuesday, June 16, including Rays vs Dodgers
The week in Major League Baseball continues with a full 15-game slate on Tuesday, June 16. It is headlined by a Padres vs Cardinals clash on TBS, while White Sox vs Yankees, Guardians vs Brewers and Rays vs Dodgers also stand out as interesting matchups. Let's get into my MLB best bets for today's baseball, and also make sure to check out our MLB picks for predictions throughout the 2026 season.
MLB best bet: Cincinnati Reds ML over New York Mets (+108)
Cincinnati opened this 3-game series with a 12-0 humiliation of the visiting Mets on Monday. The Reds have a good chance to keep it going today, mainly because they are facing Kodai Senga. New York’s right-hander is... wait for it... 0-4 with a 9.00 ERA and 1.95 WHIP through 20.0 innings this season. He has not pitched since April 26, so to say that Senga does not inspire any confidence would be a gross understatement. Brady Singer has not been good for Cincy, either, but he is at least coming off an outing in which he gave up just 2 runs in 6.0 innings against San Diego. The bottom line is that the Mets aren’t any good and they are especially bad on the road. Cincinnati has great value as a home ‘dog.
Read our full Mets vs Reds prediction
MLB best bet: Atlanta Braves ML over San Francisco Giants (-150)
The Braves are enduring their worst stretch of the season so far, but that’s not saying a whole lot (1-4 in their last 5 games). All of those recent losses came on the road, and they should be well positioned to get back on track at home as this 3-game series against San Francisco kicks off on Tuesday. Atlanta is 11 games over .500 at Truist Park this year; the Giants are 8 games under .500 on the road. Grant Holmes has been decent enough for the Braves in 2026. The right-hander rarely works super deep into games, but that usually doesn’t matter because he is backed by the best reliever corps in baseball. Yes, Atlanta boasts the best bullpen ERA at 2.82. It is a much different story for the Giants, who come in with a 4.35 ERA. That is especially problematic because Adrian Houser has been horrendous – 2-6 with a 5.54 ERA and 1.54 WHIP. He has failed to get out of the fourth inning in 4 straight starts. San Francisco is 15-23 on the road, and those woes should continue.
Read our full Giants vs Braves prediction
Tampa Bay Rays vs Los Angeles Dodgers Under 8.5 (-115)
Yes, the Dodgers’ lineup is dangerous. Still, I’m not worried about it given this particular pitching matchup. Justin Wrobleski of Los Angeles is facing Tampa Bay’s Drew Rasmussen. Wrobleski is 7-2 with a 2.95 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and a 45-to-16 strikeout-to-walk ratio through 73.1 innings of work. The left-hander is not blowing people away by any means, but he is pitching to contact and letting his defense go to work behind him. The current Rays lineup has gotten a total of 1 hit all time off Wrobleski, and unfamiliarity generally favors the pitcher rather than the hitters. Meanwhile, the Dodgers’ lineup has tallied 47 career at-bats against Rasmussen – they have a total of 1 extra-base hit. Rasmussen is 6-2 with a 2.71 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and an outrageous 77-to-13 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 73.0 innings. The righty is on a 14-inning scoreless streak to begin the month of June.
Read our full Rays vs Dodgers prediction
