MLB Picks Today: Expert Predictions & Best Bets for Tuesday, September 15, including Dodgers vs Reds & Yankees vs Twins

The week in Major League Baseball continues with a full 15-game slate on Tuesday, September 15. It is headlined by Braves vs Cubs live on TBS at 7:40 PM ET, and also features White Sox vs Guardians, Brewers vs Pirates and Yankees vs Twins. With just under two weeks left of the regular season and tons still to play for, there is plenty as stake as we come down the home stretch. Here are my MLB best bets for today, and don't miss our expert MLB picks for all 15 matchups on Tuesday.

MLB Best Bet: Tampa Bay Rays -1.5 over The Athletics (-102) 

Tampa Bay is 90-59, including a dominant 50-25 at home. Its four-game lead atop the American League East is relatively comfortable, but not to the extent that it can take its foot off the gas pedal. The Rays will try to take another step toward clinching the division when they send Griffin Jax to the mound on Tuesday. Jax has allowed exactly one earned run in four of his last five starts. The Athletics’ lineup has rarely faced Jax, and unfamiliarity generally favors the pitcher rather than the hitters. Current A’s players are a combined 1-for-11 (.091) lifetime against Jax with six strikeouts.

The visitors are countering with Jack Perkins, who is a horrendous 3-11 with 6.53 ERA and 1.53 WHIP. Perkins has walked a ridiculous 14 batters in his last four appearances across 18.0 innings of work. The right-hander has not logged more than 5.0 innings since August 1 and has not completed the sixth inning this entire year. That is bad news for a bullpen that ranks dead last in all of Major League Baseball with a 5.42 ERA. Tampa Bay should get its opponents’ relievers with a lead already in hand, after which the floodgates could open.

Get our full expert analysis in our Athletics vs Rays prediction

MLB Best Bet: Los Angeles Dodgers -1.5 over Cincinnati Reds (-135) 

Los Angeles rolled to a 4-1 victory in the series opener on Monday and should be in line for another multi-run success at Cincinnati’s expense. Yoshinobu Yamamoto is toeing the rubber, and to say that is good news for the visitors would be a gross understatement. The reigning World Series MVP is 13-8 with a 2.62 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and a 171-to-39 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 172.0 innings. Yamamoto just faced the Reds last Wednesday and was utterly dominant, firing 7.0 innings of one-run baseball with 10 strikeouts compared to just one walk, in addition to three hits. The Dodgers won that contest 14-1.

Six days later, we get the exact same pitching matchup. Opposing Yamamoto is once again Rhett Lowder, who got shelled for seven runs on seven hits and two walks in 3.1 innings during that blowout loss. Through two September outings, Lowder has allowed 14 runs (13 earned) on 13 hits and six walks in 13.1 innings. The Reds have lost his last two starts by a combined 24-8 margin.

Check out our Reds vs Dodgers prediction for MLB stats, trends and more on this matchup

MLB Best Bet: New York Yankees vs Minnesota Twins Under 8 (-118) 

New York’s Max Fried and Minnesota’s Bailey Ober will take the mound for the second game of this series. Fried is sporting a 2.73 ERA and 0.99 WHIP. Ober has allowed just one earned run in each of his last three starts across 14.1 innings. The right-hander is sporting a 3.16 ERA at home compared to 5.84 on the road. Both offenses have been struggling, so there is no reason to think that either one will get back on track in this one given the pitching matchup.

The Yankees crossed the plate twice in each of their last two games against the Mets this past weekend. Similarly, the Twins have scored no more than two runs in three of their last four contests.

After a 5-star best bet winner on this game last night, check out our Yankees vs Twins pick for today