Ricky Dimon
Another week in Major League Baseball gets underway with a 12-game schedule on Monday. I’m red hot in the early stages of the season, with a 27-16-1 record so far in this best bets piece while going 3-for-6 on Same Game Parlays at +481, +632 and +439 odds and 5-1 on YRFI/NRFI picks. Pickswise’s MLB handicapping team on the whole is 45-25-4 on their best bets. Let’s keep it going as we get into my MLB best bets of the day!
Also don’t forget to check out our MLB picks for Monday’s slate.
MLB best bet: New York Mets vs Boston Red Sox Under 9 (-102)
Odds available at FanDuel Sportsbook at time of publishing
An intriguing series opener at Fenway Park features what should be a fantastic pitching matchup. Kodai Senga has been red hot for the Mets, as he comes in with a 4-2 record in addition to 1.02 ERA and 1.17 WHIP. Toeing the rubber for the Red Sox is Hunter Dobbins, who is 2-1 with a 3.90 ERA and a 23-to-4 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
The Mets’ bats have gone extremely cold, so Dobbins should be in line for more success. New York has scored a grand total of 7 runs in its last 4 contests and has not crossed the plate more than 4 times in a game since May 11. Boston’s lineup is getting along pretty well right now, but it probably won’t matter given how strong Senga is looking. Moreover, there is almost zero familiarity for the batters against these pitchers given that it’s an interleague showdown. I would play this under 8 and perhaps even under 7.5.
MLB best bet: Los Angeles Angels F5 ML over Oakland Athletics (+100)
Odds available at Bet365 Sportsbook at time of publishing
The Angels are on fire. And what’s even more amazing is that their sudden hot streak has come at the expense of the Los Angeles Dodgers. In a 3-game set at Dodger Stadium over the weekend, the Angels improbably swept the best team in the National League. Manager Ron Washington’s squad will try to keep its momentum going against an opponent on the opposite end of the talent spectrum. The Athletics’ record isn’t terrible, but they have lost 5 in a row heading into this series.
Look for these 2 American League West rivals to stay on their respective tracks. Los Angeles has Jose Soriano on the mound and he is sporting a solid 3.46 ERA. The A’s are countering with J.T. Ginn, who is saddled with a 4.61 ERA and 1.54 WHIP. I like the Halos on the money line as small underdogs, but I like the first 5 innings line even more. That takes their relievers out of the equation, which is a good thing since L.A. is dead last in all of MLB in bullpen ERA and they just pitched a ton of high-leverage innings in 3 games against the Dodgers.
