Ricky Dimon
The week in Major League Baseball comes to a close with a full 15-game schedule on Sunday. I’m red hot in the early stages of the season, with a 23-14-1 record so far in this best bets piece while going 3-for-5 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 38-20-2 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 Sunday’s slate.
MLB best bet: Atlanta Braves -1.5 over Pittsburgh Pirates (-130)
Odds available at DraftKings Sportsbook at time of publishing
Once 0-7, the Braves will have a third chance to reach .500 for the first time this season. They squandered golden opportunities against Colorado and Cincinnati, but this matchup against Pittsburgh should be the one that gets them over the hump. Not only are the Pirates terrible, but the Braves also have Chris Sale on the mound. Sale struggled at the very start of the year, but the 2024 NL Cy Young Award winner has allowed a mere 3 earned runs over his last 3 starts across 18.2 innings of work.
Carmen Mlodzinski (1-3, 6.16 ERA, 1.66 WHIP) is going for the Pirates. In other words, it’s someone other than Paul Skenes. And when someone other than Skenes is starting, Pittsburgh is close to an auto fade. This club is 13-27 and has already fired its manager. Things are likely to get worse before they get better – especially given this particular matchup.
Read our full Braves vs Pirates prediction
MLB best bet: Philadelphia Phillies F5 -0.5 over Cleveland Guardians (-125)
Odds available at Bet365 Sportsbook at time of publishing
You always have to feel good about Philadelphia’s chances whenever Zack Wheeler his on the bump. Although the ace right-hander has not been entirely dominant this season (3-1, 3.35 ERA, 0.94 ERA), he has been getting along nicely. Wheeler has turned in 4 straight quality starts and the Phillies have won 3 of those 4 games.
Cleveland is countering with Luis Ortiz, who is 2-3 with a 5.30 ERA and 1.42 WHIP in addition to a strikeout-to-walk ratio that is barely above 2-to-1 (40-to-19). Ortiz will be pitching on just 4 days of rest after getting knocked around by the Nationals to the tune of 6 runs on 5 hits and 3 walks in 5.1 innings of work during a 10-9 loss on Tuesday. He now has to face red-hot hitters such as Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner and Nick Castellanos – not to mention Bryce Harper. There is no reason why Philly should not maintain a lead through 5 innings.
Read our full Phillies vs Guardians prediction
