A new week in Major League Baseball gets underway with a 10-game slate on Monday. It is headlined by a showdown on FS1 between the Cubs and Phillies. Other matchups to watch include Diamondbacks vs Orioles, Guardians vs Cardinals and Mets vs Dodgers. Let’s get into my MLB best bets for Monday, April 13, while you can also check out our expert MLB picks for EVERY GAME today and throughout the entire season.
MLB best bet: Seattle Mariners ML over Houston Astros (-162)
The Astros (6-10) are tied with several other teams for the worst record in Major League Baseball. Seattle’s George Kirby may be the last pitcher they want to face in an effort to dig out of this early-season slump. Jose Altuve is 3-for-17 lifetime against Kirby with zero extra-base hits; Yordan Alvarez is 3-for-14 with 6 strikeouts; Christian Vazquez is 2-for-10; Isaac Paredes is 2-for-10 with 5 strikeouts; Yainer Diaz is 5-for-19 with no extra-base hits and 7 strikeouts. Kirby is off to a solid start this year, with a 3.60 ERA and 0.90 WHIP through 3 appearances. He has worked at least 6.0 innings on all 3 occasions, including 8.0 last Tuesday against Texas.
Houston is countering with Mike Burrows, who is 1-2 with a 5.63 ERA and 1.75 WHIP. Give me the Mariners on the money line, and the -1.5 run line well into plus money is also a strong play.
Read our full Astros vs Mariners prediction
MLB best bet: Boston Red Sox ML over Minnesota Twins (-165)
Garrett Crochet is toeing the rubber on Monday, which is obviously good news for the Red Sox. Two of Crochet’s 3 starts this season have been stellar: 6.0 innings of no-run baseball against Cincinnati and 6.1 innings with 2 runs allowed against Milwaukee. The southpaw is 2-1 with a 3.12 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and a 22-to-5 strikeout-to-walk ratio. This is on the heels of a brilliant first year with Boston, during which Crochet went 18-5 with a 2.59 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 255 Ks.
Although the Sox are 6-9, they come into this series against Minnesota with some momentum – winners of the last 2 games of a weekend series at St. Louis. They scored 16 runs in those 2 victories and should be able to keep the bats hot against Twins’ right-hander Bailey Ober. He comes in with a 5.27 ERA and just 7 Ks to go along with 4 walks in 13.2 innings of work. Let’s back Crochet and Boston with confidence.
Read our full Red Sox vs Twins prediction
MLB best bet: Los Angeles Dodgers ML over New York Mets (-158)
It is all going downhill for the Mets on the heels of a 7-4 start. They are on a 5-game losing streak after getting swept by the lowly Athletics this past weekend, dropping the 3 contests by a combined 16-6 score. That was preceded by 7-2 and 7-1 setbacks against Arizona. Adding insult to injury, New York now embarks on a 6-game road trip that includes visits to the Dodgers and Cubs. If the Mets aren’t careful, the start of this 2026 campaign could get away from them in a hurry. Monday’s matchup certainly doesn’t look like a favorable spot for them to get back on track.
New York is sending David Peterson to the mound. He is 0-2 with a 6.14 ERA and 1.84 WHIP through 3 appearances. In 2 April outings, the left-hander has allowed 11 runs (10 earned) on 15 hits and 4 walks in 9.1 innings. That does not bode well for his chances against the high-powered Dodgers, who already lead the National League in total runs scored. Los Angeles is countering with Justin Wrobleski, who is 1-0 with a 4.00 ERA and 1.22 WHIP. L.A. won his most recent start 14-2 over Toronto, during which the southpaw surrendered only 1 run in 5.0 innings of work. The Dodgers are the best team in baseball at 11-4 and their early-season momentum should continue with another victory.
Read our full Mets vs Dodgers prediction
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