We have a loaded 15-game MLB slate on tap for Wednesday, April 8. There are numerous games with intriguing starting pitching matchups, and other games where offenses are lined up to succeed. Let’s dive in and discuss my MLB best bets that are standing out to me the most on this slate! You can also check out our experts’ MLB picks for EVERY GAME today!
MLB Best Bet: Seattle Mariners vs Texas Rangers Under 8 (-115)
Odds available at BetMGM at time of publishing. Playable to -120 odds.
Monday night saw the Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers combine to score just 3 runs in a 2-1 Rangers victory. Only 5 runs were scored on Tuesday night between the clubs as Texas grabbed another 1-run victory. I am once again expecting a low-scoring output from these squads as they close out their 3-game series on Wednesday afternoon. Globe Life Field in Texas tends to favor pitching, and this was especially true in 2025, where totals seemingly were always set low. Wednesday’s game has the posted total set at 8, and I find that number to be a bit too high.
Bryan Woo is the scheduled starter for Seattle on Wednesday. Woo has been terrific so far in 2026 for the Mariners, posting 13 innings of 2-run ball through his first 2 starts. His season debut resulted in 6 innings of 2-run ball with 9 Ks against the Guardians before an even better and outing where he tossed 7 scoreless frames against the Angels. Now he gets a Texas offense that has been lackluster against right-handed pitching so far. Active Ranger bats have 78 combined PA against Woo with just a .634 OPS to show for it.
MacKenzie Gore was acquired by the Texas Rangers in a trade with the Washington Nationals this offseason. Gore has jumped out to very strong starts each of the last 2 seasons before fizzling out in the 2nd half. Texas hopes to expand on his early-season success and find a way to keep him rolling through the later months. Gore is clearly a talented arm with elite strikeout production and the ability to mow down opposing lineups. He has had a decent start to his Rangers tenure with solid outings against the Phillies and Reds.
Philadelphia is a tough matchup for Gore given their extensive history, but he pitched well with 5.1 innings of 2-run ball. He did allow 2 home runs against the Reds, but still registered a quality start in that game. Neither bullpen is overly worked and I expect a lower scoring game in this matchup.
Read our full Mariners vs Rangers prediction
MLB Best Bet: Framber Valdez (DET) over 5.5 strikeouts (-108)
Odds available at FanDuel Sportsbook at time of publishing. Playable to -125 odds.
Framber Valdez made headlines during the offseason by signing a 3-year $115 million contract with the Detroit Tigers. Valdez was a longtime Houston Astro who served as the team’s ace for the last few seasons. I am and always have been a massive fan of Framber as I love the energy he pitches with and the consistency he has provided over his career. While he is known to be an efficient arm able to pitch deep into games with his ground ball nature, I am looking to back him in the strikeout department tonight.
Valdez has made 2 starts so far with the Tigers, recording 6 innings with 5 strikeouts in both starts. He has allowed just 1 earned run so far through those 12 innings, issuing 3 walks along the way. In 2025 Valdez a 23.3% strikeout rate which ranked him in the 55th percentile. He generated a 68th percentile chase rate, however, consistently drawing opponents out of the zone on pitches that would otherwise be called balls. On Wednesday Valdez will match up with a Minnesota Twins lineup that has struggled to see lefties well in 2026. The Twins have faced 6 left-handed starting pitchers so far, scoring just 7 earned runs off those arms in 34.2 innings.
The last 3 lefties to face Minnesota have been Cole Ragans with 8 strikeouts, Noah Cameron with 7, and Tarik Skubal with 7. Valdez has his outs recorded line set at 17.5 with significant juice towards the over. If able to complete 6 or more innings in this matchup I am very fond of his chances to record 6 or more strikeouts. Only 5 active Minnesota batters have faced Framber before. Those 5 batters have 39 combined plate appearances against the southpaw with 16 strikeouts in that sample. At -125 odds or better this is a play for me.
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