Ricky Dimon
A new week in the 2025 Major League Baseball season begins on Monday with an 11-game schedule. I’m on absolute heater to start the year, with a 9-3 record so far in this best bets piece while going 3-for-3 on Same Game Parlays at +481, +632 and +439 odds. Pickswise’s MLB handicapping team on the whole is 15-3 on their best bet. 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: Arizona Diamondbacks ML over Baltimore Orioles (-120)
Odds available at DraftKings Sportsbook at time of publishing
If you have been following our best bets, you know that Arizona ML is a not-uncommon pick. The Diamondbacks have cashed for us twice in 3 tries and I’m going right back to the well on Monday, when Zac Gallen takes the mound. Gallen is coming off an awesome performance against the Yankees, whose torpedo bats when know match for his pitching prowess. That was in the Bronx, too, and now Gallen returns home to his Arizona stomping grounds. The right-hander compiled a 3.36 home ERA in 2024 compared to 4.02 on the road; in 2023 it was 2.47 at home and 4.42 on the road.
The Orioles are off to a 4-6 start, 1 game worse than the 5-5 Diamondbacks. Baltimore has lost 4 of its last 5 contests, including a 3-0 setback against Boston the last time Zach Eflin toed the rubber. Eflin has recorded just 7 strikeouts through 12.0 innings of work this season, so he isn’t fooling anyone. Eugenio Suarez and Corbin Carroll have already homered a combined 8 times this year; I expect them to take advantage.
Read our full Orioles vs Diamondbacks prediction
MLB best bet: San Diego Padres ML over Oakland Athletics (-146)
Odds available at FanDuel Sportsbook at time of publishing
Sutter Health Park in Sacramento was not expected to be some kind of hostile environment for visitors and it certainly hasn’t been so far. Oakland is 0-3 at “home” and I expect it to be 0-4 following its series opener against a high-powered San Diego squad. The Padres come in with an 8-2 record, while the A’s are 4-6.
With Michael King getting the nod for the Padres, there is no reason to think that an upset is in the cards. King burst onto the scene in 2024 and so far this year he is 1-0 with a 3.52 ERA in addition to 14 strikeouts in just 7.2 innings of work. Luis Severino is going for Oakland and the Severino of 2017 and 2018 with the Yankees ain’t walkin’ through that door. Yuli Gurriel is 8-for-23 lifetime in the matchup and Manny Machado has homered 3 times in 19 at-bats. Give me the Padres with plenty of confidence.
