Ricky Dimon
MLB Opening Day is in the rearview mirror, so the 2025 Major League Baseball is off and running. It’s full steam ahead to Day 2, on which 18 teams will return to the diamond. The 9-game slate features intriguing matchups such as Red Sox vs Rangers, Braves vs Padres and Tigers vs Dodgers. Let’s get into my MLB best bets of the day.
Also don’t forget to check out our MLB picks for Friday’s slate. Additionally, don’t miss our 2025 MLB futures guide, which features win total futures, best bets on the MVP, Cy Young and Rookie of the Year, division winner selections and World Series predictions from our team of experts.
MLB best bet: Baltimore Orioles vs Toronto Blue Jays Over 8.5 (-108)
Odds available at FanDuel Sportsbook at time of publishing
Baltimore brought out the bats in the season opener, powering past Toronto 12-2 on Thursday. Even without Gunnar Henderson, who will be sidelined for at least another week, the Orioles’ offense did not miss a beat. They belted 6 home runs (2 apiece for both Adley Rutschman and Cedric Mullins) and 3 different guys had 3 hits (Rutschman, Mullins and Tyler O’Neill).
With Charlie Morton and Kevin Gausman taking the mound on Friday, I expect another steady diet of runs – this time perhaps with the Blue Jays also joining the party. Morton is 41 years old; Gausman is 34. In his final season with the Braves, Morton slumped to a 4.19 ERA and even on a playoff team had more losses (10) than wins (8). Gausman is still going strong for the most part, but his strikeouts-to-walk ratio has fallen from 7.3 to 4.3 to 2.9 the past couple of seasons. It’s safe to say that each veteran right-hander is past his prime. All things considered, give me the over.
Read our full Orioles vs Blue Jays prediction
MLB best bet: San Diego Padres ML over Atlanta Braves (-130)
Odds available at DraftKings Sportsbook at time of publishing
The Padres scored 4 runs in the 7th inning of a back-and-forth affair to beat the Braves 7-4 on Thursday. San Diego should have a good chance to win the second game, as well. Reynaldo Lopez is getting the start for Atlanta and he is coming off a brilliant 2024 campaign, but he probably won’t be allowed to pitch deep into the game. The Braves will be cautious in the pitch-count department with all of their starters given that Spencer Strider missed almost all of last year and Cy Young Award winner Chris Sale was unable to go in the playoffs (Atlanta got swept by none other than San Diego in the wild-card round). That means the Braves’ bullpen should see the mound for plenty of innings and – as we saw yesterday – that is this team’s weakness.
Of course, San Diego might already have the lead going into the late innings. Dylan Cease is toeing the rubber for the home team after compiling a 3.47 ERA and winning 14 games in 2024, his first season with the Padres. The Braves’ offense is dangerous, but it is less so until Ronald Acuna Jr. returns from a torn ACL. I’ll back the Padres to win again.
Find out our expert’s MLB YRFI/NRFI best bets for today’s action
