Ricky Dimon
A new week in Major League Baseball begins with a modest 8-game schedule on Monday. I’m on an absolute heater to start the year, with a 16-9-1 record so far in this best bets piece while going 3-for-5 on Same Game Parlays at +481, +632 and +439 odds. Pickswise’s MLB handicapping team on the whole is 23-10-1 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 Monday’s slate.
MLB best bet: Chicago White Sox vs. Boston Red Sox (-125)
Odds available at BetOnline Sportsbook at time of publishing
It is Patriots’ Day, and nowhere in the land are the festivities more patriotic than in Boston. As usual, the Boston Marathon will be in progress and the Red Sox will play an afternoon game at Fenway Park on the third Monday in April. Anything less than a big win for the home team would be a big surprise. The White Sox were historically bad last season and they are well on their way to being the worst team at least in the American League and – depending on Colorado – perhaps the entire MLB. Chicago is 5-16 overall and 1-8 on the road.
Boston should be in especially good shape to capitalize on a horrible opponent with Walker Buehler on the bound. Buehler’s first 2 starts with his new club were underwhelming, but he has settled into a groove. The right-hander has allowed only 3 runs across 11.1 innings over his past 2 outings. Going for the visitors is Jonathan Cannon, who is 0-4 with a 4.42 ERA. The White Sox have lost all 4 of his starts and they will likely drop another on Monday.
MLB best bet: Atlanta Braves F5 -0.5 over St. Louis Cardinals (-120)
Odds available at DraftKings Sportsbook at time of publishing
Atlanta’s 8-13 record remains a major disappointment, but this talented team is finally starting to find something. The Braves are coming off a 3-game sweep of Minnesota and look poised to maintain momentum with Spencer Schwellenbach and Spencer Strider lined up for the first 2 games of this series against St. Louis. Schwellenbach is sporting a 2.55 ERA and 0.85 WHIP with 22 strikeouts and just 5 walks through 24.2 innings. He looks like a legitimate NL Cy Young Award candidate.
The Braves are 6-2 at some, so only the road has been their problem. Meanwhile, the Cardinals are 1-9 as visitors so far in 2025. Erick Fedde will have a hard time righting the ship, as Atlanta loves hitting against him. Marcell Ozuna is 7-for-12 lifetime in the matchup with 2 home runs and 2 doubles; Austin Riley is 7-for-20 with 2 doubles; Michael Harris II is 3-for-4 with a double; Orlando Arcia has reached base 5 times in 7 plate appearances. The Braves’ bullpen is somewhere between mediocre and bad, so let’s eliminated them from the equation by backing the first 5 innings line. That has better value than the full-game money line, anyway.
