MLB Picks

The Seattle Mariners head to Cincinnati for a midweek series, and we are here with a Brewers vs Reds prediction for the opener. The Mariners have heated up lately, including a sweep of the rival Rangers over the weekend and 2 of 3 over the Astros before that. Those were big wins for a Seattle team that had a very cold start to the season. The Reds are also coming off a weekend sweep, taking a set from the Pirates to get themselves back to .500. With 2 great pitchers taking the mound and the wind blowing out at Great American Ball Park, Tuesday could be a wild night. My Mariners vs Reds pick is to take underdog Cincinnati at home.

Luis Castillo takes the mound for Seattle. He was traded from Cincy in 2022 but was loved by Reds fans. Although he usually is a better second-half pitcher, he has been strong so far this year. He will face Nick Lodolo, a hard-throwing lefty who has immense upside if he can ever stay healthy. These 2 pitchers have a combined ERA of 3.08 on the season. It is hard to find an edge here, except that Seattle has thus far been one of the worst hitting teams against lefties this season. That is enough for me to take my chances with Lodolo. Also of note, the Reds should get closer Alexis Diaz back on Tuesday — although his immediate role is unclear.

Mariners vs Reds prediction: Cincinnati ML (-105) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

You can bet on our Mariners vs Reds pick at DraftKings Sportsbook, which has thousands of betting options available and a great new customer offer where you can get $200 in bonus bets INSTANTLY when you make a first bet of just $5! Click here 👈🏼 to sign up for a DraftKings account now.

The Washington Nationals take on the Pittsburgh Pirates for Game 2 of the series. In Game 1, we saw the Pirates win 10-3, outhitting the Nationals 14-6. This was out-of-the-ordinary hitting for the Pirates, but Paul Skenes was able to motivate the Pirates on both sides of the ball. This is exactly what the Pirates needed after being swept by the Cincinnati Reds.

Looking at Game 2, on the mound we will see Jake Irvin for the Nationals and Mitch Keller for the Pirates. Irvin has pitched 16 innings, giving up 10 runs on 18 hits. Keller has pitched 16 innings giving up 8 runs on 17 hits. While these numbers seem even, the main difference is that Keller gave up 8 hits and 7 runs to the New York Yankees. This means that in his other 2 outings, he allowed 1 run on 9 hits through 13.1 innings. Irvin, on the other hand, has given up plenty of hits and runs in all of his starts this year.

Looking at everything together, this is the ideal spot for the Pirates. In Game 1, every pitcher for the Nationals gave up runs. A game like this helps build momentum for the home team. To top it off, the bullpen pitching for the Nationals ranks dead last in the league with a 6.92 ERA. With numbers like this, the Nationals would need a spectacular performance out of Irvin. Additionally, Keller has pitched well in 2 out of his 3 starts. Keller can provide a spark on the defensive end and the Pirates have the potential to ride the momentum on the hitting side against a struggling Irvin and a weak bullpen.

Nationals vs Pirates prediction: Pirates ML (-125) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

If you’re looking for a new sportsbook, check out Bet365, the world’s #1 sportsbook. They have an amazing sign-up offer where you can INSTANTLY receive $150 in bonus bets from a $5 wager, regardless of whether that bet wins or loses! There’s no catch, it’s really that simple. Join Bet365 right now ⏰ in time to fade or follow our experts’ Nationals vs Pirates predictions.

It is hard to bet against the current form of Jesus Luzardo, as the newly acquired Phillies pitcher looks unhittable to begin the 2025 season. Luzardo has always had clear talent, but pitching on lower-level teams as kept him out of the national spotlight for the most part. Now on the Phillies, Luzardo has the chance to fully break out into superstardom this season. The southpaw hurler has amassed 25 strikeouts to just 5 walks issued in his first 3 starts spanning a combined 18.0 innings of work. This includes 7.0 innings of shutout ball against a lethal Dodgers lineup in his home debut, and 6.0 innings of 1-run ball in his most recent outing against the Braves. I expect Luzardo to continue his strong performance with a solid outing against the Giants.

Justin Verlander debuted in 2005 and is still an MLB starter at the age of 42. While that is impressive within itself, his performance on the field so far this season has not been. On April 4 he lasted just 2.2 innings against the Mariners before allowing 5 earned runs to the Reds last Wednesday. He will still likely be a replacement level or better pitcher in 2025, but Philadelphia holds the clear starting pitching edge in this matchup.

Giants vs Phillies prediction: Philadelphia ML (-150) available at time of publishing. Playable to -155.

If you’re looking for a new sportsbook, we recommend checking out Fanatics Sportsbook, where new users can bet $30 and receive $300 in bonus bets INSTANTLY! Join Fanatics Sportsbook, where you can bet on our Giants vs Phillies predictions.

The Rays had no trouble taking care of business yesterday against the Red Sox, cruising to a 16-1 victory. Kameron Misner had a huge night for the Rays, going 3-for-4 with 2 homers and 3 RBIs. As for the Red Sox, their offensive struggles continued — managing just 6 hits in yesterday’s game. Today, the Rays will look to make it 3 in a row, and they have a great chance of doing just that. 

Taking the mound for the Rays is Ryan Pepiot, who is 1-1 with a 3.38 ERA this season. In his last start he picked up a win against the Angels, throwing 5.0 innings, striking out 5, and giving up 3 earned runs. As for the Red Sox, Walker Buehler is expected to get the start. Buehler is 1-1 with a 5.74 ERA. The right-hander struggled in his first 2 starts but looked much sharper in his last appearance against the Blue Jays, giving up just 1 earned run and striking out 7 in 6.1 innings. Tampa Bay’s offense has been inconsistent this season — until last night. That kind of breakout performance has to give this team a boost in confidence. However, once again the Sox couldn’t get anything going on offense. This Boston is talented, but it is clearly in a funk right now. I just can’t trust the Sox at the moment. For tonight’s game, I’m backing the Rays money line as my best bet.

Red Sox vs Rays prediction: Tampa Bay ML (-135) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

Bet like a Caesar with this AMAZING new customer offer from Caesars Sportsbook, where you can receive $150 in bonus bets INSTANTLY when you make your first $1 wager! Become a Caesars member 👥 using the Caesars promo code PWCONTENTBG1, where you can bet on our Red Sox vs Rays picks.

We head to Birdtown Tuesday for the series opener between the Cleveland Guardians and Baltimore Orioles. Both teams were off Monday, so everyone should be fresh and available for this one. The Orioles split a pair of 1-run games with Toronto over the weekend, while the Guardians took 2 of 3 from the Royals. It is cool and windy on Tuesday, and we have a couple of unreliable pitchers on the mound. Things could get silly. I think Cleveland is in the better situation here, so I love that it is the plus-money underdog. My Guardians vs Orioles pick is the Guardians on the money line.

Charlie Morton takes the mound for Baltimore. Maybe I’m wrong, but Morton looks cooked to me. The 41-year-old has given up at least 4 runs in each of his 3 starts this year, and he is struggling with walks. The Guardians typically don’t strike out much, so those walks could be a big problem tonight. Cleveland is starting Logan Allen, and he’s not great either. He is in his sophomore season and still developing, and inconsistency is the problem for him right now. Expect no more than 5.0 innings of work, but that’s okay when your bullpen is solid. If Cleveland can get ahead, it can stay ahead. It is notable that despite being able to stack a ton of righties in the lineup, Baltimore is not hitting lefties well this season so far (second-lowest slugging in the league). I’ll take my chances with the underdog in this spot.

Guardians vs Orioles prediction: Cleveland ML (+125) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

You can bet on our Guardians vs Orioles pick with BetMGM, where right now new users can activate your new BetMGM account ⚡ and receive $150 in bonus bets INSTANTLY if your first $10+ wager is a winner!

The Yankees were able to handle business against the Royals last night, winning 4-1. The Yankees had 4 solo blasts that came from Austin Wells, Jazz Chisholm, Trent Grisham and Ben Rice. Heading into tonight’s matchup, the Yankees are heavy favorites — and it’s easy to see why given the Royals’ struggles at the beginning of this season. After dropping 5 of their last 7 games heading into this series, the Yankees needed that win in hopes to jump-start their offense moving forward. 

Taking the mound for the Yankees tonight is lefty Max Fried, who has been dominant to start the season with a 2-0 record and a 1.56 ERA. Fried has stepped up in a big way for the Yankees, and in his last start against Detroit he pitched 7.0 scoreless innings and struck out 11. For the Royals, they will start Michael Wacha; he is 0-2 with a 4.20 ERA. Offensively, Kansas City continues to struggle; it is 28th in OPS (.591) with just 9 homers, averaging 3.1 runs per game. As for the Yankees, they are first in OPS (.844) with 32 homers, averaging 6.2 runs per game. The Yankees boast a much more talented lineup than the Royals, plus the Yankees have the better pitcher going in tonight’s game. I can’t find a reason to back K.C. in this matchup, which is why I’m going with New York’s run line as my best bet of the day.

Royals vs Yankees prediction: New York -1.5 (-105) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

Now you can bet any of our Royals vs Yankees predictions at FanDuel Sportsbook, which has a great new-customer offer to take advantage of. If you sign up for FanDuel right now, you earn a welcome bonus worth up to $250 if your first $5 bet wins! Use this link 🔗 to join FanDuel right now and learn more.

Tylor Megill has allowed just 1 earned runs through his first 3 starts in 2025, spanning a combined 14.1 innings of work. He may be a bit fortunate to allow just 1 so far considering he has allowed 7 free passes and 11 base hits, but his 17 strikeouts and ability to get out of jams has impressed me. With a career high in innings pitched of just 126.1 across a full season, Mets fans are hoping that the right-hander can take a step forward this season for a rotation that could use his services. Projection sources have his season-long FIP right around 4.00 and he should be in line for a solid season given health. I expect success for Megill in his matchup with the inconsistent Twins offense today.

Bailey Ober was crushed by the Cardinals in his season debut, surrendering 8 earned runs in just 2.2 innings of work with 11 batters reaching base in his 19 batters faced. He has pitched well in his 2 most recent outings, however, allowing just 2 earned runs combined across 10.0 innings against the Astros and Royals. New York has yet to break out offensively this season, but it is one of the more talented units in the entire sport. I find the ML price on New York to be cheap for this matchup, and I favor the visitors over Minnesota.

Mets vs Twins prediction: New York ML (-120) available at time of publishing. Playable to -125.

If you’re looking for a new sportsbook, check out Bet365, the world’s #1 sportsbook. They have an amazing sign-up offer where you can INSTANTLY receive $150 in bonus bets from a $5 wager, regardless of whether that bet wins or loses! There’s no catch, it’s really that simple. Join Bet365 right now ⏰ in time to fade or follow our experts’ Mets vs Twins predictions.

The Chicago Cubs will look to even the series against the San Diego Padres in a matchup between two of the better offenses in baseball at the moment. Both teams rank top-6 in both BA and wRC+ as a team thus far and top-5 in runs scored. These ball clubs are more than capable of driving in runs, but the difference maker in this matchup will likely come down to the pitching staffs. Shota Imanaga (2.70 ERA, 0.90 WHIP) takes the bump for Chicago and has had a solid start to the season. Before being cracked for 5 ER last time out, he had only surrendered 2 ER in 18.1 IP. The San Diego offense has been excellent, but it hasn’t been as strong against left-handed pitching.

Imanaga should give the Cubs an advantage to start as San Diego starter Randy Vasquez (1.72 ERA, 1.21 WHIP) has some daunting underlying numbers. Despite a rather appealing 1.71 ERA at the surface level, the righty is posting a 6.38 xERA, which falls in the 11th percentile, and should see some major regression sooner rather than later. He falls in the 10th percentile or worse in K%, BB%, whiff % and chase %. Meanwhile, the Cubs are top-3 in BA against RHP and top-5 in wRC+ and should be able to string hits together against Vasquez. It’s a steep price, but with Shota on the bump I’ll take the Cubbies.

Cubs vs. Padres Prediction: Cubs ML (-150) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number or better.

The Colorado Rockies and Los Angeles Dodgers are set for a Tuesday battle at Dodger Stadium. Los Angeles picked up the win in last night’s series opener 5-3, but tonight’s contest could be a bit more higher-scoring. The starting pitching matchup in this one is slated to be Ryan Feltner for Colorado and Landon Knack for Los Angeles. Feltner is off to a solid start with a 2.81 ERA through 3 starts and 16.0 innings so far this season, but this will be his toughest test yet. He has struggled against the Dodgers in this career, as he owns a less-than-stellar 5.79 ERA and 1.43 WHIP in 28 innings against them. He now goes up against a Los Angeles lineup that leads the National League with 31 home runs so far this year.

On the other side, Knack will be making just his 14th MLB start. He is coming off a game in which he allowed 5 runs on 4 hits in just 2.1 innings against the Nationals. Knack has only thrown 4.1 innings so far this season, so it would be a bit surprising to see him provide manager Dave Roberts with length in this one. The Dodgers’ bullpen hasn’t exactly been lights out, owning a 4.09 ERA so far in 2024-25. All in all, both offenses seem to be in favorable spots tonight. Consider the over.

Rockies vs Dodgers prediction: Over 8.5 (-115) available at time of publishing. Playable to -120.

If you’re looking for a new sportsbook, we recommend checking out Fanatics Sportsbook, where new users can bet $30 and receive $300 in bonus bets INSTANTLY! Join Fanatics Sportsbook, where you can bet on our Rockies vs Dodgers predictions.