Best MLB Bets Today: Wheeler and Imanaga Set to Duel in Chicago

We have a stellar pair of bets for you today. The first comes from a matchup between the Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago Cubs. The other is an AL Central battle between the Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins.

Below, we will share our favorite bet for both of the above games. We’ll use odds taken from FanDuel Sportsbook, which offers new players a welcome bonus of $150 in Bonus Bets when they sign up and make an initial winning wager of $5+.

For more betting opportunities, check out our list of the best MLB betting sites and our curated list of MLB promos and bonuses.

Best MLB Betting Sites: Phillies vs. Cubs (8:05 PM EST)

Phillies -1.5 (+126) at FanDuel Sportsbook

The Phillies have been sputtering of late, but they are set up to add another win to their impressive record tonight. One reason why is that Phillies ace Zack Wheeler (9-4, 2.73 ERA, 0.98 WHIP), who will be on the mound tonight. The righty has been fantastic for Philadelphia again this season. While he was lit up by the Orioles, Wheeler has been near unhittable in June, allowing five runs in his four other starts. 

Wheeler will be up against one of the most disappointing lineups in baseball. The Cubs came into the season as favorites to win the NL Central but now sit in the last place. A big reason is the team’s inability to score, ranking twenty-fifth in batting average and twentieth in runs scored. 

Cody Bellinger has been a significant threat to Wheeler with five home runs in 13 at-bats against the ace, but the rest of this lineup will allow the 34-year-old to work around him if needed.

The Cubs will start Shota Imanaga (7-2, 3.07 ERA) on the mound today. The 30-year-old rookie was the best pitcher in baseball over the first couple of months, but that is no longer the case. After being blown up for seven runs over 4 1/3 innings against Milwaukee, Imanaga posted a disappointing 5.67 ERA in June.

Imanaga will have his hands full tonight as he faces one of the best lineups in baseball. He has faced two similarly talented offenses over the last month (Brewers and Mets), and he gave up 17 runs over 7 1/3 innings. Even if Imanaga can recapture his early season success, the dismal Cubs bullpen will help us cover the run line tonight.

Bet on Phillies -1.5 (+126) at FanDuel 

Best MLB Betting Sites: Tigers vs. Twins (8:10 PM EST)

Twins ML (-166) at FanDuel Sportsbook

These two teams have been trending in different directions, with the Guardians leading the AL Central while the Tigers have plummeted to fourth place. This is the team we expected to see in 2024, but they will have a significant advantage tonight with Jack Flaherty (5-5, 3.24 ERA, 1.00 WHIP).

Flaherty has revived his career in Detroit and is now one of the best pitchers in the AL. Not only has his ERA vastly improved, but his WHIP is also way down. He finished the last three seasons of a WHIP above 1.50 as he struggled with control, but he has been far better in 2024. Many expected Flaherty to develop into an elite ace, which may finally be happening.

The Twins faced Flaherty twice in April, scoring earned runs across 12 1/3 innings. Both were quality starts for the Tigers pitcher, which resulted in wins for the Tigers. Minnesota is playing far better than it was back then, but so is Flaherty. 

As hot as the Twins lineup is, Flaherty has shut down other great lineups several times over the last two months, and we expect him to do so again tonight.

The Twins will run rookie David Festa to the mound tonight (1-0, 9.00 ERA). The 24-year-old made his big league debut last week, allowing five runs on seven hits over five innings. He got the win, but the start was hard to watch. 

While the Tigers lineup is far worse, they have the talent to capitalize on shaky rookie pitchers like Festa, which is why we like them to steal a win tonight.

Bet on Twins ML (-166) at FanDuel 

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