Best MLB Bets Today: Sticking Out East on Monday

We are kicking off the week with a pair of fantastic bets. The first is from a game between the Miami Marlins and Pittsburgh Pirates. The other centers on a battle between the Tampa Bay Rays and NL East-leading Philadelphia Phillies.

Below, we will share the bets we love for these two games, with odds from FanDuel Sportsbook. If you are new and looking to try FanDuel, use our custom link to earn $200 in Bonus Bets + 3 Weeks of NFL Sunday Ticket with your initial wager of $5+!

Best MLB Bets Today: Marlins vs. Pirates (6:40 PM EST)

Over 7.5 runs (-111) at FanDuel Sportsbook

Neither of these lineups is overly impressive, but they will be set up for big nights tonight.

Starting tonight, the Marlins will have rookie Valente Bellozo (2-2, 3.78 ERA, 1.28 WHIP). The 24-year-old has shown why the team is so excited about him, but things got a little ugly at the end of August. Over the three final starts of the month, Bellozo posted an ERA of 8.36 and a brutal 2.14 WHIP.

Bellozo bounced back to shut the Nats out over six innings at his last start. However, that came at home. Now, he’ll be on the road facing a Pirates lineup that has significantly improved since the All-Star break. Things will only get harder for the Marlins once the rookie exits the game, as their bullpen has the ninth-worst ERA in baseball.

The Pirates will have the electrifying Paul Skenes (9-2, 2.13 ERA, 0.98 WHIP) on the mound tonight. As impressive as he has been, the Pirates have played it safe with the young starter, limiting his pitch count. Once he exits, the Pirates will turn to their twenty-seventh-ranked bullpen. 

Nobody here is saying the Marlins' offense is great or even good, but they have been far better since the All-Star break. After batting a lowly .234 average in the first half of the season, that has risen to a solid .254 since then. That may not be enough to get to Skenes, but it does mean they will do a ton of damage once the bullpen takes over the game.

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Best MLB Bets Today: Rays vs. Phillies (6:40 PM EST)

Phillies -1.5 (+112) at FanDuel Sportsbook

The Phillies have been red hot over the last two weeks after a cold streak to start the back half of the season. They are stringing together a lot of wins, thanks mainly to their play at the plate. Since August 14, Philadelphia has gone 16-8 and averaged 5.2 runs per game. Those are massive numbers and show they can beat up on Tampa’s impressive pitching.

On top of having a far better offense, the Phillies will have a big advantage on the mound in Cristopher Sanchez (10-9, 3.45 ERA, 1.26 WHIP). The 27-year-old has been fantastic for the Phillies, further boosting an already great rotation. Some of his best work has come at home this season, where he is 7-3 with a sterling 2.24 ERA. 

Sanchez will face an easy test against the Rays today. Tampa ranks twenty-seventh in the league in batting average and twenty-eighth in runs scored. They have not seen Sanchez since he held them to one run over six innings last season.

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