Best MLB Bets Today | MLB Picks, May 15

Arizona Diamondbacks @ Oakland Athletics

• Time: 9:40 PM ET

• Starting Pitchers: Merrill Kelly (ARI) vs Drew Rucinski (OAK)

• Moneyline: Diamondbacks (-180) | Athletics (+155)

• Run Line: Diamondbacks -1.5 (-110) | Athletics +1.5 (-110)

• Total: Over 8 (-155) | Under 8 (-105)

Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook

My Pick: Arizona Diamondbacks -1.5 (-110)

Our first bet of the day will come from the Arizona Diamondbacks vs Oakland Athletics game. There are 12 games on slate today, and this is one of the less exciting ones. The Diamondbacks are off to a strong start and are five games above .500. However, the Athletics are the worst team in the league and will likely finish the season with the worst record in baseball. Since the Diamondbacks are a significantly better team and sending a much better starter to the mound, they will win this game and cover the spread. Bet on the Diamondbacks -1.5.

The Diamondbacks are sending Merrill Kelly to the mound. Kelly is the #2 pitcher on the Arizona pitching staff and off to a strong start. He has a 3-3 record and a 3.18 ERA through eight starts. The veteran may be in the back half of his career, but he is still quite reliable on the mound. Kelly gave up four earned runs in his previous start against the Miami Marlins but has been dominant against subpar teams. The righty has started three games against teams with records below .500 and has only given up three earned runs. This will be his easiest start yet, and he will dominate the Athletics.

Drew Rucinski will get the start for Oakland. Rucinski has had an interesting career. He pitched sparingly in the MLB in 2014, 2015, and 2017 and played his only full season in 2018. Rucinski went on to pitch professionally in Korea from 2019-2022 but returned to the MLB this year. He has started in three games for Oakland and has an 8.16 ERA and a 2.09 WHIP in three starts. Rucinski has had some troubling outings this year. The 34-year-old has given up ten combined runs in his last two starts. He will have some problems against this tough Arizona lineup. The Diamondbacks are averaging a little over five runs a game, so this matchup will present some difficulties for Rucinski. Arizona will tee off him and win this game by a couple of runs. Bet on the Diamondbacks -1.5.

Minnesota Twins @ Los Angeles Dodgers

• Time: 10:10 PM ET

• Starting Pitchers: Pablo Lopez (MIN) vs Noah Syndergaard (LAD) 

• Moneyline: Twins (+100) | Dodgers (-120)

• Run Line: Twins +1.5 (-190) | Dodgers -1.5 (+160)

• Total: Over 8.5 (-110) | Under 8.5 (-110)

Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook

My Pick: Los Angeles Dodgers ML (-120)

Our second bet of the day will take us to Los Angeles. The Twins are playing surprisingly well this season, and the Dodgers are in full form, so this will be an exciting matchup. Even though Minnesota has a winning record and have won three of their last four, I would bet on the Dodgers to win. They have a home-field advantage, and their offense has been stronger lately. Bet on the Los Angeles moneyline.

The Twins are sending Pablo Lopez to the mound. Lopez was traded to the Twins this offseason from the Miami Marlins and has impressed in his short stay in Minnesota. He comes into this game with a 2-2 record, a 3.47 ERA, and a 1.07 WHIP. The righty had two difficult starts in late April but returned to form by only giving up three combined earned runs in his last two outings. With that being said, he will face a very tough Dodgers’ lineup today. The Dodgers are averaging 5.5 runs over their last four games. Lopez will have a productive start but will give up some runs in the process.

The Dodgers are giving the nod to Noah Syndergaard. Syndergaard has not had the start he was hoping for, but he has shown some promise. He only pitched one inning in his previous start because of a cut he had on his index finger, so he will be eager to return to the mound today. Even though the 30-year-old has a 6.12 ERA, he also has four starts with three earned runs or less. The veteran will face some decent Twins’ hitters and give up a few runs, but his lineup will carry him to victory. Bet on the Dodgers’ moneyline.

Los Angeles Angels @ Baltimore Orioles

• Time: 6:35 PM ET

• Starting Pitchers: Shohei Ohtani (LAA) vs Grayson Rodriguez (BAL)

• Moneyline: Angels (-135) | Orioles (+115)

• Run Line: Angels -1.5 (+120) | Orioles +1.5 (-140)

• Total: Over 8 (-110) | Under 8 (-110)

Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook

My Pick: Los Angeles Angels ML (-135)

Our final bet of the day will come from the most exciting game. Shohei Ohtani will take the mound against the Orioles, so many people will tune into this matchup. The Orioles have a significantly better record than the Angels but are sending a worse starter to the mound. This will be a close game, but the Angels will win it. Bet on their moneyline.

Shohei Ohtani comes into this game with a 4-1 record, 2.74 ERA, and 0.91 WHIP. He has given up 12 earned runs in his last three starts but will be facing an Orioles team that was shut out in their previous game and has only scored ten runs in their last four games. If you combine the Orioles' slower lineup with Ohtani’s pitching abilities, you will see that he will not have a hard time in this outing.

Grayson Rodriguez will take the hill for Baltimore. Rodriguez is coming off an excellent start against the Tampa Bay Rays but has not been consistent this year. He gave up two runs in his last outing but six in the one before that. I expect him to split the difference in this game and give up four runs. That will be enough for the Angels to win. Bet on their moneyline.