Best MLB Bets Today | MLB Picks, May 25

Oakland Athletics vs Seattle Mariners

• Time: 9:40 PM EST
• Starting Pitchers: LHP JP Sears (OAK) vs RHP Logan Gilbert (SEA)
• Moneyline: Athletics +205 | Mariners -250
• Run Line: Athletics +1.5 (-102) | Mariners -1.5 (-115)
• Total: Over 7.5 (-120) | Under 7.5 (-102)

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

My Pick: Under 7.5 (-102)

This is our favorite bet for today as the A’s and Mariners feature two struggling offenses. Though the Mariners are a bit better in runs, both teams rank in the bottom four in the MLB in batting average. We knew the A’s would struggle, but the Mariners have been a surprise. They have the talent but have several players struggling to get their bats going in 2023. The A’s are averaging just 2.4 runs over their last ten games, while the Mariners have averaged 4.9. While Seattle’s recent offensive play makes this bet a bit tough, there is a lot of evidence that they’ll have yet another quiet night.

JP Sears (0-3, 4.99 ERA) is the closest thing the A’s have to an ace, and he’ll be on the mound tonight. The 27-year-old is having a great May, with a 3.57 ERA and two quality starts in four appearances. One of those quality starts came against Seattle, where he held them to just four hits and zero runs over six innings. Considering how well he has done in May and the fact that he shut down the Mariners once already this season, we see him having success again tonight.

Logan Gilbert (2-2, 3.81 ERA) has been good for Seattle to start the year. While things got dicey towards the end of April, he bounced back in May to post a 3.33 ERA. That included a start against Oakland, where he surrendered three hits and two runs over six innings. He is improving in May and has held the A’s to a .236 batting average over his career, which is why we love this bet tonight.

San Diego Padres vs Washington Nationals

• Time: 4:05 PM EST
• Starting Pitchers: LHP Blake Snell (SD) vs RHP Jake Irvin (WSH)
• Moneyline: Padres -188 | Nationals +158
• Run Line: Padres -1.5 (-114) | Nationals +1.5 (-105)
• Total: Over 9.5 (-104) | Under 9.5 (-118)

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

My Pick: Nationals ML +158

On paper, this seems like a bad pick. However, you can see why the Padres are in trouble once you dive into the stats. To be fair, they have been in trouble for most of May, losing their previous five series. That run also includes dropping two of three games to the lowly Royals, showing just how bad things are in San Diego. While the Nationals aren’t great, they are good enough to steal the series finale this afternoon. Look for them to get an early lead and not look back.

Another reason we like this bet is that Blake Snell (1-6, 5.40 ERA) will get the start for the Padres tonight. While the veteran has been a good arm over his career, he is having an awful 2023. He has been inefficient with his pitch count and has been giving up far too many walks (1.56 WHIP). He has issued nine combined walks over his last three starts (16 innings), showing that he’s struggling with his control. Snell is also coming off his worst start of the year, giving up six runs to the Red Sox over four innings.

While Nationals’ starter Jake Irvin (1-2, 5.50 ERA) has struggled in his rookie season, there is hope he’ll turn things around tonight. He will have the advantage of being a new face for the Padres, but his most significant advantage may be being a right-handed pitcher. San Diego’s offense has struggled this season, but they have been terrible when facing right-handers, posting a .211 batting average. Considering that the Padres are averaging just 3.2 runs per game over their last ten, there is little reason to think that will change tonight.

Toronto Blue Jays vs Tampa Bay Rays

• Time: 1:10 PM EST
• Starting Pitchers: RHP Alek Manoah (TOR) vs RHP Zach Eflin (TB)
• Moneyline: Blue Jays +110 | Rays -130
• Run Line: Blue Jays +1.5 (-176) | Rays -1.5 (+146)
• Total: Over 8.5 (-118) | Under 8.5 (-104)

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

My Pick: Rays Run Line +146

We cannot pass up on this value, especially considering how these teams match up today. The Rays have established themselves as the best team in baseball thanks to an elite balance between hitting and pitching. They have two players in the AL MVP race and one pitcher that seems a lock to win the AL Cy Young. Toronto has a roster loaded with young talent, but they have struggled to establish themselves as a top contender this season. A big reason for their struggles has been the regression of their ace, who will be on the mound tonight. 

Alek Manoah (1-4, 5.15 ERA) will be on the mound for the Jays tonight. The young star was an early Cy Young favorite after going 16-7 with a 2.24 ERA in 2022. However, Manoah has had an enormous regression this season and has shown few signs that he’s turning things around. Manoah was bad in his start against the Rays earlier this season. The pitcher lasted just 4 ⅔ innings in that game, giving up seven runs, nine hits, and four walks. He looked better in his last start but still fell short of a quality start. Considering how good this Rays offense is, we love their chance to put up another big number against Manoah today.

We also love that Zach Eflin (6-1, 3.45 ERA) will be on the mound tonight for Tampa. He has been solid in 2023, as his impressive record shows. He had some hiccups against the Yankees and Orioles, but both came on the road, where he owns a 5.29 ERA. He’ll be back home tonight, where he has been far better, going 5-0 with a 2.40 ERA. On top of that, the Jays own a combined .200 career average against Eflin. We see him delivering a quality start tonight, leading the Rays to an easy win