We have a 16-game slate today, courtesy of a Guardians vs. Reds doubleheader that begins at 1:40 PM ET at Great American Ballpark. The last scheduled game will be Mariners vs. Dodgers at Dodger Stadium at 10:10 PM ET.
Our experts have you covered from start to finish and have found great options for Tuesday, July 28.
Below are 5 expert MLB best bets today.
MLB Best Bets Today
The team logos in the table below represent each of the matchups that our MLB betting staff is targeting from today's slate of games. Click on the team logos for any of the matchups below to navigate to a specific bet discussed in this article.
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 6:40 PM | |
  | 7:10 PM | |
  | 7:40 PM | |
  | 7:45 PM | |
  | 10:10 PM | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our MLB Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
Ryan Minion's Phillies vs Marlins Best Bet
By Ryan Minion
I have confidence backing Marlins’ 2B Otto Lopez to have a big night at the plate, building upon what has been a phenomenal 2026 campaign for the 27-year-old.
He'll be facing Phillies starter Aaron Nola, whose prime years seem to be well behind him, while Otto is having himself a breakout 2026 campaign, leading all of baseball with a .330 AVG on the season thus far.
In nine previous at-bats versus the Phillies’ right-hander, Lopez has recorded four hits with two of them having been for extra bases.
Otto’s exceptional plate discipline and elite contact rates make him a nightmare matchup for Nola, which has been clearly displayed in the two’s previous encounter versus one another.
That said, I favor backing the Marlins’ slugger to exceed his 1.5 HRR (Hits + Runs + RBIs) mark on Tuesday night in a game Miami’s lineup could frequent the basepaths given Nola’s spiraling form on the mound.
Pick: Otto Lopez Over 1.5 Hits+Runs+RBIs (-150)
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Jon Anderson's Braves vs Mets Best Bet
By Jon Anderson
The Braves find themselves in a very good spot to even the series. The Mets send the young Christian Scott to oppose Chris Sale.
I like what we've seen from Scott lately, at least enough to bet the strikeout total. He might give up a couple of very hard-hit balls to lefties, but he should be able to find plenty of strikeouts through this Braves lineup along the way, so I'm picking him to get at least six Ks.
However, we should know that Scott has trouble with left-handed hitters. He doesn't throw a changeup, and none of his other pitches work to effectively neutralize lefties, and he might give up a couple of very hard-hit balls to them.
So, my second pick will be Matt Olson, who profiles very well against Scott and his pitch mix, to get 2+ hits, runs and runs batted in.
Pick: Matt Olson 2+ H+R+RBI / Christian Scott Over 5.5 Ks
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Frank Ammirante's Yankees vs White Sox Best Bet
I'm riding with Yankees/White Sox Under 8.
Gerrit Cole has been on a nice roll lately. In his last three starts, he has a 3.36 xERA with a 33.7% strikeout rate and a 2.1% walk rate.
This is highlighted by a matchup against the Dodgers, where he shut down one of the best offenses in baseball, allowing two runs in six innings with one walk and eight strikeouts.
On the other side, the White Sox are going with lefty Anthony Kay. While his season-long numbers are unimpressive, Kay has given up two runs or fewer in five of his last six starts. He's also a lot better at home (3.06 ERA) than on the road (5.56 ERA).
Facing an undermanned Yankees lineup that is now without Cody Bellinger, I'm betting that Kay will provide a quality 5+ innings. Grant Taylor (2.25 xERA, 34.9 K%) didn't pitch for the White Sox yesterday, so he'll be available tonight, which also bodes well.
With that in mind, we'll bet on a lower-scoring game here.
Pick: Under 8 (-112)
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Matt Trollo's Cubs vs Cardinals Best Bet
By Matt Trollo
The latest Statcast park factors have Busch Stadium suppressing runs by 6%, tied with several other parks for the third-lowest run environment in the league. Preliminary weather reports don’t seem to be likely to impact the game much, nor should scheduled umpire Adam Hamari (-0.6).
I have Cardinals starter Michael McGreevy projected around four and a half with Cubs SP Colin Rea about one-third of a run worse, but the Chicago offense is around 20 points of wRC+ ahead of St. Louis at this point in time.
The Cubs are also the better of the two great defenses. The Cardinals are a top five defense, but the Cubs more than double them up in Runs Prevented, OAA and projected lineup FRV.
Bullpens are very comparable either in the middle of the league (if using L30-day estimators) or at the bottom of it (via BARTOLO).
I would play this through 8.5, but lower to 0.5u below 9.
Pick: Under 9 (-120)
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Mariners vs Dodgers Bet Labs Featured System
By Bet Labs
This system targets short underdogs on a brief losing streak, facing a strong opponent in non-division matchups, such as this Mariners vs. Dodgers game.
The idea is to back undervalued teams that are due for a bounce-back against public-favored teams with high win percentages.
These spots often present inflated lines due to recency bias and public perception, especially when the opponent is winning and the dog is on a minor skid.
Non-division games tend to introduce more volatility and value since familiarity is lower.
Pick: Mariners +1.5 (-125)
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