Monday marks the start of a fresh week in the big-league circuit, with 8 games on tap.
Our experts have you covered from start to finish and have found great options for Monday, August 3.
Below are 4 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 |
|---|---|---|
  | 7:05 PM | |
  | 8:05 PM | |
  | 8:10 PM | |
  | 9:40 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. | ||
Jon Anderson's Cardinals vs Yankees 2 Picks
By Jon Anderson
I'm eyeing up the K line on Cam Schlittler. We have a price of under 7.5 strikeouts at -130 for one of the Cy Young favorites. The projection I have on Schlittler for this game is just 6.4 strikeouts.
One longer shot pick for some fun: Spencer Jones has dropped his K% to the mid-20s over his last 30 trips to the plate. It's small-sample stuff, but his contact rate (which stabilizes more quickly) has also improved to the mid-60s.
That's still bad, but he was below 60% for a while, so we're seeing the young power hitter make some strides. Against McGreevy, I like his chances of hitting a couple balls hard.
Check out all of Anderson's best bets for today in Monday's edition of The Leadoff:
Pick: Cam Schlittler Under 7.5 Strikeouts, Spencer Jones Home Run
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Mike Ianniello's Dodgers vs Cubs Underdog Pick
With Alex Bregman and Nico Hoerner finally coming along and Pete Crow-Armstrong hitting as well, anybody in the league right now, this Cubs lineup can go toe-to-toe with the Dodgers. Over the last two weeks, five players on Chicago have an OPS over .800. Los Angeles has four, and one of them (Dalton Rushing) might be hurt.
Justin Wrobleski has been overperforming all season, and this red-hot Cubs lineup is seeing him for the second time, in much better form than at their last meeting. Wrobleski doesn’t strike out many hitters and has been hit hard this season. The Cubs are poised to take advantage of that with their speed and ability to make things happen on the base paths.
But you also have the Dodgers flying halfway across the country from LA to Chicago, while the Cubs remain home. You also have the Dodgers possibly looking ahead to tomorrow, where Tarik Skubal will make his LA debut.
You also have Wrobleski having to compose himself after being the subject of trade talks all week, who wasn’t even announced as the starter until the last minute because the Dodgers weren’t sure if he would still be on the team.
All this to say, the narratives work both ways. I think the off-the-field stuff is probably even on both sides; the pitchers are probably closer to even than surface-level might suggest given the concerns around Wrobleski, and the lineups are even given how well the Cubs are playing right now. This game on Monday is pretty much a coin flip, so that provides some value on the Cubs at +110 or better.
Read Ianniello's full Dodgers-Cubs preview here:
Pick: Cubs ML (+110 or Better)
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Charlie Wright's Blue Jays vs Astros F5 Bet
Shane Bieber is coming off a disastrous start against the Nationals in which he couldn't get out of the 1st inning. He's also a trade candidate.If he's moved, this could end up being a makeshift pitching game for Toronto. Houston has been the 2nd-best offense in the league against RHP since the start of July, behind only the aforementioned Nationals.
It seems pretty clear that Cristian Javier wasn't healthy to open the season but is healthy now. He has looked great in 5 appearances since returning from the IL.
Javier has a 3.00 ERA with a 32.1% K% supported by a hefty 17.4% SwStr% over 12 IP. He stretched out to 5 innings in his most recent appearance. Toronto ranks bottom 5 in OPS, wOBA, and wRC+ vs. RHP since the start of July.
The lineup could be thinner by game time with the trade deadline looming.
Pick: Astros F5 ML
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Sean Zerillo's Padres vs Diamondbacks BARTOLO Bet
By Sean Zerillo
Among today's biggest edges is a side in Padres vs. Diamondbacks where I give Arizona a slight advantage in the starting pitching matchup.
If you'd like to dive deeper into why I project this score this way, I recommend checking out BARTOLO, my new PRO baseball betting tool providing PRO subscribers with live access to all the data I use to project MLB games each day.
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Pick: Diamondbacks ML (-120 or Better)
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