We have another full 15-game slate today, starting early with Marlins vs Rays at 12:15 p.m. ET, and closing with Padres vs Mariners at 7:20 p.m. ET on Sunday Night Baseball.
Our experts have analyzed the matchups and found great options for Sunday.
Below are 4 expert MLB best bets today.
MLB Best Bets for Sunday, May 17
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 |
|---|---|---|
  | 12:15 PM | |
  | 1:35 PM | |
  | 2:10 PM | |
  | 7:20 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. | ||
Tony Sartori's Marlins vs Rays Best Bet
By Tony Sartori
Right-hander Eury Perez is coming off one of his best outings of the year. In that contest, the Marlins starter surrendered three runs on three hits while striking out eight en route to a 3-0 loss.
He will go up against the Rays' Drew Rasmussen.
A potential AL Cy Young candidate through the early portion of the season, Rasmussen carries a 3-1 record with a 3.16 ERA and 0.91 WHIP into this matchup.
His underlying metrics are equally impressive as the right-hander ranks in the top quarter of the league in xERA, average exit velocity, walk rate and hard-hit rate.
Rasmussen is likely to deal once again in this matchup against a poor Marlins lineup. The biggest obstacle to the under is the Rays’ ability to produce runs.
However, Perez is coming off a strong outing in which the under hit. Meanwhile, there have been seven or fewer total runs scored in two of Rasmussen’s past three starts.
Pick: Under 7.5 (-125 or Better)
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PRO's Red Sox vs Braves Top Prop Edge
By Action PRO
PRO projects Red Sox starter Brayan Bello for 2.9 strikeouts in today's matchup against the Braves, giving us an amazing 20.5% edge against the market when compared to his current prop line of over/under 3.5, which is good enough to mark the under with an A+ grade in our system.
After a horrible start to the season, Bello has had two great outings in a row, pitching 13 and 1/3 innings and racking up 12 strikeouts combined.
However, it remains to be seen whether that was just a good run or a hint of the new path forward.
This afternoon, he will face a major threat. The Braves offense ranks second in the majors with a 115 wRC+ and leads all MLB teams against right-handed pitchers like Bello with 121.
There's a reason Bello still has a 6.46 ERA and a 1.74 WHIP. Despite his recent recovery, he had five awful performances in his first six starts.
He has gone under this strikeout line (3.5) in four of his eight starts, all of them with just two Ks.
Staying in the game against this powerful Braves lineup will be the main challenge.
At plus money, let's fade him today against Atlanta.
Pick: Brayan Bello Under 3.5 Strikeouts (+100 or Better)
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Ryan Minion's Cubs vs White Sox Best Bet
By Ryan Minion
Erick Fedde started out hot, but he’s since cooled off, allowing six earned runs over his past two outings, spread out across 12 hits and five homers in less than 10 frames.
Despite relying heavily on a sinker and slider, the White Sox starter allows a ton of hard contact, especially against left-handed hitters.
Thus, I plan to fade Fedde against a lefty.
Pete Crow-Armstrong started slow, but he’s rounding into form. And, historically, this is a good matchup for him — across five head-to-head plate appearances, the Cubs center fielder has two hits against Fedde.
PCA has a unique combination of speed and power — he bashed 31 homers and swiped 35 bags last season. And while he’s often prone to strikeouts, Fedde is not exactly a strikeout pitcher, giving Crow-Armstrong the edge in this head-to-head matchup.
Pick: Pete Crow-Armstrong Over 1.5 H+R+RBI (-105 or Better)
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Frank Ammirante's Padres vs Mariners Best Bet
The Padres have a 72 wRC+ in the last seven days, which ranks 25th in MLB during that stretch. We could see Mariners SP George Kirby shut down this underperforming offense, especially at home and in strong form, having allowed a combined 10 earned runs in his last six outings, spanning 37 innings.
Considering that Padres starter Lucas Giolito looked sharp in his most recent rehab assignment at Double-A, coupled with the fact that this is at a pitcher's park, we could also see a quality outing from the veteran right-hander.
It also bodes well that the Mariners' bats have gone cold in this series, combining for just four runs in two games.
Then, add in the fact that both Mason Miller and Andres Munoz are fresh in this game, and you can see why the under looks appealing.
Pick: Under 7.5 (-110 or Better)
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