Sunday's MLB slate is packed with 16 excellent games, thanks to a Cubs-Guardians doubleheader.
The day begins with the first of those games, then another four contests at 1:35 p.m. ET and ends with Cardinals vs. Tigers on Sunday Night Baseball at 7:20 p.m. ET.
Our staff of MLB betting experts has grabbed five of their Best MLB Picks Today and our Best Bets on Sunday, April 5.
MLB Picks Today: Sunday's Best Bets
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 |
|---|---|---|
  | 1:35 PM | |
  | 1:35 PM | |
  | 2:10 PM | |
  | 4:07 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. | ||
Dodgers vs Nationals Best Bet
After a sluggish start to the season, the Dodger bats woke up in D.C., slamming the Nats for 23 runs over the past 18 innings.
Of course, the Nats responded with 11 runs of their own, but their subpar pitching was decimated by the superstar Dodgers (I'm looking at you, Miles Mikolas).
However, I wouldn’t be surprised to see some regression on Sunday, especially considering the weather looks relatively pitcher-friendly. With temperatures in the low-60s and double-digit breezes blowing in from right-center field, BallParkPal projects a -7% run factor behind a -17% home run factor.
My hope is that Foster Griffin has some juice in his arm. The advanced pitching model metrics were favorable in his first start (104 Stuff+, 102 Location+, 106 Pitching+), with four of his pitches grading above average.
After a slow start to his Major League career, Sunday feels like a good time for Roki Sasaki to find his groove. The fastball doesn’t move much, but he throws it 98 MPH and pairs it with a very good cutter.
Ultimately, it seems like a good time for both these offenses to slow down a bit after a scorching past few days.
Read McGrath's full Dodgers-Nationals preview here:
Pick: Under 9 (-106)
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Padres vs Red Sox Spread Pick
By Sean Paul
I don't know how Walker Buehler tricks teams into giving him MLB jobs. He posted a negative fWAR the last two seasons and gave up three runs in four innings in his Padres debut.
The meat of the Padres' order has really struggled. Fernando Tatis Jr. is hitting .200 with a 77 wRC+ and no homers. Jackson Merrill checks in with a .185 average and a 68 wRC+.
The Red Sox are also off to a really tough start, sitting at 2-6. They lost five straight after winning on opening day and broke the losing streak with a win on Friday.
The "ace" is Garrett Crochet, but Ranger Suarez can serve as the "stopper" in this matchup. He was signed to a big contract to get outs in spots like these.
Suarez struggled in his Boston debut, allowing four runs and seven hits in just 4 1/3 innings, but I think he gets back on track here.
He generates ground balls on about half of his outs during his career, but it was just a 31% ground ball rate in his season debut against the Astros. The track record for Suarez is that of a top-20 pitcher in the game, and one start doesn't alter my thoughts on him.
With Buehler on the hill, I project Boston in the -180 range. It's the better team in general and has a huge advantage on the mound.
If you want to lay -155, that's fine, but my official play is Red Sox -1.5.
The plus money there is too nice to pass up for a Boston squad that should pounce on one of the worst pitchers in MLB.
Read Paul's full Padres-Red Sox preview here:
Pick: Red Sox -1.5 (+134)
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Blue Jays vs White Sox Home Run Prop
By Derek Carty
THE BAT X is forecasting 0.17 home runs for Blue Jays third baseman Kazuma Okamoto against the White Sox.
Oddsmakers are implying 0.12 home runs, so I believe there is value here.
If you take the over, you’d be projected to win 15% of the time, resulting in a 39% ROI with an expected value of $39.23 (based on a $100 wager).
This play is good down to at least +643.
Pick: Kazuma Okamoto Home Run (+800)
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Mariners vs Angels Bet Labs' System Pick
By Bet Labs
The Series Unders: Off Low-Scoring Games system focuses on regular-season MLB matchups where both teams are entering the second or later game of a series after producing minimal offense in their previous outing.
Saturday's matchup ended with the minimum score — a 1-0 Angels victory over the Mariners.
Friday's contest didn't produce fireworks either, as Seattle won 3-1.
When teams come off one- or two-game streaks of low scoring, particularly early to mid-series, the market can overcorrect or undervalue continued offensive stagnation.
This MLB model anticipates that trend to persist — betting on the under when recent results and situational rhythm point to a slow-paced, low-output environment.
Pick: Under 9 (-104)
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Cardinals vs Tigers Best Bet
Kyle Leahy came into the year as a popular sleeper in deeper fantasy leagues, so he has some intrigue.
The Cardinals pitcher has a curveball that induced a 35.1% whiff rate last season. We saw some impressive outings from Leahy as a long reliever last year, including seven strikeouts across 3.2 innings against the Rockies at Coors Field.
I'm betting that he can get back on track at Comerica Park.
The other angle of this pick is me fading the Tigers' Keider Montero. The two best hitters on the Cardinals, JJ Wetherholt and Alec Burleson, each bat left-handed.
Montero was atrocious against lefties last year, so that may hurt him in this one.
I'll stick with the first five innings with this pick because I'm zeroing in on the pitching matchup. I don't want to rely on the Cardinals bullpen here.
Pick: Cardinals F5 ML (+106)
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