PICK:TORONTO BLUE JAYS (-144)

Toronto Blue Jays ML -144 Pick: Toronto Blue Jays Moneyline -144 Confidence: 7.5/10 — Strong Play I’m taking the Toronto Blue Jays ML at -144 as my third and final play. Toronto has the starting-pitching advantage with Dylan Cease, and I believe that gives the Blue Jays the edge in this matchup. At -144, the price is reasonable enough to back Toronto on the moneyline without needing to rely on the run line. I prefer the moneyline over Toronto -1.5 because this is a matchup where I’m looking for Toronto to win, not necessarily win by multiple runs. The goal is to take the stronger side while keeping the required margin to a minimum.

PICK:TEXAS RANGERS (+114)

Texas Rangers ML +114 Pick: Texas Rangers Moneyline +114 Confidence: 8/10 — Best Bet I’m taking the Texas Rangers ML at +114 as my top value play. Texas is getting plus money in a matchup where I believe the game is much closer to a coin flip than the odds suggest. At +114, we only need the Rangers to win a little over 46% of the time to justify the price, giving us a favorable risk-to-reward setup. I prefer the moneyline over the +1.5 run line because the plus-money price gives us enough value to take Texas outright rather than paying a heavy price for the extra run. Final Pick: Texas Rangers ML +114 Confidence: 8/10

PICK:NEW YORK METS (+139)

New York Mets ML +139 The Mets ML +139 is my value play on today's board. New York is getting a very attractive plus-money price despite having Zac Thornton on the mound with a solid 3.53 ERA. The Mets have also been swinging the bat extremely well recently, leading MLB in runs during the first part of September and coming off a sweep of the Marlins. The matchup against Gerrit Cole is not as intimidating as the name suggests. Cole has been vulnerable to the long ball recently, including allowing four home runs in his most recent start against San Diego. That gives the Mets' offense an opportunity to keep this game close and potentially win outright. At +139, I believe the Mets are being priced as too much of an underdog. I don't need New York to dominate—I just need them to win more often than the price implies. The pick: New York Mets ML +139 Confidence: 7/10 — STRONG PLAY

PICK:TEXAS RANGERS (+112)

Texas Rangers ML +112 The Rangers ML +112 is my value play on today’s board. Texas is coming off a rough 9-1 loss to Arizona, but I’m willing to look past Friday’s result rather than chase the Diamondbacks after a blowout. The Rangers still have enough offensive ability to compete in this matchup, and at +112 we’re getting plus-money value instead of paying a premium on Arizona. Kumar Rocker gets the start for Texas against Brandon Pfaadt. Pfaadt has been the better pitcher this season with a 3.53 ERA compared with Rocker’s 4.61, so this is not a matchup where I expect Texas to dominate. However, the price is what makes the Rangers interesting. At +112, I believe the Rangers have enough paths to win this game to justify taking the underdog price. We don't need Texas to be the better team overall—we need them to win often enough for the plus-money price to have value.

PICK:PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES (-160)

Philadelphia Phillies ML -160 ⭐ Strong Play — 7/10 Confidence Pick: Philadelphia Phillies ML (-160) The Phillies are in a strong bounce-back spot Monday against the Braves, and the biggest reason I like Philadelphia is the starting-pitching matchup. Philadelphia sends Jesús Luzardo to the mound. Luzardo is having an excellent season at 13-5 with a 3.02 ERA and 209 strikeouts, and his recent form has been particularly impressive. Since the beginning of August, he has allowed no more than two earned runs in six consecutive starts, posting a 1.32 ERA over that stretch. Atlanta counters with Grant Holmes, who enters at 9-5 with a 3.62 ERA and 104 strikeouts. Holmes is capable of pitching well, but the overall matchup still favors Luzardo and Philadelphia. The Phillies also have plenty of motivation. After Sunday's heartbreaking 5-4 loss to Atlanta, Philadelphia needs a win Monday to salvage a split of this four-game series. The Braves currently hold the advantage in the NL East, making these head-to-head games particularly important. I also prefer the moneyline at -160 rather than laying -1.5 runs. Philadelphia simply needs to win the game, and with Luzardo on the mound at home, I don't want to require a multi-run victory.

PICK:CHICAGO CUBS (-123)

Chicago Cubs ML -123 Confidence: 7/10 ⭐ — GOOD PLAY I’m taking the Chicago Cubs Moneyline -123 against the Miami Marlins. The main reason I like Chicago is the combination of Javier Assad on the mound and the Cubs' overall offensive advantage. Assad comes into this matchup at 6-1 with a 3.46 ERA and 55 strikeouts. Miami counters with Ryan Gusto, who is 1-3 with a 3.86 ERA and 57 strikeouts. Assad gives Chicago a solid starting-pitching edge, and I trust the Cubs more to control this game from the mound. Chicago also enters with an 80-62 record, compared with Miami at 71-71. The Cubs just handled the Marlins 6-1 on Friday, with strong pitching and timely offense, and they moved into the top NL Wild Card position with the victory. I also like the -123 price from our board. The broader market has Chicago around -134 to -138, so we're getting a slightly better number than the current market in some books. FanDuel's numberFire model also gives Chicago the higher win probability in this matchup. I prefer the Cubs ML -123 rather than the -1.5 run line. Miami is at home and baseball can turn quickly, so I'll take the safer route and simply need Chicago to win.

PICK:PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES (-154)

Philadelphia Phillies ML -154 Confidence: 7/10 ⭐ — STRONG PLAY I’m taking the Philadelphia Phillies Moneyline -154 against the Atlanta Braves. The biggest reason I like Philadelphia here is Zack Wheeler on the mound. Wheeler comes in at 11-5 with a 3.31 ERA and 154 strikeouts, while Atlanta sends out Martín Pérez, who is 8-8 with a 3.05 ERA. Pérez has been solid, but Wheeler gives Philadelphia the higher-end starting-pitching advantage in this matchup. The Phillies are also playing this game at Citizens Bank Park, and after losing 5-2 to Atlanta on Friday, I like the opportunity for Philadelphia to respond with its ace. The Braves have now opened a five-game lead in the NL East, so this is an important game for the Phillies. I prefer the Phillies ML -154 rather than laying the -1.5 run line. Atlanta is having a strong season and Pérez is capable of keeping the game close, so I want the extra protection of simply needing Philadelphia to win. The current market is also confirming the matchup: Philadelphia is being priced around -156 to -163, which is very close to our -154 number. 🎯 Official Pick Philadelphia Phillies ML -154 Confidence: 7/10 Betting approach: Straight bet only. No parlay and no chasing if it loses.

PICK:NEW YORK YANKEES (+114)

New York Yankees ML +114 Confidence: 8/10 ⭐ — BEST BET I’m taking the New York Yankees Moneyline +114 against the San Diego Padres. The biggest reason I like this play is the price. We’re getting the Yankees as a plus-money underdog in a matchup where the market is much closer to a pick’em, giving us considerably more value than simply laying -124 with San Diego. Carlos Rodón gets the start for New York and enters with a 3.20 ERA and 63 strikeouts. San Diego counters with Robbie Ray, who has a 3.14 ERA and 126 strikeouts. That makes this a relatively even starting-pitcher matchup rather than one where the Padres have a clear advantage. The Yankees also enter with an 80-61 record, including a strong 43-30 road record, while San Diego is 74-67 and 42-28 at home. I prefer the Moneyline +114 over Yankees +1.5 because we're getting enough value to back New York outright without giving up the possibility of a better return.