MLB Best Bets Today: Expert MLB Betting Picks for 08/02/2025

The Rays have a significant pitching advantage today with Drew Rasmussen (8-5, 2.96 ERA) taking the mound against Blake Snell, who's making just his third start of the season after being sidelined since April with shoulder inflammation.

Rasmussen has been excellent at home this season, posting a 2.76 ERA and 0.99 WHIP across 13 home starts, while limiting opponents to weak contact.

The Dodgers may seem like the obvious play here at -130, but that feels a bit too good to be true, suggesting a potential trap line that smart money is avoiding.

Tampa Bay matches up well against left-handed pitching, and Snell will almost certainly be on a pitch count in his first start back from a lengthy IL stint.

While the Dodgers have the bigger payroll and more star power, the Rays' consistency at home (solid pitching both in rotation and bullpen) gives them excellent value as a home underdog in this spot.

This matchup features an elite pitching duel between Detroit's Tarik Skubal (10-3, 2.09 ERA) and Philadelphia's Zack Wheeler (9-4, 2.56 ERA), but Skubal has been the more consistent arm in recent weeks.

Wheeler has scuffled a bit lately, posting a 5.09 ERA over his last three starts, while Skubal continues to dominate with a stellar 1.89 ERA on the road this season.

Both teams are division leaders, but the Tigers have won four straight games entering this series, showing improved form after a rough stretch where they lost 12 of 13.

The Phillies have dropped three of their last four games, including losing two of three to the last-place White Sox, suggesting they may be in a vulnerable spot.

With Detroit's ace on the mound and their offense finding rhythm again, they offer excellent value as a road underdog against a Philadelphia team that's shown recent signs of inconsistency.

This pitching matchup between Seattle's Luis Castillo (8-6, 3.19 ERA) and Texas' Jacob deGrom (10-3, 2.55 ERA) sets up perfectly for a low-scoring affair, featuring two of the league's premier arms.

Castillo has been remarkably consistent this season with a solid 3.19 ERA across 127 innings, and has particularly dominated the Rangers, allowing just 2 earned runs over 12 innings in two starts against Texas this year.

The Rangers offense ranks in the bottom third of the league in total runs scored, batting just .232 (27th in MLB) with a .301 OBP (27th) and .378 slugging percentage (26th).

While deGrom struggled in his last outing, he has a strong 2.51 ERA in six career starts against Seattle and should bounce back in this pitcher-friendly environment at T-Mobile Park.

With Seattle's offense averaging just 3.85 runs per game at home and the Rangers struggling to produce consistently, the under 7.5 offers solid value in what should be a pitcher's duel.

The pitching matchup heavily favors the Mets, with Kodai Senga (7-3, 2.00 ERA) facing Giants rookie Kai-Wei Teng, who's making his first MLB start of the season after struggling badly in limited action last year (12 ER in 11 innings).

Senga has been dominant this season, holding opponents to a .204 batting average while the Mets have won his last seven starts, giving him tremendous momentum entering this favorable matchup.

The Giants offense remains one of the weakest in baseball, ranking 25th in runs scored and 28th in slugging percentage, which should allow Senga to work deep into the game efficiently.

New York's revamped bullpen has become a strength after adding Ryan Helsley, Gregory Soto, and Tyler Rogers, giving them multiple high-leverage options to close out games.

With the Mets winning 15 of 18 games when favored by -210 or more this season, they're well-positioned to win comfortably against a Giants team sending an unproven rookie to the mound at Citi Field.

This unique MLB Speedway Classic at Bristol Motor Speedway sets up perfectly for a high-scoring affair between the Braves and Reds, with field dimensions (400 feet to center, 300 feet down the lines) that should facilitate offense.

Chase Burns has struggled mightily for Cincinnati, posting a 6.26 ERA and 1.54 WHIP, while racking up strikeouts but consistently allowing hard contact and failing to work deep into games.

Spencer Strider has been solid overall for Atlanta, but shows a concerning 4.55 ERA in road starts compared to his home numbers, suggesting vulnerability in this unique neutral-site environment.

The Braves' pitching staff has been exposed recently, allowing five or more runs in nine of their last 11 games, while their offense has averaged 4.6 runs against Cincinnati this season.

The over is a convincing 6-2-2 in Atlanta's last 10 games and 8-2 in the Braves' most recent meetings with the Reds, making the over 8.5 a strong play in this showcase game.