Best MLB Bets Today: The A’s and Mariners Battle for the AL West Lead

The Seattle Mariners and Athletics are at the top of their division after posting disappointing seasons in 2024. Now, these old rivals will face off in a series that carries meaning for the first time in a long time. Below, we’ll share our favorite bet for the game and two others we are locking in on Monday night.

The odds we use for the below bets are taken from Caesars Sportsbook. If you’d like to sign up to give Caesars a try, use promo code WSNDYW to claim a “Bet $1, Get Ten 100% Profit Boost Tokens” offer.

San Diego Padres vs. New York Yankees (7:05 PM EST)

PICK: Padres ML (+122) at Caesars Sportsbook

The Padres head into the Big Apple riding a five-game win streak. The run ended a mid-April slump, which won’t change with Nick Pivetta (5-1,1.78 ERA, 0.82 WHIP) on the mound tonight.

Pivetta remains one of the league’s top pitchers in his first season with the Padres. While he struggled a bit his last time out, the 32-year-old is 4-1 with a 2.22 ERA over five starts this month. We expect him to return to form tonight against a Yankee team that has lost four of their last six games.

New York starter Carlos Rodon (4-3, 3.43 ERA, 0.98 WHIP) has been hot over his last three starts, but he has been far from perfect this season. Those three starts came against teams that rank in the league's bottom half in OPS. The Padres rank third in the league in batting average, bringing Rodon back to Earth tonight.

If these starters exit with the game remaining close, we trust the San Diego bullpen to get things done. That is primarily because the Yankees' new closer, Devin Williams (4 SV, 8.18 ERA, 1.82 WHIP) has already lost his job. He’s been better in relief, but has faced bad lineups in the Orioles and Rays. We don’t trust him or the Yankees tonight.

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Pittsburgh Pirates vs. St. Louis Cardinals (7:45 PM EST)

PICK: ML (+122) at Caesars Sportsbook

We don’t take too many Pirates moneyline bets, but they are set up for victory tonight.

One primary reason is Cardinals’ starter Miles Mikolas (1-2, 4.66 ERA, 1.34 WHIP). The veteran has been better over his last three starts, but history suggests that won’t continue tonight against a familiar foe. 

The Pirates own a .296 average against Mikolas over a whopping 142 at-bats. The team’s top stars have hammered the 26-year-old over the years, with Adam Frazier leading the way with a .382 average (34 AB), followed by KeBryan Hayes at .381 (21 AB), and Bryan Reynolds at .359 (39 AB).

Pirates starter Carmen Mlodzinski (1-3, 6.58 ERA, 1.81 WHIP) and the bullpen haven’t been good, but they’ll face a bad Cards lineup tonight. St. Louis continues to struggle to generate runs and own a brutal .630 OPS over the last week. We don’t expect that to turn around as they face a Pirates starter, against whom they own a .135 average.

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Seattle Mariners vs. Athletics (10:08 PM EST)

PICK: Mariners ML (-115) at Caesars Sportsbook

It’s hard to believe, but this is a matchup between the top two teams in the AL West. While both have been a great story, the Mariners are the better bet to win tonight.

One reason for that is the Mariners' lineup. Over the last week, they have a ridiculous .314 average and .920 OPS, with their big hitters finally heating up. A’s starter Luis Severino (1-3, 3.30 ERA, 1.17 WHIP) has been strong, but he’s not good enough to stand up against a Seattle team tearing the cover off the ball. 

Mariners’ starter Bryce Miller (2-3, 3.52 ERA, 1.43 WHIP) has been struggling with his control a bit this season. We know he is far better than he has shown in 2025, and he will show that against an A’s team that owns a .192 average against him over 52 at-bats.

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