Best MLB Bets Today | MLB Picks, September 4

We are less than a month from the conclusion of the 2023 MLB Season. The race for the AL and the NL Playoffs is getting more tight as the days come and go. As teams start to get eliminated from the postseason race, they will look to be the ruiner of other team's playoff destinations, which could be perfect opportunities for bettors to earn winnings. This Monday’s matchups are as close as ever some series are a fight for divisional leads and others have serious wildcard implications on the line. 

Houston Astros @ Texas Rangers

• Time: 4:05 PM E.T. - Monday

• Starting Pitchers: J.P.France (Astros) vs. Andrew Heaney (Rangers)

• Moneyline: Astros (-105) | Rangers (-115)

• Run Line: Astros -1.5 (+150) | Rangers +1.5 (-180)

• Total: Over 9.5 (-105) | Under 9.5 (-115)

Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook. Check out our MLB betting sites for more betting opportunities. 

My Pick: Houston Astros (HOU)

The AL West is close and up for grabs as the three teams, including the Houston Astros (77-60) and the Texas Rangers (76-60), have less than a month to claim the division. The Astros are 6-4 this season over the Rangers as each game is critical to the AL West and the AL Playoffs.

The Rangers can take the series and the division lead as they host the Astros in a three-game series starting Monday.

Houston is coming into this game with the better pitching matchup versus Texas, who have a variety of high-caliber sets of pitchers. The Astros are going with J.P. France (3.49 ERA in 116 innings pitched) while the Rangers are rolling with Andrew Heaney (4.16 ERA in 127.2 innings pitched).

The key to this game will be which batting team will be the most reliable against the efficient pitching lineup setup.

The Astros are ranked third in the AL in runs accounted for (689), fourth in hits accounted for (1208), sixth in home runs accounted for (180), sixth in stolen bases (95), third in walks (467), second in fewest strikeouts encountered (1063), fifth in batting average (.257), fourth in on-base percentage (.330) and fifth in slugging percentage (.428).

The Rangers are ranked first in the AL in runs accounted for (746), first in hits accounted for (1252), fifth in home runs accounted for (187), first in walks (479), eighth in strikeouts encountered (1184), first in batting average (.266), first in on-base percentage (.337), first in slugging percentage (.453) and first in OPS (.790).

Philadelphia Phillies @ San Diego Padres

• Time: 6:40 PM E.T. - Monday
• Starting Pitchers: Taijuan Walker (Phillies) vs. Rich Hill (Padres)
• Moneyline: Phillies (-112) | Padres (-108)
• Run Line: Phillies +1.5 (-218) | Padres -1.5 (+180)
• Total: Over 9 (-108) | Under 9 (-112)

Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.

My Pick: Philadelphia Phillies (PHI)

The NL is full of high-caliber and talented teams that are relentlessly competing for an NL Playoff spot. The Philadelphia Phillies (75-61) are set to continue their path towards an NL Wildcard spot as they travel for a three-game series at the San Diego Padres (65-73), who are on the biggest disappointments in the league this 2023 MLB Season.

The Phillies are coming into Monday's game versus the Padres based on two attributes the Padres possess going into the series. San Diego will have the home-field advantage for the three games. They will also utilize their top-heavy batting lineup of MLB All-Stars in Juan Soto, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado.

Philadelphia previously defeated San Diego in three of the four games at the Phillies to start the second half of the season.

In the four games series against the Padres, the Phillies averaged 6.2 runs, 9.8 hits, 1.5 home runs, 6.0 RBIs, 4.2 walks, encountered an average of 9.8 strikeouts, a batting average of .269, an on-base percentage of .352 and a slugging percentage of .462.

The Phillies' pitching and fielding allowed an average of 8.0 hits, 5.5 runs, 4.5 walks and an ERA of 4.62 from the Padres.

Philadelphia will also have the edge in the pitching lineup as the Phillies will go with Taijuan Walker (4.05 ERA in 142.1 innings pitched) while the Padres are going with Rich Hill (8.50 ERA in 18 innings pitched). The pitching lineups and the consistency at the plate should give the Phillies the victory in the first game in this series.

Baltimore Orioles @ Los Angeles Angels

• Time: 9:39 PM E.T. - Monday
• Starting Pitchers: Grayson Rodriguez (Orioles) vs. Kenny Rosenberg (Angels)
• Moneyline: Orioles (-175) | Angels (+145)
• Run Line: Orioles -1.5 (-110) | Angels +1.5 (-110)
• Total: Over 9 (-120) | Under 9 (+100)

Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.

My Pick: Baltimore Orioles (BAL)

The AL East and the AL West are full of serious competitors and could have multiple teams in the playoffs. In the AL East, the Baltimore Orioles (85-51) are in the lead of one of the deepest divisions in the MLB due to their young and elite rosters. In the AL West, the Los Angeles Angels (64-73) are delaying the inevitable of a disappointing season before they are soon eliminated from postseason play.

On Monday, the Angels will host the Orioles in a start of a new three-game series. The Orioles are a young team that has plenty to fight for in the remainder of the season. They are on a two-game winning streak and have won seven of their last ten games. They also possess a 2.5-game lead over the Tampa Bay Rays.

This is a game that should give the Orioles the favor in all areas of the game, including pitching and batting. In the pitching game, the Orioles are going with Grayson Rodriguez (5.03 ERA in 93 innings pitched) while the Angels are going with Kenny Rosenberg (6.43 ERA in 7.0 innings pitched).

The Angels have released a few of their role players to save up on money knowing their season is lost. One of these players is rightfielder Hunter Renfroe, who was quickly picked up by the Cincinnati Reds.

With the Oakland Athletics already eliminated, it won’t be long now until the second-worst team in the AL West in the Angels are eliminated from postseason play as well.