Best MLB Bets Today | MLB Picks, September 26

Tuesday is a huge day for the teams fighting for Wild Card spots in Major League Baseball’s playoff picture. From a team looking to hold on in the American League to multiple squads fighting for just a couple of spots in the National League, there is no shortage of excitement during the final week of the regular season. In our MLB best bets for Tuesday, we navigate those key games from a betting perspective.

New York Yankees vs Toronto Blue Jays

• Time: 7:05 PM ET
• Starting Pitchers: Michael King vs Kevin Gausman
• Moneyline: Yankees (+136) | Blue Jays (-162)
• Runline: Yankees +1.5 (-162) | Blue Jays -1.5 (+136)
• Total: Over 7 (-115) | Under 7 (-105)

Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook. See different MLB betting sites for more betting opportunities!

My Pick: Blue Jays -1.5 (+136)

Our first MLB best bet for Tuesday is for the Toronto Blue Jays to win and cover the runline against the New York Yankees. This bet comes in at a nice plus price, with the Blue Jays having everything to play for in this matchup. Meanwhile, the Yankees come in having just been eliminated from postseason contention, which should negatively impact their performance in this division matchup.

Toronto is a game and a half clear of the Seattle Mariners, who are trying to chase Toronto down for one of the two remaining Wild Card spots in the American League. Fortunately for the Blue Jays, they have Kevin Gausman pitching in this game. Gausman is 12-9 on the season with a 3.29 ERA, and he should continue to be one of the most effective pitchers in baseball in this contest.

It is also worth noting that the Blue Jays took two out of three games against the Yankees in their series last week in the Bronx. In their two wins in that series, the Blue Jays covered the runline in both contests. Look for them to do the same here at home, in a game of great significance to only Toronto, as the Yankees have nothing left to play for in 2023.

Chicago Cubs vs Atlanta Braves

• Time: 7:10 PM ET
• Starting Pitchers: Justin Steele vs Bryce Elder
• Moneyline: Cubs (+126) | Braves (-148)
• Runline: Cubs +1.5 (-160) | Braves -1.5 (+132)
• Total: Over 9.5 (-105) | Under 9.5 (-118)

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.

My Pick: Under 9.5 (-118)

We are going to be treated to an excellent pitching matchup on Tuesday, as the Chicago Cubs and Atlanta Braves face off at Truist Park. There, Justin Steele will take the mound for the Cubs against Atlanta’s Bryce Elder. Rather than taking a side in this matchup, we are going to make a play on the total, as this game should go under the total of 9.5 runs on Tuesday night.

Justin Steele is the only pitcher left besides San Diego’s Blake Snell who has any sort of shot at winning the NL Cy Young award. He is 16-5 with a 3.00 ERA on the season and he is one of the only pitchers in baseball that can be trusted to go head-to-head with the explosive lineup of the Atlanta Braves. Look for him to at least keep Atlanta in check, as the Cubs enter this game holding onto a Wild Card spot by just one game.

Meanwhile, Bryce Elder should be able to hold the Cubs bats in check on Tuesday night as well. Elder is 12-4 with a 3.63 ERA, and he will look to take advantage of the lack of consistency with the bats of the Cubs, in a game where nerves could play a huge role for a Chicago team trying to lock down a postseason spot this week.

Arizona Diamondbacks vs Chicago White Sox

• Time: 7:40 PM ET
• Starting Pitchers: Zach Davies vs Jose Urena
• Moneyline: Diamondbacks (-142) | White Sox (+120)
• Runline: Diamondbacks -1.5 (+110) | White Sox +1.5 (-130)
• Total: Over 9.5 (EVEN) | Under 9.5 (-120)

Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.

My Pick: Diamondbacks Moneyline (-142)

Also in the Wild Card race in the National League are the Arizona Diamondbacks. They enter Tuesday’s action just a game ahead of the Miami Marlins as they look to hold onto a Wild Card position of their own. With Arizona’s spot in the playoffs not at all secured yet, look for Arizona to pick up a key win on the road as they face a Chicago White Sox team that has nothing left to play for this season.

A huge reason for this bet is the fact that Jose Urena is on the mound for the White Sox on Tuesday night. Urena has been a disaster for the White Sox in 2023, going 0-6 and posting an ERA of 7.27. Even with the struggling Zach Davies on the mound to start this game for Arizona, look for the Diamondbacks to jump on Urena and find a way to hold onto their Wild Card spot for at least one more day.