The betting space is not one of loyalty. We all know that the Los Angeles Dodgers are as talented a group as this sport has, but that doesn’t mean you bet on them every day, does it?
Our MLB predictions for today not only avoid backing the reigning champs; we are actually stepping in front of them.
Dodgers vs. Blue Jays Pick: Toronto +1.5
Max Scherzer is 5-6 in 19 career games (17 starts) against the Dodgers, but he has a 2.38 ERA and 1.05 WHIP in those outings, with 119 strikeouts and 31 walks across 109 2/3 innings. Scherzer looked like his old self in his season debut against the Rockies on Tuesday, giving up one earned run on four hits (one home run) with four strikeouts and a walk over six innings in a 5-1 home win.
This will be Justin Wrobleski’s first start of the season for the Dodgers. He gave up three runs on four hits with two strikeouts and a walk over four innings of relief in a 4-2 loss against the Guardians on Sunday.
This sets up as a spot to back the Blue Jays, given Scherzer’s track record against the Dodgers and how sharp he looked in his season debut against the Rockies, while Wrobleski struggled in his first appearance against the Guardians. With the edge clearly on the mound, this matchup leans toward Toronto.
Mariners vs. Rangers Pick: Under 1.5 Runs Through 3 Innings
This is a little bit of a niche bet, but I’ll take the plus-money to back two pitchers that I believe in.
Logan Gilbert’s start to 2026 hasn’t been pretty (eight earned runs allowed in 10 2/3 innings against the Yankees and Guardians), but his xERA is essentially a third of his actual ERA, he throws four pitches over 15% of the time, and he has an extended track record of impeccable control.
So yeah, I’ll buy any discounted version of his stock I can get against a Rangers team that is well below league average in terms of zone contact rate.
On the other side is another pitcher who I like more than the first data point of this season reflects. Yes, the O’s tagged him in his first start (the 1-2-3 spots in the order recorded five knocks in eight at-bats), but I’ll take his sub-3.00 ERA last season as more predictive than a single shaky start.
Even in that outing, he had seven strikeouts without a single walk. The Mariners are a bottom-10 exit velocity offense so far this young season, and that positions deGrom for a nice rebound effort, even if it’s in the more hitter-friendly of the two possible venues for this game.
Opponents were a mess on their first trip through the order vs. deGrom in 2025 (a .202 batting average), and I like that version of Texas’ righty to show up in this spot.
The under for this game is in play, but I’d rather take the bullpens completely out of the picture. This is a bet on two starters with proven track records and poor small-sample-size numbers in 2026.
Braves vs. Angels Pick: Under 8.5 Total Runs
If there’s one thing that has characterized the Angels through the first days of the 2026 regular season, it’s that their pitching has been far better than their offense. While that shouldn’t come as a surprise, the fact that their pitching has been THIS good is certainly surprising.
They’ll have Jose Soriano on the mound on Monday, and the 27-year-old has yet to give up a run through 12 innings in two appearances, posting back-to-back quality starts against the Cubs and Astros, earning the win both times. Soriano is going to crash down to Earth at some point, but we don’t think that’ll be the case on Monday.
That’s because he’ll be matched up against Chris Sale, and the pressure of dueling against one of the best pitchers in the majors over the last decade should force Soriano to be on top of his game. Sale has a blistering 0.75 ERA through his first two appearances in 2026, allowing one run on four hits with a 9:3 K:BB across 12 innings. Opposing hitters have hit just .105 off the star southpaw in 2026.
The Braves rank fourth in OPS so far as a team, but Soriano has been nearly unhittable, and the Angels have struggled to get things going offensively even with the renaissance of Mike Trout (.859 OPS) at the plate. With two outstanding pitchers on the mound, don’t be surprised if this game hits the under.
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