The MLB slate is packed on Tuesday, September 17, and our baseball betting experts have three MLB best bets, picks and predictions.
Their MLB picks include moneyline plays for Red Sox vs Rays and White Sox vs Angels, alongside an over/under bet for Athletics vs Cubs.
MLB Best Bets, Picks & Tuesday Predictions — 9/17
The team logos in the table below represent each of the matchups that our MLB betting staff is targeting on Tuesday. Click on the team logos for any of the matchups below to navigate to a specific MLB best bet discussed in this article.
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 6:50 p.m. | |
  | 7:40 p.m. | |
  | 9:38 p.m. | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our MLB Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
Tony Sartori's Red Sox vs Rays Best Bet: Sox Have Clear Hitting Advantage
By Tony Sartori
The Red Sox have a significant hitting advantage in this matchup.
This season, they outrank the Tampa Bay Rays in runs scored per game, hits per game, BA, OBP, SLG, OPS and home runs.
We are only catching Boston at -106 because the pitching matchup is much closer between Nick Pivetta and Shane Baz.
That said, Pivetta should be more than capable of holding his own. The right-hander outranks Baz in WHIP, xERA, xBA, strikeout rate, walk rate and hard-hit rate.
That leaves the bullpen, which is another advantage for the Red Sox. Their relief staff outranks Tampa's in both FIP and xFIP.
I'm also not worried about the Rays' home-field advantage, as Boston's road win percentage is higher than Tampa's home win percentage.
Pick: Red Sox ML (-130) | Playable at number
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Alex Kolodziej's Athletics vs Cubs Best Bet: PRO System Weather Bet
No MLB stadium is more affected by wind than Wrigley Field. Thus, totals for Chicago Cubs home games are most affected by wind.
We have an Action PRO system that lights up based on Wrigley Field wind patterns. It recommends betting the under 8 for Tuesday's game between starting pitchers Mitch Spence and Jordan Wicks.
60% of games at Wrigley Field when the wind blows anywhere but out have stayed under the closing total.
Pick: Under 8 (-105) | Play to 8 (-112)
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D.J. James's White Sox vs Angels Best Bet: Look Away, Baseball Fans
By D.J. James
Look away — or don't.
On Tuesday, the 36-115 Chicago White Sox battle the 60-90 Los Angeles Angels.
White Sox starting pitcher Davis Martin has a 4.14 ERA and 4.39 expected ERA. However, he's done a good job at forcing ground balls, which should neutralize whatever is left of this Los Angeles offense.
His opponent will be Griffin Canning. He is much worse. He has a 5.35 ERA and 4.83 xERA. He strikes out fewer batters and walks more than Martin does. Canning also has a worse groundball rate.
Offensively, both teams are abysmal.
The White Sox have a 72 wRC+, 6% walk rate, and 22.6% strikeout rate in the last month off of righties. They just won a series against Oakland over the weekend, which has not been easy for them to do this year.
The Angels have a 79 wRC+, 7.9% walk rate, and 26.6% strikeout rate. They are not much better. Martin should miss some more bats than normal against weaker competition.
In relief, the Angels carry a 4.05 xFIP, 26.3% strikeout rate, and 10.2% walk rate in the last month.
The White Sox have a 4.07 xFIP, 25.5% strikeout rate, and 11.4% walk rate out of the bullpen in the last month.
Since Martin should have a major edge on the bump, and there is no edge for either side in the rest of the game (gulp), I see value on the White Sox as moderate road 'dogs.
Pick: White Sox ML (+135) | Play to ML (+100)
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