MLB Best Bets Today, 6/18: Expert Picks, Predictions & Props On Tuesday
Let’s check in with the top MLB Best Bets and Props for today! Not only do we get a full 15-game slate on Tuesday, but there’s no daytime baseball to worry about either.
The St. Louis Cardinals and Miami Marlins have first pitch tonight at 6:10pm ET and the action flows from there. We’ve got some great pitchers on the mound to watch as Pablo Lopez takes on the Tampa Bay Rays and Framber Valdez faces the Chicago White Sox, while there are a number of hitters to target for player props, especially when you see all the lefty bats in the Boston Red Sox lineup taking on Chris Bassitt of the Toronto Blue Jays. Let’s dive in and check out the Vegas lines and odds!
MLB Picks, Predictions & Best Bets Today, 6/18
We had another up-and-down day with the Monday MLB predictions as we took some chances and played some plus-odds looking to rebuild the bankroll. The bets, in my opinion, were solid and could have gone either way, but the Rockies couldn’t get it together against James Paxton, Paul Skenes struggled to climb the strikeout ladder for us and Max Fried labored in a matchup he should have cruised through.
As John Sterling always said, “That’s baseball, Susan.” We’ll get it back today.
- Yesterday’s Record: 4-6
- Season Record: 233-216-5
- Bankroll: -7.25 units
Padres vs. Phillies Prediction: Tuesday, June 18
There are two things working in our favor for this game. The first is how well the Padres have done against righthanded pitching this season. Their bats went on an outstanding tear and have cooled off during this recent road trip back east, but with travel and time differences out of the way, I expect them to heat back up.
The other is Aaron Nola. He went on a nice run, tossing five straight quality starts, but once he faced a tougher lineup in Boston his last time out, he crumbled. Nola is notorious for giving up early runs and the Phillies bullpen has been logging some innings over this last week. We don’t care who wins, but our MLB best bets for today do expect the Padres to score a few runs in this one.
- Expert Padres vs. Phillies Picks:
- San Diego Team Total Over 3.5 Runs (-120 on Bet365)
Red Sox vs. Blue Jays Prediction: Tuesday, June 18
If you listened to the MLB DFS Preview Show for tonight’s slate, then you know how much we like targeting against Chris Bassitt with lefty bats. Whether it’s DFS or MLB picks, that statement remains true. Lefthanded hitters are posting a .375 wOBA against him and have six of the seven home runs he’s allowed. Bassitt has also had his struggles at home in the Rogers Centre. We’re talking about a 4.12 ERA at home versus a 3.00 mark on the road.
As you can tell by most of the juiced-up hitting props out there, the Red Sox are loaded with lefties and should give him some fits early, especially as they’ve posted a .387 wOBA with a .173 ISO over just their last seven games. We’ll jump in on the Red Sox early team total and bank on Rafael Devers, who has hit safely in five of his last six with two doubles and one home run. And for you BvP darlings out there, he’s 3-for-8 (.375) with two home runs against Bassitt.
- Expert Red Sox vs. Blue Jays Picks:
- Boston First 5 Innings Money Line (-120 on BetMGM)
- Rafael Devers Over 1.5 Total Bases (+110 on BetMGM)
Rays vs. Twins Prediction: Tuesday, June 18
As much as I like Aaron Civale as a pitcher, the Twins bats are so hot right now, you just can’t pass up backing their offense when making MLB predictions. Over the past week, Minnesota has a .446 wOBA with a .242 ISO. They are absolutely killing it right now.
And while yes, the level of pitching they’ve faced in the Athletics and Rockies has not been strong, they get to stay at home where they’ve now won seven of their last eight. Civale can be hit and he’s now allowed at least one home run in eight of his last nine starts. On the other side is Pablo Lopez and while he’s had his struggles well documented this season, he should be able to get through this struggling Rays lineup with some ease.
None of the Rays have extensive experience or wild success against him and, overall, they’ve really struggled at the dish. Tampa has the fourth-lowest wOBA against righthanded pitching (.292) and that comes with a 24-percent strikeout rate. Over the past week, that K-rate has actually jumped to 25.3-percent.
- Expert Rays vs. Twins Picks:
- Minnesota First 5 Innings Team Total Over 2.5 Runs (-110 on DraftKings)
- Pablo Lopez Over 6.5 Strikeouts (+115 on DraftKings)
Best MLB Props For Today, 6/18: Pitcher Strikeouts
- Luis Severino Under 4.5 Strikeouts (-110 on Bet365 Sportsbook)
- Griffin Canning Under 4.5 Strikeouts (+105 on Bet365 Sportsbook)
- Hogan Harris Under 4.5 Strikeouts (-140 on Bet365 Sportsbook)
I am still researching some additional MLB bets, but wanted to get these out now before the lines change too much. Check back here or on the Fantasy Alarm Discord for more as the day goes on.