MLB Best Bets Today, 8/5: Expert Picks, Predictions & Props - Monday

Welcome to Monday for the start of my MLB Best Bets and Props! I hope you all have been enjoying the content because it looks like we’re in this ride together now with me taking the lead on the baseball betting front here.
Have no worries though as no matter in the NFL, NHL or MLB, I stay in the green and make money for my readers! Let’s start the week off right with a 9-game slate that features both standard bets and player props for the action tonight.
MLB Picks, Predictions & Best Bets Today, 8/5
Today's article offers a diverse selection of betting options, including money lines, team totals and MLB props for the matchups today. The data has highlighted some promising bets, so be sure to review your betting card carefully before finalizing your selections for the night.
Take a look at the analysis provided, and if you're in alignment with my picks, feel free to follow along. Best of luck! Now, let's explore my top MLB predictions for today.
- Season Record: 71-49-0
- Bankroll: +10.7 units
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Reds vs. Marlins Prediction: Monday, August 5th
The full fade on certain teams in MLB is now in full swing post deadline and one of the usual suspects is going to be the Miami Marlins, who are 22-34 at home this season and have stripped their starting pitching to the bare bones. Roddery Munoz will get the start for the Marlins today and his 5.45 ERA is as bad as it looks at a glance, having allowed 17 runs over his last 5 starts.
That means wheels up for the Reds and their offense tonight starting with, of course, the money line that is a relative value given the matchup. Now to some props for this portion of my MLB best bets today and I am loving Elly De La Cruz who, against righties this season, is hitting .276 with an OPS of .889 – solid numbers all around there. He’s also hitless in August after hitting .299 in July, so there’s some due theory and stat regression in play tonight.
It's impossible to hold a good player down for long, so give me Elly to go over his hits/runs/RBIs prop of 1.5 tonight. The next wager will come at the expense of Munoz who has failed to go over 5 innings pitched in 5 of his last 6 starts. This number interests me because his prop on the books for outs recorded is 15.5 and he hasn’t been doing too much at all! Not going to overthink this one tonight and I will take the under on that prop seeing the trends.
- Expert Reds vs. Marlins Picks:
- Cincinnati Money Line (-140 on DraftKings)
- Elly De La Cruz (CIN) Over 1.5 Hits+Runs+RBIs (-130 on DraftKings)
- Roddery Munoz (MIA) Under 15.5 Outs Recorded (-135 on DraftKings)
Twins vs. Cubs Prediction: Monday, August 5th
It’s a meeting of two teams on the different end of the playoff hunt spectrum but should be a fun one to watch still between the Twins and the Cubs tonight. I say “fun” because the pitchers for tonight are both terrible and the offense can put up big numbers more often than not, so I am expecting some bat cracks and fireworks this evening here. The Twins offense is 4th in MLB when it comes to runs per game at 4.95 and they’ll get to tee off on Kyle Hendricks tonight who has really struggled lately, allowing 12 earned runs in his last 15 innings pitched.
Minnesota can also hit righties well with their 1-7 hitters tonight all hitting above .250 against that split. Expect them to pull their weight for the total and the Cubs should have a similar boost as David Festa has been getting beat up with his 6.98 ERA. Give me the over in this game all day!
On top of the total, let's add some spice to our MLB predictions today with some hitting props, starting with Jose Miranda who is hitting .360 with an .988 OPS against righties this season. He will be batting 6th tonight which is why I love the over of 1.5 on hits/runs/RBIs tonight as he will see plenty of RISP chances in front of him in the order. On the other side of the game, I’m on the Cubs Seiya Suzuki to go over 1.5 Hits/Runs/RBIs as he’s going off against righties as well with a .857 OPS and is hitting .357 so far in August!
- Expert Twins vs. Cubs Picks:
- Minnesota vs. Chicago Over 8 Runs (-110 on DraftKings)
- Jose Miranda (MIN) Over 1.5 Hits+Runs+RBIs (-115 on DraftKings)
- Seiya Suzuki (CHC) Over 1.5 Hits+Runs+RBIs (-105 on DraftKings)
Best MLB Prop Bets & Other Picks Today, 8/5
- Brady Singer (KC) Over 4.5 Strikeouts (-150 on DraftKings Sportsbook)
- Philadelphia Phillies 1st 5 Innings Money Line (+110 on DraftKings Sportsbook)
- Arizona Diamondbacks Money Line (-120 on DraftKings Sportsbook)
- Matt Chapman (SF) Over 1.5 Total Bases (-135 on DraftKings Sportsbook)
Player News
Daulton Varsho picked up three hits, three RBI and a homer in a win over the Angels on Thursday.
Varsho has only played in seven games this year, but they’ve been seven good ones. He’s homered three times already, and his slugging percentage is a remarkable — and entirely unsustainable — .727 over 22 at-bats. Varsho has been a mediocre offensive player in his two seasons with the Blue Jays, but it’s possible at the age of 28 he’s having a breakout campaign. Far from a guarantee, but possible.
Taylor Ward hit a two-run homer in a loss to the Blue Jays on Thursday.
Ward, 31, gave the Angels a 2-0 lead with a two-run homer off Chris Bassitt in the first inning. He’s now gone deep in two of his last three games, and it ‘improves’ his slash to .181/.224/.391. Ward has been one of the most hot/cold players players in the sport over the last few years, so fantasy managers who can afford to make some roster moves may want to look at Ward while the going is good.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. picked up three hits and scored twice in an 8-5 win over the Angels on Thursday.
Guerrero also drew a walk. It gives the first baseman multiple hits in back-to-back games, and it’s the third time in May that he’s reached that mark. That’s helped raise his average from .268 to .295, and the only thing fantasy managers can be disappointed with is his .432 slugging percentage. That number should continue to climb as the season unfolds, but Vladdy Jr. has had some inconsistent seasons when it comes to power production.
Chad Green picked up his first save of 2025 with a scoreless ninth against the Angels on Thursday.
Green got the save after Jeff Hoffman worked in back-to-back games — and struggled — in the first two contests against the Angels. He struck out two and looked the part while needing just nine pitches to get through the inning. Hoffman should remain the closer, but Green is on his tail if the struggles were to continue.
Chris Bassitt allowed five runs — four earned — while working six-plus innings against the Angels on Thursday while picking up a win.
Bassitt allowed three runs over the first two innings on a pair of homers, but settled down over his next four frames. He came out to work the seventh, but ended up being charged for two more runs after leaving the contest. The 36-year-old veteran has forged a 3.35 ERA and outstanding 49/8 K/BB ratio over the first quarter of the season, but this wasn’t him at his best. He’ll get the Rays next week if the rotation order stays the same for Toronto.
José Soriano allowed three runs over five innings while not factoring in the decision Thursday against the Blue Jays.
Soriano left with a 4-3 lead, but it was erased quickly after his departure. The 26-year-old was not exactly dominant in his outing with eight hits allowed and four free passes, but he did strike out six to help balance things out a smidgen. Soriano takes an even ERA of 4.00 into a scheduled start against the Padres in San Diego on Tuesday. There should be better options for that one.