Walk-Off Wagers: MLB Best Bets Today (Bet Dodgers To Win in Shohei Ohtani's Pitching Debut)

Iain MacMillan | Jun 16, 2025

Shohei Ohtani will be making his first start at pitcher in 2025 on Monday night. / William Navarro-Imagn Images

We only have a handful of MLB games to watch and bet on Monday night, but we still have plenty of options to attack the betting market, including in tonight's NL West matchup between the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers. In that game, Shohei Ohtani will be making his 2025 pitching debut, which will make for must-watch television.

Let's dive into my best bets for tonight's slate of games.

Best MLB Bets Today

Odds via BetMGM Sportsbook

• Phillies -115 vs. Marlins
• Rays -115 vs. Orioles
• Dodgers -150 vs. Padres

Phillies vs. Marlins Prediction

As long as the Marlins continue to roll with Sandy Alcantara as a starter, I'm going to continue to bet against them when he's on the mound. He has a 7.14 ERA on the season and has allowed 4+ earned runs in eight of his 13 starts this season. Miami doesn't have the run support to make up for his shortcomings on the mound, ranking just 20th in OPS over the past 30 days.

I'll back the Phillies as surprisingly small favorites in this spot.

Pick: Phillies -115

Orioles vs. Rays Prediction

The Tampa Bay Rays are starting to quietly play some great baseball, including going 7-3 in their last 10 games and ranking second in the Majors in OPS (.760) over the past 30 days. They're in a great spot to get another win today with Ryan Pepiot (3.31 ERA) on the mound.

The Orioles' offense has started to wake up lately as well, but I still have plenty of concerns with their bullpen, which ranks 24th in baseball with a bullpen ERA of 4.54. This is an area where the Rays have a significant advantage in, as Tampa Bay rocks the second-best bullpen ERA at 3.05.

I'll back the home team tonight.

Pick: Rays -115

Padres vs. Dodgers Prediction

Ohtani will be making his pitching debut this season when he and the Dodgers take on the Padres. While he's only expected to pitch 1-2 innings, the Padres are a perfect team for him to test the waters against. San Diego ranks dead last in the Majors in OPS over the last 30 days at .636.

It might be time to sell some stock in the Padres. Their bats are cold are starting to fall down the standings. Dylan Cease (4.28 ERA) being on the mound doesn't give me much confidence they can take down the National League juggernauts.

Pick: Dodgers -150

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You can check out all of Iain's bets here!