Walk-Off Wagers: MLB Best Bets Today (Predictions for Tigers-Guardians, Mets-Cubs, Cardinals-Giants)

The Cubs and Tigers are favored in crucial playoff matchups on Tuesday.

The Chicago Cubs are 15-7 when starting pitcher Cade Horton is on the mound this season. / Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Every team in MLB is in action on Tuesday night, as the final sprint for the playoffs is underway.

Earlier this week, SI Betting’s Ryan Gilbert shared the latest playoff odds for every team still in the hunt, and it’s clear that both wild card races have a spot up for grabs this week.

On Tuesday, I’m eyeing a few games for my best bets, including the New York Mets-Chicago Cubs matchup.

The biggest series early in the week may be between the Cleveland Guardians and Detroit Tigers, as Cleveland has a chance to make an improbable comeback to win the division in 2025.

With so much at stake, let’s dive into the best bets — and their odds at the best betting sites — for Sept. 23. 

MLB Best Bets for Tuesday, Sept. 23

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

• Detroit Tigers Moneyline (-157) vs. Cleveland Guardians
• Chicago Cubs Moneyline (-120) vs. New York Mets
• San Francisco Giants -1.5 (+112) vs. St. Louis Cardinals

Detroit Tigers Moneyline (-157) vs. Cleveland Guardians

The Tigers have just a one-game lead in the AL Central heading into Tuesday’s battle with the Guardians, who have won nine of their last 10 games to get into the wild card picture and back in the race in this division.

Luckily for the Tigers, they have ace Tarik Skubal on the mound, and he’s dominated Cleveland in the 2025 season.

The lefty has allowed just one run and 12 hits across 23.0 innings of work against Cleveland this season, leading the Tigers to wins in two of those three games. 

He’ll face a tough matchup on Tuesday against Cleveland’s Gavin Williams (3.06 ERA), who has posted a 2.10 ERA in 11 starts since the All-Star break.

While I understand backing Williams because of his recent success, I’m not going to fade Skubal in this spot where he’s actually reasonably priced on the moneyline.

The Tigers are 21-9 in the Cy Young favorite’s starts, and Cleveland has done nothing against him all season. The Guardians are also in the bottom-five in MLB in batting average against left-handed pitching this season.

Detroit should extend its division lead on Tuesday. 

Chicago Cubs Moneyline (-120) vs. New York Mets

The Chicago Cubs have already clinched a playoff spot in the 2025 season, and they have a chance to knock the New York Mets further down in the standings on Tuesday.

New York has fallen out of the No. 3 spot in the NL wild card race, and it’s in danger of missing the playoffs with the Cincinnati Reds and Arizona Diamondbacks both fighting for that final spot. 

On Tuesday, lefty David Peterson is on the mound for the Mets against Chicago youngster Cade Horton, who has been one of the best pitchers in MLB since the All-Star break.

Horton has a 2.66 ERA for the entire 2025 season, but he’s posted a 0.93 ERA in 11 starts since the break, allowing one or fewer runs in 10 of those outings.

The opposite can be said for Peterson, who has a 5.71 ERA in 11 starts since the break, leading the Mets to a 4-7 record during that stretch. In September, Peterson has allowed 20 hits and 13 earned runs in 15.1 innings of work. 

Overall, Chicago is 15-7 in Horton’s starts and it’s gone an impressive 46-29 at home in 2025. I love the Cubbies at this price on Tuesday night. 

San Francisco Giants -1.5 (+112) vs. St. Louis Cardinals

The San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals are both 3.5 games back of the final wild card spot in the NL with just five games to play in the 2025 season.

While both teams are unlikely to steal a playoff spot, I do think there is some value in betting on their matchup on Tuesday.

Giants ace Logan Webb (3.27 ERA) is looking to build on a strong 2025 season against Cardinals righty Andre Pallante, who has a 5.29 ERA. 

The Cards are just 11-19 when Pallante is on the mound this season, and he’s struggled to keep batters off the basepaths, posting a 1.44 WHIP while ranking in the 19th percentile in expected batting average against this season.

San Francisco is 17-15 in Webb’s starts, and while the offense has struggled as of late, this could be a bounce-back spot against Pallante, who has allowed four or more runs in seven of his last eight starts.

Rather than bet on the Giants to win at -200, I think they're worth a look on the run line. They’ve won by two or more runs in 11 of the 17 games that they’ve won with Webb on the mound this season.

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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