MLB Best Bets Today: Expert Picks & Predictions for Mets vs. Cubs, Dodgers vs. Braves, & More on Wednesday’s Slate (5/24/23)

Let’s take a look at some of the odds and best bets for Wednesday, May 24th’s MLB slate. The slate includes plenty of afternoon action, with Zac Gallen, Joe Ryan, and Michael Kopech all taking the hill early in the day.

MLB best bets for May 24

Here are the best moneyline, spread, and totals bets for May 24th.

Diamondbacks Moneyline (+105) vs. Phillies

Whether on the road or at home, it’s not worth betting against Zac Gallen right now. The Diamondbacks ace was utterly dominant down the stretch last season and has done well to recover from some brief struggles at the start of this season. While his most recent outing was an uncharacteristic short one against the Pirates, a healthy Gallen rarely puts together back-to-back clunkers like that.

This is a Phillies team still struggling to regain the power it had last year, even with Bryce Harper back in the fold. Despite being an above-average lineup from an AVG perspective, the Phillies are 20th in runs per game. With Trea Turner and others underperforming, Gallen is in a good position to bounce back and give Arizona a strong chance at picking up a road win.

The Diamondbacks have been hitting well and got to Zack Wheeler on Monday night, so a matchup with Ranger Suarez – still easing himself back into the rotation – is a favorable one.

Mets vs. Cubs Over 6.5 Runs (-122)

This feels like low-hanging fruit on Wednesday, with an emphasis on “low.” Both offenses have too much potential for the over/under to be as low as 6.5 runs.

The pitching matchup is very solid, with Marcus Stroman facing Kodai Senga, but Senga has been hit-or-miss this season while Stroman isn’t exactly a lock to deliver a dominant outing. None of his last six starts were scoreless. Senga, on the other hand, has allowed 4+ ER in three of his last six starts. The Cubs are top-10 in runs per game, so there isn’t much reason to doubt the lineup against Senga.

While the Mets just haven’t been able to replicate last season’s offensive production, they entered this series on a five-game winning streak and the line is low enough that hitting seven runs may not require a huge effort against Stroman.

Dodgers Moneyline (-106) vs. Braves

The Dodgers and Braves are entering this game roughly even on the moneyline, but with the way Los Angeles has been hitting of late, it’s hard to bet against them right now. Freddie Freeman has been playing at an MVP level, while J.D. Martinez’s power outbreak alongside the usual stars has elevated the entire team.

There’s much more reason to have faith in Tony Gonsolin than Bryce Elder in this pitching matchup. Elder has been very impressive early in his career, but he did allow eight baserunners in two of his last three starts and is going up against one of baseball’s most dangerous lineups.

Gonsolin, meanwhile, has settled in nicely after starting the season on the IL. He’s allowed a grand total of six hits over his last three starts and is coming off back-to-back scoreless outings. That’s pretty much what he gave the Dodgers last season, and it puts Dave Roberts’ team in great position on Wednesday.

Nationals Over 4 Runs (-118)

This is an under-the-radar play, but the Nationals have started to come on strong offensively in May. With Joey Meneses and Lane Thomas both heating up, Washington entered Tuesday with a .279 AVG and .756 OPS this month. They managed to hit two home runs against Yu Darvish on Tuesday and could get to one of the weaker links of the Padres’ pitching staff on Wednesday.

Ryan Weathers has a 3.42 ERA this season but has bounced between the rotation and the bullpen this year after struggling in 2021 and barely touching the majors in 2022. Between Weathers and what should be a heavy night of bullpen usage, there is enough uncertainty for this San Diego pitching staff to ride the hot hand and bet on the Nationals’ offense.