There are 11 MLB games on the slate this Labor Day, and there's plenty of betting value on the board.
Our MLB betting experts have looked over the schedule and identified today's best baseball bets. They've honed in on a pair of moneyline wagers, as well as a total play.
The bets include selections for Giants vs. Cubs, White Sox vs. Royals, and Astros vs. Rangers, so continue reading as the MLB best bets for Monday, September 4 are listed below.
MLB Best Bets
The team logos in the table below represent each of the matchups that our MLB betting staff is targeting from today's slate of games. Click on the team logos for any of the matchups below to navigate to a specific bet discussed in this article.
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 2:10 p.m. | |
  | 2:20 p.m. | |
  | 4:05 p.m. | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our MLB Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
White Sox vs. Royals
Cole Ragans has been a guy who has shown promise, but something really clicked for him after coming over to Kansas City. He has a 2.95 xERA this season and a 1.73 ERA since joining the Royals. Ragans has a 12.10 K/9 rate and has allowed just eight earned runs and one home run while racking up 56 strikeouts in seven starts with Kansas City.
Over the last month, Ragans has allowed just two extra-base hits off his changeup or slider while generating 34 strikeouts. His fastball has hit as high as 99.6 on the radar gun. He appears to be the total package with his fastball, changeup, and breaking balls pitch arsenal.
Scholtens for the White Sox is nothing more than a career minor-league guy who has been added to the rotation to eat innings late in the season. Chicago’s offense has been dreadful all season, posting just a .296 wOBA and 85 wRC+.
Ragans was just named AL Pitcher of the Month in August and has not allowed a run over two consecutive starts. I am going to continue to ride the hot hand with Ragans against a weak White Sox lineup.
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Giants vs. Cubs
By D.J. James
Logan Webb and the San Francisco Giants begin a crucial series with Justin Steele and the Chicago Cubs on Monday. The final two slots of the National League Wild Card look to be completely up for grabs, with the Cubs, Giants, Arizona Diamondbacks, Miami Marlins and Cincinnati Reds all within a game as of Sunday evening.
Webb has been spectacular this season with a 3.49 ERA against a 3.63 xERA. His Average Exit Velocity has been high this year at 91 mph with a Hard Hit Rate of 46.1%. That said, he strikes out 23.6% of batters, while walking only 3.6% of them. His Offspeed Run Value ranks in the 100th percentile, so he can truly mix it up.
Steele is similar with a Pitching Run Value in the 94th percentile. His ERA is 2.69 against a 3.51 xERA. His Average Exit Velocity is 87.4 mph with a Hard Hit Rate at 35.9%. His strikeout rate is 23.6% against a walk rate of 5.2%, so he is also spectacular with control.
The Giants have an 88 wRC+ and a .675 OPS off of lefties over the last two weeks. Their strikeout rate is 26.6% against an 8% walk rate.
Meanwhile, the Cubs have an 84 wRC+ and .678 OPS in the last two weeks with a 19.2% strikeout rate and 8.9% walk rate.
Since both of these starters are Cy Young candidates and can throw deep into the game, the under should be in play. Take it to 9 (-120).
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Astros vs. Rangers
By Kevin Rogers
The battle of the Lone Star State takes place on Monday afternoon in Arlington as the Astros and Rangers remain one game out of first place in the AL West behind the Mariners.
Coming off the heels of a three-game road sweep of Boston, the Astros were surprisingly swept at home by the Yankees. Texas avoided a sweep by Minnesota with a walk-off homer on Sunday, ending a three-game skid.
Andrew Heaney has had solid success against Houston this season by allowing three runs in three starts, while Texas has won two of those three games. The Rangers are 2-0-1 in the first five innings in those three games against the Astros, as Texas has not trailed through five innings in any of Heaney’s last nine outings.
Houston counters with J.P. France, who tossed seven innings and yielded one run in a 4-3 home win over the Rangers in late July.
The Astros are in the midst of a 4-14-2 cold stretch in the first five innings of series openers, including a 1-9-1 mark in road contests.
Texas has been extremely up and down of late, but getting the walk-off homer on Sunday hopefully puts them on the right track.
Let’s back the Rangers in the first five innings at -112 at FanDuel and play it up to -120.
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