This article is part of our MLB Picks series.
Top MLB Betting Picks for Monday, May 19
I followed my 3-0 dynamo last Monday in this spot with a nice 2-1 day with Thursday's focus on the duel between Houston's Hunter Brown and Texas' Jacob deGrom. Today, I'm diving into Monday's slate with three games I feel are the clear betting choices for Monday's action. Let's waste no further time!
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Best MLB Bets Today
Houston Astros ML (+123 @ BetRivers) over Tampa Bay Rays 
Houston rookie Colton Gordon earned a second start after a shaky debut against Kansas City. Tampa has struggled at home with an 11-17 record and have really struggled against lefties. The Rays own an awful .577 team OPS against southpaws this season. Both teams have struggled offensively to start the year and the under is worth a look here as well. However, I feel Houston is the better team in the better situation with one of the best values today.
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Detroit Tigers as Top Underdog Pick Against St. Louis Cardinals
Are the Tigers the best team in MLB? One could make that case with their nasty pitching staff and timely hitting. They head to The Lou to take on the red-hot Cardinals, who have a staff ERA of 1.94 in their last 10 games and have outscored their opponents by 36 runs in that stretch.
The numbers for today's starters (Keider Montero and Sonny Gray) are equally iffy, and the overall situation is very even. The Cards are great at home, the Tigers are an outstanding road team, and I was surprised to see St. Louis favored so heavily. In my view, Detroit has the best value on today's slate.
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Arizona Diamondbacks Value Bet vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
Betting against the Dodgers coming off an embarrassing sweep at the hands of the Angels isn't a sound long-term investment strategy. However, for this game, I like the value and situation for the D-Backs and that is largely due to tonight's pitching matchup. Brandon Pfaadt has had decent success against LA over 88 ABs, while Landon Knack brings his 5.89 ERA and 1.53 WHIP into another spot start for the injury-riddled Dodgers. I have no doubt LA will be the best team in the NL by the end of the year, but right now, they are going through a tough stretch that cannot be ignored. I'm jumping on that slide and will back Arizona tonight.
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MLB Picks Recap
- Astros ML (+123 @ BetRivers)
- Tigers ML (+136 @ DraftKings)
- Diamondbacks ML (+124 @ DraftKings)