This article is part of our MLB Picks series.
MLB Best Bets Today: Free MLB Picks for August 9
RotoWire.com's Michael Rathburn has dug into the best online sportsbooks across the country to identify his MLB bets and MLB player props to target today.
Last Article's Record: 4-2-1 +2.15 units
Season Record:139-127-3 +26.25 units
Cincinnati Reds 
at New York Mets 
I always look at RotoWire's MLB news and player notes from the night before to see who might have been injured and out that day. It influences me on a game or team total and that is the case with the Reds. The total opened 9 and was immediately bet down to 8.5 which had me looking at the UNDER on the game and the Reds. But with Jonathan India (hamstring) dinged up and Kyle Farmer (neck) possibly out, along with a huge negative park shift, everything is lining up and the moneyline has moved from -280 to -330.
The Reds come into with the 2nd worst projected lineup on the slate and Carlos Carrasco is a serviceable pitcher. The Reds are 2nd to last in F5 runs scored on the road (1.69) and the Mets are 10th in F5 runs allowed at home (2.43). I just hate going under 1.5 runs F5 because anything can happen, so let's look at the team total for the game. In the last 7 home games in which the Mets were at least -250 favorites, their opponents have scored 3 runs or less in all. Additional trends in this game are the Reds are 7-1 to the UNDER in their last 8 and the Mets are 13-2 in their last 15.
MLB Best Bets for Reds at Mets
- Reds UNDER 3 runs for 1.15 RW buck (FanDuel -115)
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Miami Marlins 
at Philadelphia Phillies 
A very similar situation as the game above, as we have a very poor lineup on the road in a tough environment. Zack Wheeler against Braxton Garrett is actually a decent matchup as Garrett has a 49/9 K to BB in his last 7 starts and especially in his last 6 starts where he has a 3.03 ERA. The total has gone UNDER in Miami's last 5 games in a row and they have scored 12 runs in their last 8. The Phillies are 14-6 in their last 20 while the Marlins are 6-14.
MLB Best Bets for Marlins at Phillies
- Marlins/Phillies UNDER 7.5 runs for 1.04 RW buck (FanDuel -104)
- Marlins UNDER 1.5 runs F5 for 1.5 RW buck (DraftKings -150)
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Los Angeles Angels 
at Oakland Athletics 
You can probably see the theme here today which is finding games with strong pitching and weak hitting where the UNDER is the best play. Here is another one that falls in our lap with Shohei Ohtani vs. James Kaprielian in Oakland. We have two teams projected in the bottom five for runs scored along with an ace starting pitcher and an underrated starting pitcher in an extreme pitchers' park.
The last 5 out of 7 games in the series have gone UNDER the total. Both starting pitchers have an ERA under 2.35 in their last 7 starts. We had this game last week with both pitchers and it ended with 4 total runs. Only 2 games out of 11 in the season series have had over 8 runs.
MLB Best Bets for Angels at Athletics
- Angels/Athletics UNDER 7 runs for 1.28 RW buck (FanDuel -128)
MLB Picks Today Recap
- Reds UNDER 3 runs for 1.15 RW buck (FanDuel -115)
- Marlins/Phillies UNDER 7.5 runs for 1.04 RW buck (FanDuel -104)
- Marlins UNDER 1.5 runs F5 for 1.5 RW buck (DraftKings -150)
- Angels/Athletics UNDER 7 runs for 1.28 RW buck (FanDuel -128)
Visit RotoWire all season long for exclusive sports betting picks from our group of handicappers with their expert MLB picks each day of the campaign. Remember that betting apps vary in terms of odds and available player props, so we have an easy-to-use odds page that allows you to shop for the best lines at DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM and PointsBet.
Before you place your bets, be sure to use all of RotoWire's MLB resources, like our MLB Lineups page, MLB Weather page, and the best batter vs. pitcher stats.
