Best MLB Bets Today September 2: Three Picks for Monday

Check out my Best MLB Picks for today

Happy Labor Day! As many sit back and relax at home, we'll be treated to a day full of baseball which should bring us some continued profits in the betting community.

(Photo by Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

I'll be eyeing the formidable Jack Flaherty to shut down a strong Diamondbacks offense which should be asked to do a lot on Monday, but that should be where my love for arms will end.

We'll back one strong offense in a good matchup and fade a pair of mediocre pitchers to close things out.

Let's get right into things and hand out our MLB Best Bets for Monday, September 2.

Ballislife Bets MLB Computer Picks (Best MLB Bets Today)

MLB BEST BET FOR LOS ANGELES DODGERS VS ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS

This Dodgers offense continues to grow stronger by the day, and now ranks third in baseball over the last week of play with a 128 wRC+.

• L.A.'s strikeout rate -- once a sore spot just a month ago -- has sunk below 20% once again during this span while its Isolated Power remains beefy at .231.

That mean streak shouldn't show any signs of slowing down on Monday when the Dodgers dig in against Eduardo Rodriguez.

The veteran left-hander has made just four starts since coming off he injured list last month, and he's stumbled to a 5.06 ERA as the walks and hits have begun to pile up in bunches.

It's not as if home runs have ben a massive concern, but that could be due to the fact that he's pitched twice in the friendly Chase Field considering his Expected Slugging Percentage sits at .483.

• With the strikeout numbers waning for Rodriguez, it would certainly seem as if the Dodgers will make a lot of contact -- and a lot of dangerous contact at that.

That should set things up nicely for Jack Flaherty, who struggled a bit in his initial starts with the Dodgers but has settled in nicely over the last two starts, allowing just four earned runs in 11 2/3 innings.

The strikeout-happy Flaherty should enjoy the park upgrade in Arizona and will get a team that has been more or less worse than it was offensively a month ago around a couple of sporadic outbursts in the last 10 days.

I think L.A. is a team to continue buying low on as it returns to form, and it is the clear favorite in my eyes given the shortcomings of Rodriguez.

Best Bet: Dodgers ML (-140 at Caesars)

Looking to bet this one as the action unfolds? Check out our MLB Live Betting Guide.

MLB BEST BET FOR MINNESOTA TWINS VS TAMPA BAY RAYS

This will be Zack Littell's first start since he was placed on the injured list almost a month ago, and I think it's fair to expect some rust with the tough Twins on the calendar to start.

• Minnesota's power has gone by the wayside in the last week, but it will draw an extreme fly-ball pitcher in Littell which should play right into its hands.

The Twins sit atop baseball with an OPS of .818 versus fly-ball pitchers this season, beating out their 12th-ranked .712 OPS in the reverse split by a rather wide margin.

On top of that, a strike-thrower like Littell promises to be a welcomed matchup for a team which has struggled to limit strikeouts this year.

It's not even as if Littell has ben all that good this year, posting a 4.41 Expected ERA behind another tough season in the Expected Batting Average department, and there's a good chance the Twins snap out of their funk and hang a crooked number on the right-hander -- especially as he tries to shake off the rust.

• If he doesn't single-handedly help us cash this Over, I do think we'll get plenty of help from Simeon Woods-Richardson.

The right-hander has been the definition of mediocrity this season, and for a third straight month finished with an ERA over four runs in August. It hasn't mattered how weak the matchup is, he's walked plenty of batters and the strikeouts have been fluctuating massively.

The Rays have done a decent-enough job of walking this season, and their biggest detractor has been strikeouts. You won't have to fear the latter with Woods Richardson, and he should help donate some baserunners on balls to make things even better.

Best Bet: Over 8 (-110 at DraftKings)

MLB BEST BETS FOR BOSTON RED SOX VS NEW YORK METS

I've long been a staunch supporter of Brayan Bello, but even his biggest fans would recognize his flaws.

• The right-hander hasn't put together complete starts, often starting strong and running into trouble late, and his biggest issue has clearly been with longballs.

Bello has now allowed 19 through 25 starts, even as one of the most extreme ground-ball pitchers in the game, and his task here will be slowing down a Mets lineup which has begun to look a lot better and owns a solid .175 ISO in the past week of play.

With a big flaw in the strikeout department, too, this one should set up nicely for the Mets considering Bello's failed to command the zone and has lacked strikeouts through the year.

1. Boston's offense, meanwhile, has hit a walk in the last week with a 72 wRC+ to rank 27th in baseball and it has walked in an impossibly-low 3% of plate appearances during that time.
2. The Sox are hitting .216 during this time and have really only possessed power and nothing else, so you'd have to like Luis Severino in this spot.
3. The veteran righty has had another tough season with a poor 8.1% walk rate, but he's managed to remain potent around that with a 4.03 xERA.

His recent gains in the strikeout category have helped him to that number, and he should have another great opportunity to continue adding punchouts to his mantle.

Best Bet: Mets ML (-125 at DraftKings)

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