MLB Best Bets Today: MLB Betting Picks for Tuesday, March 31

MLB Betting Expert Michael Rathburn mines some betting gems Tuesday. He digs into a pair of interleague matchups, and a key NL West battle.
MLB Best Bets Today: MLB Betting Picks for Tuesday, March 31

MLB Best Bets Today: MLB Betting Picks for Tuesday, March 31

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Key MLB Betting Trends, Insights, and Matchups Analysis

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 Odds                                                                                                                                                              Injuries                                                                                                                                                        Lineups                                                                                                                                                          Weather                                                                                                                                                          Bullpen 

Make sure to check the latest odds and all sportsbooks, starting lineups, weather, and bullpen usage before making any wagers. 

Reviewing Friday's selections, both the Rockies and A's were within one run F5, and had opportunities to score, but were not able to cash in. Taking ML 'dogs, especially larger ones, does come with risk, but the plus-money edge you get in the long term pays off. 

The Tigers came through in a big way, and I am down on the Padres, especially when we get beyond Nick Pivetta and Michael King. The Diamondbacks hit as a +1.5 'dog against an inflated Dodgers line. Going against the Dodgers is tough, but their lines are grossly inflated, so as long as you avoid Blake Snell and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, it is a green light to fire. 

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San Franscisco Giants vs. San Diego Padres Best Bets and Predictions

The game projects as a clear under 7.5 opportunity, with the market reflecting a low total and slight edge toward San Francisco (Giants -143, Padres +119, total 7.5). Monday's opener finished 3–2, reinforcing a consistent low-scoring script driven by weak offenses and strong pitching environments.

Both teams rank near the bottom of the league in runs scored and ISO, highlighting limited power and extra-base hit production. San Diego has scored just nine runs through four games, while the Giants have struggled to generate consistent offense.  Both teams combined have gone UNDER in 7 out of 8 games. 

The pitching matchup is the key driver: Logan Webb provides ace-level stability with elite ground-ball rates and consistent run suppression, limiting hard contact and keeping the ball in the park. On the other side, Germán Márquez allowed a 48.5 percent hard-hit rate and .366 xwOBA in 2025, but his risk is significantly reduced in Petco Park's pitcher-friendly conditions.

With mid-60s temperatures, light winds (~5 mph), and a run-suppressing park, conditions strongly favor pitching. With weak offensive profiles, limited power, and one ace controlling tempo, this sets up as another tight, low-scoring game.

Best Bet: Giants/Padres UNDER 7.5 runs for 1 unit (Caesars Sportsbook +100)

Detroit Tigers vs. Arizona Diamondbacks Best Bets and Predictions

This battle is priced near a pick'em (around -110 both sides) with a total of 9–9.5 runs, signaling expected offense. Monday's opener finished 9–6 in favor of Arizona, despite an early 8–0 lead and a late Tigers rally, highlighting bullpen instability and multiple scoring windows.

From a pitching standpoint, Casey Mize offers slightly more stability but carries a modest strikeout profile (~20 percent K rate) while still allowing elevated hard contact (~44–47 percent). Brandon Pfaadt is more concerning, coming off a 2025 season with a 47.7 percent hard-hit rate and sub-20 percent strikeout rate. Both pitchers allow high contact (75–80 percent), increasing balls-in-play and extra-base hit potential.

With limited swing-and-miss ability, shaky bullpens, and a hitter-friendly environment, this profiles as a high-variance, offense-driven matchup.

Given the contact-heavy profiles, hard-hit data, and bullpen volatility shown in Monday's game, the over is the most logical betting angle in a game that should produce multiple scoring bursts.

Best Bet: Tigers/DBacks OVER 9.0 runs for 1 unit (BetMGM -110)

Colorado Rockies vs. Toronto Blue Jays Best Bets and Predictions

This interleague clash profiles as a high-variance, offense-driven matchup, with Vegas heavily favoring Toronto (Blue Jays -280, Rockies +225) and a total around 8.5–9 runs. Despite the lopsided moneyline, the total appears light given the current setup. With both starters effectively functioning as SP5 options, this number realistically projects closer to 9–9.5 runs.

The pitching matchup features Max Scherzer vs Ryan Feltner. While Scherzer still carries name value, his strikeout rate has declined, and he's allowing more contact than in past seasons. Feltner remains a contact-heavy arm with elevated hard-hit rates, and both pitchers allow contact in the 75–80 percent range, increasing balls in play and run-scoring opportunities.

The biggest edge comes from Toronto's bullpen, which was heavily taxed in last night's 14–5 loss following the Cody Ponce injury. That leaves a fatigued relief unit behind a contact-prone starter.

With exhausted bullpen arms, contact-heavy pitching, and an improving Rockies lineup, this game sets up for another high-scoring script.

Best Bet: Rockies/Blue Jays BOTH teams to score 3+ runs for 1 unit (DraftKings +110)

Tuesday's Best Bets and Predictions

Best MLB Bets

  • Giants/Padres UNDER 7.5 runs for 1 unit (Caesars Sportsbook +100)
  • Tigers/DBacks OVER 9 runs for 1 unit (BetMGM -110)
  • Rockies/Blue Jays BOTH teams to score 3+ runs for 1 unit (DraftKings +110)

Additional MLB Bets

  • Mariners/Yankees UNDER 7 runs for 0.5 unit (Caesars -113)
    • Two starting aces in one of the best pitchers' parks
  • Nationals/Phillies OVER 9 runs for 0.5 unit (BetRivers -117)
    • Starting pitching suspect; elite run scoring environment with ballpark + weather
  • Rays/Brewers RACE to 5 runs NEITHER for 0.5 unit (DraftKings +135)
    • Two starting aces with underperforming offenses and rested bullpens

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Known as “Rath” in the Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) community, he has helped run operations for two prominent daily fantasy sports startups. Michael has taken his insider knowledge and expertise in daily fantasy sports to the content side. Rath won the 2016 FSWA "Baseball Article of the Year, Online" award and was a finalist for the FSWA Best Baseball Series in 2011.
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