We’re four days into the 2024 MLB season, and there’s been no shortage of surprises. Raise your hand if you had the Pirates, Tigers, and Brewers as three of the last four undefeated teams to start the year.

The Yankees are also undefeated after an impressive four-game sweep of the Astros in Houston, with the newly acquired Juan Soto leading the charge.

Of course, baseball is a marathon, not a sprint. We’ve still got roughly 158 games to go, so there’s going to be plenty more surprises over the coming months, but hopefully not with our MLB bets today.

Let’s dive into a few of my MLB best bets for Monday’s 14-game slate.

MLB Bets Today - Monday, April 1

Atlanta Braves ML (-265) at Chicago White Sox (DraftKings)

Look, betting on a team at -265 is not particularly sexy. Very rarely is laying that kind of odds something to consider in baseball, but I’m willing to make an exception in this case. -265 translates to an implied probability of 72.6%, and I think the true odds of the Braves picking up a win vs. the White Sox are significantly higher.

The Braves are arguably the best team in baseball, while the White Sox might be the worst. They managed just eight runs in their first three games – tied with the Mets for the worst mark in the league – and they’re not going to be able to out-pitch the Braves. Charlie Morton will get the start for Atlanta (3.64 ERA in 2023), and he’s way better than Chris Flexen (6.86 ERA, 6.20 xERA). The Braves had the best offense in baseball in 2023, so they should be able to do significant damage in this matchup.

You could always choose to play the Braves on the run line at -155, but the -265 is the better pure value.

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Kansas City Royals ML (+132) at Baltimore Orioles (FanDuel)

The Royals are coming off an 11-0 win on Sunday, and they’re in a good spot to start their new series vs. the Orioles on a high note. They’ll send Michael Wacha to the mound, who has become a rock-solid starter. He’s pitched to an ERA of 3.32 or better in back-to-back years, and he’s thrown at least 127.1 innings in both campaigns.

The Orioles are the better team overall, but they’ll be at a pitching disadvantage with Dean Kremer on the bump. He posted just a 4.97 xERA in 2023, so the Royals are live dogs in this spot.

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More MLB Bets for Monday, April 1

Mets (-130) vs. Tigers – The Mets’ offense should fare better against a right-handed starter (Reese Olson) than the Tigers’ will against a southpaw (Sean Manaea). Four of the Tigers' top five hitters bat from the left side, and Manaea posted a 2.68 FIP against lefties last year.

Giants (+180) at Dodgers – James Paxton will get the ball for the Dodgers, and he was a massive disappointment in 2023. He pitched to a 4.50 ERA and 4.68 FIP, and the Giants added some big right-handed bats in the offseason in Jorge Soler and Matt Chapman. They’re undervalued in this spot.

Angels-Marlins Over 8.5 (-118) – The Marlins bullpen was taxed heavily in their opening series, and they’ll likely need another bulk outing from their relievers on Monday. Max Meyer will make the start, and he topped out at just 39 pitches during Spring Training. The Marlins are 4-0 to the over so far this season, and their shaky bullpen has been a big reason why.

Luis Gil Over 5.5 strikeouts (+125) – Gil will return after Tommy John surgery sidelined him in 2023, and he looked as good as ever during Spring Training. He racked up 23 strikeouts across 15.2 innings, pairing a changeup with his big fastball. He might only go five innings vs. the Diamondbacks, but that will still give him a shot at 6+ strikeouts.