MLB Best Bets Today: MLB Betting Picks for Tuesday, September 23

MLB Best Bets Today: MLB Betting Picks for Tuesday, September 23

This article is part of our MLB Picks series.

With the end of the 2025 MLB regular season right around the corner, here are our three best bets for Tuesday's full slate in the majors. We're backing two of the game's most exciting young players to continue dominating, and we also have a prep on Shohei Ohtani ahead of his final start of the regular season.

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Best MLB Bets Tuesday

Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Arizona Diamondbacks

Shohei Ohtani Under 5.5 strikeouts, (-125 @ BetMGM)

Ohtani has surpassed the mark of 5.5 strikeouts in three of his previous six starts, but with the Dodgers having locked up a postseason berth, there's no need to keep Ohtani in the game for a long stretch. Plus, he's yet to pitch more than five innings in an outing in 2025. He struck out five against the Philaedelphia Phillies the last time out, and he also recorded five punchouts against the Baltimore Orioles on Sept. 5. 

It's not like the Diamondbacks have nothing to play, as they're just one game away from the final Wild Card berth behind the Cincinnati Reds and New York Mets. Hence, it's not as if Ohtani will be facing a bad lineup at all. All signs point to the star hurler not pitching deep into the game in an effort to manage his workload ahead of the playoffs, where he's reportedly going to pitch as a starter, so it's unlikely that he'll cross the five-strikeout threshold for the first time since Aug. 27.

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New York Mets vs. Chicago Cubs

Cade Horton Under 1.5 earned runs, (+115 @ DraftKings Sportsbook)

It's not a stretch to say Horton has been one of the best pitchers in the majors since the All-Star break, as he's gone 8-1 with a 0.93 ERA and a 0.79 WHIP in 11 starts and 58.1 innings. Horton also allowed just one run on three hits across five innings to earn the win in his last outing, a Sept. 16 outing against the Pittsburgh Pirates, where he walked one and struck out six. 

The Mets aren't a bad team by any means, but they've been slumping badly on offense lately, even if their collective OPS of .746 in September might indicate otherwise. Plus, Horton has allowed under 1.5 earned runs in all but one of those 11 starts, so there's a good chance he'll end the regular season on a strong note ahead of the Cubs' first trip to the postseason since 2020.

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Tampa Bay Rays vs. Baltimore Orioles

Junior Caminero Over 1.5 total bases, (-112 at Caesars Sportsbook)

Caminero snapped a three-game hitless streak with a 2-for-3 performance Sunday against the Boston Red Sox in the series finale. He's recorded over 1.5 total bases in nine of his 19 games in September, though that percentage was higher before the recent slump, and he owns a solid .955 OPS across 76 plate appearances in that same stretch. 

The Orioles have nothing to play for, so Caminero could take advantage of that to bolster his numbers in the final days of the regular season. The slugging third baseman is having a career-best season in 2025, and ranks sixth in the majors with 44, trailing only Cal Raleigh, Aaron Judge and Eugenio Suarez in the AL. He also has a career-best .839 OPS in 628 plate appearances.

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MLB Picks Recap

  • Dodgers vs. Diamondbacks: Shohei Ohtani Under 5.5 strikeouts, (-125 @ BetMGM)
  • Mets vs. Cubs: Cade Horton Under 1.5 earned runs, (+115 @ DraftKings Sportsbook)
  • Rays vs. Orioles: Junior Caminero Over 1.5 total bases, (-112 @ Caesars Sportsbook)

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Juan Pablo Aravena
35-year-old sports analyst and journalist. Fan of every single sport on this earth, but mainly NBA, MLB, NFL, NHL and soccer. Eternal optimistic who, for unknown reasons, chose to root for the Chicago Cubs and Jacksonville Jaguars. Born and raised in Chile.
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