Best bets today: Mets-Red Sox among SportsLine's top plays for MLB for May 19

The NBA and NHL Playoffs are taking a night off, but bettors still have 12 MLB games to choose from on Monday, May 19. The New York Mets face the Boston Red Sox in a key interleague matchup, while the Arizona Diamondbacks travel to Los Angeles to battle the division rival Dodgers. 

We highlight the top betting opportunities with links to full game analysis and picks throughout the article while providing the top betting tips for today's matchups.

There is also a link to the best sportsbook offer today from DraftKings. New users who risk at least $5 on their initial wager will receive $300 in bonus bets if their first bet wins, with no promo code required. See more about the offer below. 

Best MLB bets today

New York Mets at Boston Red Sox (-130, 9): 6:45 p.m. ET

The Mets head to Boston after dropping two of three to the Yankees in the Subway Series over the weekend. The Red Sox will look to get back on track at home after losing five of their last six games. 

New York is expected to start ace Kodai Senga on Monday. Senga has a 1.02 ERA and allowed just two runs over his last 15.2 innings. Overall this season, Senga has given up one run or fewer in six of his eight starts. 

Boston's pitching staff has allowed at least six runs in five of its last six games. The Red Sox look to Hunter Dobbins to stop the bleeding. Dobbins has been hit or miss this season. He's allowed a total of four runs in three of his starts and nine runs in the other two. Boston has lost the last three games Dobbins started, all by one run. 

Get full analysis and expert picks for Mets-Red Sox at SportsLine!

Arizona Diamondbacks at Los Angeles Dodgers (-145, 9.5): 10:10 p.m. ET

NL West foes face off in Los Angeles when the Dodgers and Diamondbacks meet for a three-game series. Arizona took two of three from the Rockies over the weekend, while the Dodgers were swept by the crosstown Angels and have now lost six of their last 10 games. 

Los Angeles turns to Landon Knack in hopes of ending its three-game losing streak. The 27-year-old has a 5.89 ERA and is coming off an outing where he allowed five runs over 4.2 innings in an 11-1 Dodgers loss. Knack has shown signs of promise too, pitching five scoreless innings against Miami on May 7.

Arizona's Brandon Pfaadt allowed six hits and four runs in his last start against the Giants. However, Pfaadt has had recent success versus the Dodgers, including holding them scoreless in 6.1 innings of work 11 days ago.  

Get full analysis and expert picks for Diamondbacks-Dodgers at SportsLine!

Today's featured sportsbook promo

DraftKings Sportsbook is offering new users the opportunity to earn $300 in bonus bets with an initial wager of at least $5. No promo code is required. In order to receive the $300 in bonus bets, customers must win their first bet of at least $5. If they do get the $300 bonus bets, they have to use them within seven days. 

The initial bet can be placed on one of the MLB games tonight or another sport of interest. In addition to the bonus bets, any winning bet will award the customer their winnings in cash. Let's say you bet $5 on the Dodgers to beat the Diamondbacks, and they successfully do. You will receive your $5 initial bet plus winnings from the bet in cash. As part of the introductory promotion, DraftKings will also give you 12 $25 bonus bets to use within seven days.

Terms and conditions for the DraftKings welcome bonus:

• The bonus is available to new DraftKings customers only in AZ, CO, CT, DC, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, NC, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TN, VA, VT, WY and WV.
• New users must deposit a minimum of $5.
• The bonus bets are received as 12 $25 bonus bet tokens within 72 hours of your initial bet settling.
• The bonus bets must be wagered once before any winnings can be withdrawn.
• The bonus bets are not included in any cash winnings, nor are they transferable or refundable.
• The bonus bets expire after seven days.

Other games to bet on for Monday, May 19

MLB: Cincinnati Reds at Pittsburgh Pirates (6:40 p.m. ET)

MLB: Houston Astros at Tampa Bay Rays (7:05 p.m. ET)

MLB: Cleveland Guardians at Minnesota Twins (7:40 p.m. ET)

MLB: Detroit Tigers at St. Louis Cardinals (7:45 p.m. ET)

MLB: Kansas City Royals at San Francisco Giants (9:45 p.m. ET)

Over at SportsLine, you'll get top-notch analysis, including game breakdowns, betting trends, predictions, and expert advice, for every key game on Monday, May 19. The SportsLine Discord channel is another place to go to for even more betting tips and expert picks. 

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