Best bets today: Padres vs. Dodgers among SportsLine's top MLB plays for June 18

Bettors have 15 MLB games to choose from on Wednesday, June 18. The featured games pit the New York Mets vs. the Atlanta Braves, while the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers meet in an NL West showdown. 

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 promotion today from FanDuel Sportsbook. FanDuel offers new users a "bet $5, get $200" bonus if your first bet wins. No promo code required. See more about the offer below. 

Best MLB bets today

New York Mets at Atlanta Braves (-185, 8.5): 7:15 p.m. ET

The Mets' losing streak reached four after the Braves took the opening game of the series 5-4 in extra innings. Atlanta is 5-1 in its last six games versus New York. 

The Braves turn to ace Chris Sale. It's breaking news when Sale allows more than one run in a game. It's happened just once in his last seven starts. The veteran has given up only four runs in his last four outings, but the Braves went just 2-2 in those games, losing 2-1 decisions to both San Diego and Arizona.

Paul Blackburn gets the call for New York. Blackburn has appeared in three games with one start this season. He enters Wednesday's matchup having allowed 14 hits and seven runs in 9.1 innings of work. 

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

San Diego Padres at Los Angeles Dodgers (-175, 9.5): 10:10 p.m. ET

The Dodgers won the first game of the series over San Diego on Tuesday night, 8-6. Los Angeles is now 6-1 in its last seven games versus the Padres. 

Stephen Kolek will be on the hill for San Diego. The 28-year-old is coming off a poor outing against Arizona, where he allowed five runs over 4.1 innings. However, Kolek pitched 11.1 scoreless innings in his two prior starts before the loss to the Diamondbacks. 

Emmet Sheehan is expected to make his 2025 season debut for Los Angeles. Sheehan is coming off Tommy John surgery that cost him all of last season. He last pitched in the 2023 postseason, where he gave up three runs in 3.2 innings against Arizona. 

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

Today's featured sportsbook promo

FanDuel Sportsbook offers new customers the ability to deposit as little as $5 and then make a first bet of at least $5. New users will receive $200 in bonus bets if their first bet wins. Plus, there are no minimum odds required, and the first wager can be made on any sport or market. So you can bet $5 on the biggest favorite you can find, and if it wins, you'll still receive $200 in bonus bets. 

Bonus bets cannot be cashed out and must be wagered within the following seven days, or they will expire. In addition to the bonus bets, any winning first bet earns the customer their winnings in cash. 

For example, let's say you bet $10 on Los Angeles to beat San Diego in MLB tonight, and the Dodgers win. You will receive your $10 back plus winnings from the bet in cash. FanDuel will also give you $200 in bonus bets. Bonus bets are not included in any cash winnings.

Other games to bet on for Wednesday, June 18

MLB: Philadelphia Phillies at Miami Marlins (6:40 p.m. ET)

MLB: Los Angeles Angels at New York Yankees (7:05 p.m. ET)

MLB: Arizona Diamondbacks at Toronto Blue Jays (7:07 p.m. ET)

MLB: Minnesota Twins at Cincinnati Reds (7:10 p.m. ET)

MLB: Milwaukee Brewers at Chicago Cubs (8:05 p.m. ET)

Over at SportsLine, you'll get top-notch analysis, including game breakdowns, betting trends, predictions, and expert advice on all the MLB games slated for Wednesday, June 18. You can also join the SportsLine Discord channel for even more betting tips and expert picks. Get more out of your SportsLine subscription! 

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