This week’s Friday night MLB lineup is action-packed. Fans will have their pick of the crop of 12 games to watch, including the Braves vs. Blue Jays, Padres vs. Dodgers, and the Pirates vs. Orioles. Each of the six games is among the best in the league at the moment and offers the most exciting wager options.
If you’re looking to get in on the action, the top online sportsbooks have plenty of ongoing bonuses and promos available to capitalize on for tonight’s contests. Check out the insight and best bets for Friday’s MLB games.
Best Bets for MLB Friday Games
Braves vs. Blue Jays (Pick: Blue Jays ML, +130 on DraftKings Sportsbook)
Spencer Strider is taking the mound for the Braves in this one, and the young star has been lights out so far this season. His ERA is 2.70, and he is 4-0 on the year. However, he has given up a few hits in his last couple of outings and hasn’t been able to go past five innings. They are heading into Toronto to face a Blue Jays team that has been one of the best at making contact so far this season.
The Blue Jays are averaging 8.86 hits per game and nearly five runs a game. The last two teams Strider faced were the Orioles and Mets, both of whom were able to get him pulled after five. The Blue Jays are 9-3 at home — far better than their 12-13 road record. There is clearly a difference when they play in front of their own fans, which adds to their chances to defy the odds in this one.
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Padres vs. Dodgers (Pick: Under 9 Runs, -105 on FanDuel Sportsbook)
The Dodgers and Padres have two of the best lineups in baseball. However, the Padres are currently struggling significantly. They are almost dead last in hits per game, only beating out Seattle, Cleveland, and Minnesota. Their runs per game have been below league average as well — just five spots from the worst in the league.
This will be the second meeting between the two in less than a week, which usually favors the offense. That’s where Dodgers pitcher Dustin May enters the chat. The last time May pitched against the Padres, he went six innings, threw six strikeouts, and didn’t allow a single run en route to a 2-1 victory for the Dodgers. With how the Padres are performing offensively at the moment, it isn’t likely this is the game they’ll find their groove.
Blake Snell will be on the mound for the Padres. He hasn’t had the best start to the season, but his last start was against the Dodgers, and it might have been his best start of the year. The Padres lost, but he only allowed two runs and threw six strikeouts. Historically, Snell has performed well against the Dodgers. In 10 games, he has a 2.56 ERA and has only allowed four home runs. It’s not dominating, but he has been good enough to not allow the Dodgers to single-handedly ruin this wager.
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Pirates vs. Orioles (Pick: Orioles Team Total Over 5.5 runs, +150 on BetMGM Sportsbook)
This one comes down to a pitcher absolutely struggling at the moment. Currently, the Pirates’ Johan Oviedo has a 5.59 ERA. In his last two outings, he allowed six and seven earned runs against the Nationals and Blue Jays, respectively. Given how hot Baltimore’s offense is at the moment — top 13 in hits per game and top six in runs per game — six runs feel more than possible against a struggling pitcher. The Orioles have scored six or more runs in 16 of their 24 wins this season, including a seven-run shellacking of Atlanta’s Max Fried about a week ago.
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Article contributed by David Fletcher.
