A couple of high-profile showdowns highlight Friday's MLB schedule, with the Yankees and Astros continuing their series and the Dodgers and Braves opening a three-game set. The MLB-best Yankees rallied to win for the 19th time in their past 22 games in the opener against Houston on Thursday. The 7-6 victory improved their record to 52-18, and they are the +430 second favorite behind the Dodgers (+420) in the MLB futures from Caesars Sportsbook. The Astros are the +700 third choice, with the defending-champion Braves at No. 5 (+1200) behind the New York Mets (+750). Los Angeles visits Atlanta in what will be a homecoming for Freddie Freeman, who signed with L.A. in the offseason after helping the Braves win last year's World Series.
There are 15 games on the Friday night MLB schedule, and if you combine your top MLB picks into a parlay, you can earn an even bigger payout. New York is a -130 favorite on the money line in Caesars Sportsbook's latest Astros vs. Yankees odds, with first pitch set for 7:05 p.m. ET. The Braves vs. Dodgers matchup starts at 7:20 p.m. ET, and Caesars lists Los Angeles as the -130 favorite. Before you lock in any MLB picks or parlays for Friday, be sure to check out the MLB predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every MLB game 10,000 times and it is off to a strong start to the 2022 season. It's on a 56-47 roll on top-rated MLB money-line picks through 11 weeks. Anybody who has followed it has seen profitable returns.
Now, the model has locked in four confident MLB best bets for Friday. They all involve games at 7:20 p.m. ET or later, so there's still time to get these MLB picks in. If you successfully parlay the picks, you'd be looking at a payout of almost 13-1. You can see the model's MLB picks for Friday only at SportsLine.
Top MLB picks today
One pick the model loves for Friday night is the Braves +1.5 on the run line (-145) against the Dodgers.at 7:20 p.m. ET (see tickets at StubHub). Atlanta has been mashing the ball, ranking second in MLB with 108 home runs, while Dodgers starter Julio Urias has been susceptible to the long ball, allowing 12 homers in his 13 starts. The left-hander is 4-6 with a 2.56 ERA and 102 WHIP, and the team has lost four of his past six starts. He will be facing a Braves team that is hungry to further close the gap on the Mets in the NL East. They are four games behind and have made up 6.5 games this month.
It's not a surprise that success coincided with the return to full health of star Ronald Acuna Jr. from a torn ACL. He took the first month of the season to recover and spent time at DH early on, but he has seven home runs and 18 RBI in 41 games. The Braves have five players with at least 10 home runs, led by Austin Riley (18), while Matt Olson has 10 to go with an MLB-best 28 doubles. The model has Atlanta winning Friday's game in 54 percent of its simulations and covering 69 percent of the time.
How to make MLB picks and parlays for Friday
The model has locked in three other best bets for Friday, including two confident money line plays on underdogs. You can only see the model's MLB parlay picks and best bets for Friday at SportsLine.
Which MLB picks should you target for Friday in a parlay offering a payout of nearly 13-1? And which underdogs with excellent value are must-backs? Visit SportsLine now to see the MLB best bets for Friday from the model on a 56-47 roll on top-rated MLB money-line picks, and find out.