Friday is chock-full of great baseball action, with games happening from coast to coast. There are many good games on the slate, as well as many good bets to be found if you know where to look.
In the following guide, we cover the four games most likely to pay out for both spreads and over/under. There are many solid favorites to lean on, with a few solid underdogs thrown in as well.
The Rockies and Pirates kick off Friday’s action with a line that greatly leans towards the favorite. The Rockies offer a large payoff, but they do so with too many caveats for us to like. Pittsburgh is the better team, and the bet you should take for this game.
The Pirates are in dead last and floundering. The Rockies are even worse. Both teams are in the bottom half of the league when it comes to hitting, but the Pirates get a huge boost in this pitching battle.
They will send Braxton Ashcraft (3.02 ERA) to the mound against Antonio Senzatela (7.00 ERA). Senzatela not only gives up more runs, but he has a weak 8.24 ERA in his last seven starts. That alone should give the Pirates the victory.
This is a game where it’s hard to see the over, as the Rockies and Pirates aren’t known for their firepower. Even with the weaker pitchers, one team will likely get shut down or go cold. This is a good under.
The Red Sox and Yankees is one of the trickier games of the day. Both teams have a lot going for them. They have solid pitchers, good hitting, and are neck-and-neck in the standings. Still, we favor Boston for this matchup.
The Red Sox hit for a better average than New York, but they trail in both home runs and RBIs. With both teams so evenly matched in such metrics, the better pitcher is likely going to come out on top.
Boston will start Brayan Bello (3.23 ERA) and the Yankees will start Max Fried (3.26 ERA). Though the two pitchers seem similar, Bello’s ERA is 3.16 in his last seven games, while Fried’s is 6.94 during that same span. That’s the primary reason to pick Boston here.
The Yankees and Red Sox are two of the best hitting teams in baseball. They also each know how to score early and are locked in a tight race. This game should hit the over.
The Royals are a good team who have a real chance at making the wild card. They have pitching, hitting, and great defense. They also face a much better team in the Tigers on Friday. While both squads are 8-2 in their last ten, it’s hard to pick against Detroit.
The Royals plan to start Ryan Bergert (2.75 ERA), a strong pitcher who can go the distance. Detroit will counter with Casey Mize (3.63 ERA). While Mize has been shakier as of late (5.45 ERA in his last seven starts), we like the Tigers because of their ability to hit.
The Tigers have the eighth most RBIs in baseball and the ninth most home runs. In contrast, the Royals rank 26th in both categories. That difference means Detroit is better at capitalizing on mistakes and should take the day.
This is a matchup where we’re taking the over. Both teams are red hot, and they each know how to get runners across the plate. This should be a high scoring battle with plenty of hits.
The Brewers, who have won six of their last ten, sit at the top of their division and continue to be one of the best teams in baseball. The Giants, once in the thick of the wild card race, are going in the opposite direction.
This is another game where the obvious pick seems to be the correct one. The Brewers lead the Giants in every metric. They are also starting a much better pitcher. They will send Jose Quintana (3.32 ERA) to the mound against Carson Whisenhunt (5.02 ERA).
The Brewers should be able to take advantage of Whisenhunt by getting to him early, while Quintana should keep the Giants at bay. Both of those should add up to a Milwaukee victory.
It’s hard to see this game hitting the over. Nine runs is a lot, especially with the Giants playing so poor as of late. Even if the Brewers go off, it’s unlikely to be enough to reach the over.
All lines courtesy of CBS Sports.
+100
1.0
-110
-200
-3.5
-105
-152
-3.0
-102
-592
-10.5
-104
+106
1.5
-110
+154
3.5
-115
-150
-3.0
-102
+950
14.0
-105
+320
7.5
-105
+164
3.5
-110
-218
-4.5
-105
-450
-8.5
-108
-350
-7.5
+100
-1000
-13.5
-105
+102
1.5
-110
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