There are a lot of games happening in the MLB on what is set to be an exciting and busy Friday around the league. Many contests have interesting lines, but even among the crowd there are a few that stand out.
In this article we cover our favorite bets on the day. For each one we explain the line, the over/under, as well as why we like our pick for each.
The Rays are a much better team than the Nationals this season. While both franchises are having a rough year, Tampa Bay is a simply more complete team than Washington. That’s why we like them to win this one.
The Rays have a better record, are a better hitting team overall in terms of average and RBIs, and they also have a much better pitching matchup. They send Adrian Houser (2.88 ERA) against the incredibly unreliable Mitchell Parker (6.01 ERA).
That discrepancy between both pitchers gives the Rays a huge edge in a game where they already had the advantage. That bodes well for Tampa Bay and makes the favorite our pick.
Though the Rays could get to Parker early, Houser could easily shut out the relatively poor hitting Nationals team. As such, this is a game more likely to hit the under than the over.
It’s rare to see a team as strong as the Brewers enter as the underdog, but that’s what you’re getting on Friday. While they still lead the league in wins, Milwaukee has a tough test against a strong Blue Jays team in Toronto. Despite that, we still like them to win this one.
The pitching matchup is interesting. Toronto starts Shane Bieber (1.50 ERA) against Milwaukee's Freddy Peralta (2.68 ERA). While Bieber has the lower ERA, he’s also only started a single game this season. He could take that momentum into this game, but Peralta is much more seasoned and has a consistent track record.
In such situations, it’s better to go with the experience. It’s also a good idea to roll with the stronger team. The Blue Jays do hit slightly better for average, but the Brewers score more often. That could also be the difference.
This looks to be a close game between two strong pitchers. Even so, 7.5 is a low number. With the offensive prowess of both teams, we like the over in this one.
The Angels are another underdog we like a lot for Friday. Though the Halos are undoubtedly a worse team than the Astros, this could be a good bet for those who want to score a big pay out due to the pitching matchup.
The Angels send Tyler Anderson (4.73 ERA) to the mound against Cristian Javier (5.40 ERA). Both arms give up a lot of runs, but Javier has a higher ERA in just three starts on the season. That inexperience alone could cause him to have some trouble early on.
The Angels are one of the worst teams when it comes to average, but they rank in the middle of the pack in terms of runs. The Astros also hit quite well and could get to Anderson, but we like this underdog based on Javier’s own weaknesses.
This is a game where the over looks very appealing. Both teams can hit the ball, and the pitchers on both sides like to give up runs. The score should be quite high here.
For the season they’ve had, it’s rare for the A’s to be a favorite. The reason they are is their momentum. The young squad is on a three-game winning streak and has won seven of their last ten. That can go a long way when paired with home field advantage.
Even so, we like the Rangers here. That’s because they send Jack Leiter (3.81 ERA) to the mound. While the righty had a rough start to the year, his ERA is just 2.55 over his last seven starts. He also gets plenty of strikeouts, which is something the A’s are quite susceptible to.
The team from California will counter with Jeffrey Springs (4.15 ERA). He’s trending in the opposite direction as Leiter, with his ERA ballooning to 4.84 over his last seven starts. That could spell trouble.
This is a game where we like the under. Ten is quite a high line, especially if Leiter continues to pitch well. Texas might get some runs, but one team is more than likely to struggle in this one.
All lines courtesy of CBS Sports.

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