We have a full slate on Friday following a quiet getaway day, and we're offering our top MLB player props and best bets based on the best MLB odds.
All 30 MLB teams are scheduled to play on Friday, but will Mother Nature rear her head again after postponing two games on Thursday?
The action is set to begin at 6:40 p.m. ET with a pair of contests starting the evening.
The Minnesota Twins and Detroit Tigers will try to go again after their matchup was called off on Thursday. Meanwhile, it's an all-Pennsylvania battle when the Pittsburgh Pirates visit the Philadelphia Phillies.
Two of the best teams this season then take center stage, as the 10-3 New York Yankees visit the 9-3 Cleveland Guardians, with first pitch expected for 7:10 p.m. ET from Progressive Field.
Finally, we have a rematch of the Seoul Series, as the San Diego Padres will head to Los Angeles to take on the World Series odds-favorite Dodgers.
Here are our MLB player props and best bets for Friday (MLB picks based on odds via our
best MLB betting sites; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).
Friday's MLB best bets
- Tanner Houck Under 6.5 strikeouts (-117 via BetRivers) ????
- Brandon Pfaadt Under 5.5 strikeouts (+120 via bet365) ????
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Friday's MLB player props
| DraftKings | FanDuel | BetMGM | Caesars | bet365 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Odds | Under 6.5 (-140) | Under 6.5 (-144) | N/A | Under 6.5 (-167) | Under 6.5 (-135) |
Game info: Angels vs. Red Sox | Moneyline: Red Sox (-115 via Betway) | Total: Over 8.5 (-125)/Under 8.5 (+105) via Betway | Start time: 7:10 p.m. ET
Boston Red Sox big right-hander Tanner Houck is off to a scorching-hot start to the season. He's yet to allow an earned run through two starts and has struck out 17 across 12 innings. However, when Houck was a full-time starter in 2023, he managed only 8.41 strikeouts per nine innings.
Now, there's been a lot of talk of how the arrival of new Red Sox pitching coach Andrew Bailey has helped the staff. So, maybe this version of Houck is legit, but our projections believe he's due for some regression in his third start despite his opponents, the Los Angeles Angels, owning the ninth-highest strikeout rate in the majors this season.
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Houck is projected for just 5.51 strikeouts on Friday, based on an average from three of our trusted projection models. All three are fairly aligned on his total, with projections of 5.27, 5.49, and 5.78. Based on that number, we're getting roughly 26% positive expected value on these -117 odds via BetRivers.
As you can see, all of our other best sports betting sites offer significantly shorter odds to back the Under, and Pinnacle – which features one of the most respected trading teams in the industry – is already at -183.
| DraftKings | FanDuel | BetMGM | Caesars | bet365 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Odds | Under 5.5 (+110) | Under 5.5 (+104) | N/A | Under 5.5 (-101) | Under 5.5 (+120) |
Game info: Cardinals vs. Diamondbacks | Moneyline: Diamondbacks (-125 via Betway) | Total: Over 9.5 (+110)/Under 9.5 (-135) via Betway | Start time: 9:40 p.m. ET
Like Houck, Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Brandon Pfaadt is racking up the strikeouts to begin the season. However, Pfaadt has been a bit shakier. Despite walking only one batter through two starts, his ERA sits at 5.06, and he's failed to make it six innings in either appearance. However, he has recorded 13 punchouts over those 10 2/3 innings.
Pfaadt faces a St. Louis Cardinals team that sits just in the bottom 10 of the league in strikeout percentage. In general, the Cardinals have featured one of the weakest offenses in the majors through their first 13 games.
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However, despite that, Pfaadt is projected to record only 5.42 punchouts on Friday. Now, that's barely half a strikeout less than the six he'd need to go Over this total, but these +120 odds via bet365 are providing us with the necessary value to make up for that. Based on our projection and this price, we're getting 19.5% +EV on this bet.
The odds at our other best sports betting apps are shortening as I write this, so be sure to get this price before it's too late. Pinnacle opened Under 5.5 at +108 and it's already been bet to -119.
MLB best bets made Friday at 8 a.m. ET.
Here are our best MLB betting sites:
- Caesars Promo Code: SBRBONUS1000 | Read our Caesars Review
- BetMGM Bonus Code: SBRBONUS | Read our BetMGM Review
- bet365 Bonus Code: SBRBONUS | Read our bet365 Review
- BetRivers Promo Code: SBRBONUS | Read our BetRivers Review
- FanDuel Promo Code | Read our FanDuel Review
- DraftKings Promo Code | Read our DraftKings Review
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* Bonuses not applicable in Ontario.
Related pages
- Best Live Betting Sites | Best Sportsbook Promos (U.S. only)