Two National League teams that hope to go deep in the playoffs collide when the Atlanta Braves and St. Louis Cardinals begin a key three-game series on Friday at Busch Stadium. The reigning World Series champion Braves (78-48) sit in second place in the NL East, two games behind the Mets. Meanwhile, the Cardinals (72-53) lead the NL Central by six games over the Brewers. Atlanta is a -155 favorite in the latest Braves vs. Cardinals odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while St. Louis is a +130 underdog.
First pitch is set for 8:15 pm ET from St. Louis. The game is one of 15 on the MLB schedule for Friday. Elsewhere in the majors, Bryce Harper is set to return to the Phillies for the first time since June 25, and the Rays put their six-game winning streak on the line against the Red Sox in Boston. Before making any MLB picks or parlays, be sure to see the predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s proven computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every MLB game 10,000 times, and it is a 305-263 on top-rated MLB money-line picks since the start of the 2021 season. This is the same model that pegged the 2021 Atlanta Braves at 10-1 as one of three best bets to win the World Series. Anyone who has followed the model has seen profitable returns.
Now, the model has locked in three confident MLB best bets for Friday. They all involve games at 7:05 pm 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 17-1. You can only see the model’s MLB picks at SportsLine.
Top MLB picks today
After simulating every game on Friday 10,000 times, the model is high on the Giants (+110) to beat the Twins. San Francisco (61-62) is 5.5 games behind the Padres for the third and final wild card spot in the NL. Meanwhile, Minnesota (62-61) sits four games behind the Guardians in the American League Central.
The Twins have lost six straight games, which is tied for the longest active losing streak in the majors. A major reason has been the lack of hitting as Minnesota has just a .495 OPS over the last six games, which ranks last in the majors over that time. The Twins are also hitting just .176, which ranks third-worst. See who else to back right here.
Featured Game | Minnesota Twins vs. San Francisco Giants
How to make MLB picks and parlays for Friday
The model also locked in three other best bets for Friday, including plays on two big underdogs. You can see the model’s MLB Friday best bets and parlay only at SportsLine.
What MLB picks should you target for a payout of almost 17-1? And what underdogs does the model like on Friday? Visit SportsLine now to see the MLB best bets from an advanced model that is on a 305-263 run on top-rated MLB money-line picks since the start of 2021.