A first-place showdown highlights the Friday MLB schedule, and a doubleheader means a packed 16-game slate is on tap. The Brewers, leaders of the NL Central, head to Texas to face the Rangers, who sit atop the AL Central, at 8:05 p.m. ET. Both teams have slim leads in their divisions, with the Rangers 2.5 games ahead of the Astros and the Brewers leading both the Cubs and Reds by two games. The Cubs start off the Friday MLB schedule at home against the Royals, while the Reds host the Blue Jays at 6:40 p.m. ET. In the AL Central, the Astros host the Mariners, six games back in third place, at 8:10 p.m. ET.
The Brewers vs. Rangers matchup at Globe Life Field pits Texas left-hander Andrew Heaney (9-6, 4.17 ERA) against Milwaukee righty Brandon Woodruff (2-1, 1.99). Texas is the -128 favorite in the latest SportsLine consensus MLB odds, with Milwaukee priced at +109. The over/under for total runs scored is set at 8. Before you lock in your MLB picks or parlays, 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. It went 331-285 on top-rated MLB money-line picks (+357) over the past two seasons. It entered Week 21 of the 2023 MLB season 61-47 on all top-rated MLB picks this season and has excelled on top-rated run-line picks, going 12-4 (+468). Anybody following has seen big returns.
For Friday, the model has locked in four confident MLB best bets for games that begin at 7:40 p.m. ET or later. If you successfully parlay the picks, you'd be looking at a payout of over 10-1. You can see the model's MLB picks only at SportsLine.
Top MLB picks today
One team the model is backing as part of the parlay is the Los Angeles Dodgers (-141) to beat the Miami Marlins (10:10 p.m. ET). It's expected to be a matchup of right-handers, with Los Angeles' Tony Gonsolin (8-4, 4.24) facing Miami's Sandy Alcantara (5-10, 4.09). There's no clear edge there, but the Dodgers are vastly superior on offense. They score 5.6 runs per game, third-most in MLB, and are second in the majors in home runs (189). Miami averages 4.1 runs (26th) and has hit 115 home runs (28th).
The Dodgers have outscored their opponents 93-38 in August, including 14-3 in a three-game sweep of the first-place Brewers. They won Thursday night's game against Milwaukee 1-0 for their 12th shutout of the season, and the victory ran their current win streak to 11 games. The Marlins have lost two in a row, allowing 18 runs in the two games against the Astros, and eight of their past 12. The SportsLine model has the Dodgers winning in 70% of its simulations. See the model's top MLB picks here.
How to make Friday MLB parlays
The model also locked in three other best bets for Friday, two of them confident run-total plays. 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 over 10-1, and which teams are must-backs? Visit SportsLine now to see the MLB best bets from an advanced model that is 61-47 on all top-rated MLB picks this season, and find out.
