Friday Free Picks: MLB Parlay
MLB Free Picks
Friday night marks the start of the weekend, which means it’s time to win on Major League Baseball. Betting one game in baseball can yield a significant profit, but the Friday slate calls for a parlay.
Here is a winning MLB parlay for Friday.
Tampa Bay Rays Over the Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are not good at baseball. The Rays are very good at baseball. When you are placing parlays, you can include lopsided matchups like this and still receive value. Baltimore has been relatively hot as of late, but they have not mimicked Tampa Bay’s success. The Rays have not lost much in the past month, which has given them sole possession of the first place in the American League East.
Tampa Bay is 39-24 on the season compared to the O’s at 22-39. Keegan Akin will pitch for Baltimore. He has performed well in the innings he has thrown, but his workload is limited.
He has only thrown 20 innings in 2021. Ryan Yarbrough will be on the hill for Tampa Bay. The pitcher has not headlined the rotation, but he has been consistent. Yarborough is 3-3 with a 3.93 ERA in 66 innings. If the Rays continue to perform at the plate, the Orioles will have a difficult evening. These teams have met three times in 2021, and Tampa Bay has claimed all three victories. They have outscored their Friday opponent 32-14 in the three games.
Austin Meadows and Joey Wendle have been the two players who have terrorized teams in the American League East. Meadows as hit 14 bombs as a designated hitter and driven in 48 runs. His average is not excellent, but pitchers will pay for mistakes against the hitter.
Joey Wendle has led the team in average, recording a slash line of .288/.350/.500. I expect these two to have a big night at the plate. It’s great to start a parlay with an easy win. This is just the game to begin your parlay successfully.
Chicago White Sox Over the Detroit Tigers
The Tigers are worse than the Orioles, so this is another game that you will want to include on your parlay. The American League Central is one of the worst divisions in baseball, but Chicago has thrived all season.
Detroit has not been able to win in a terrible division. Chicago recently lost Nick Madrigal, which will hurt their offense. However, the team is still elite compared to the Tigers. The pitching matchup points to the White Sox dominating this contest. Chicago’s expected ace heading into 2021, Lucas Giolito, will be on the hill. He has not been the team’s best pitcher, but he can still get outs, especially against the Tigers. He is 5-5 with a 3.88 ERA. Giolito’s strikeout ability is what makes the pitcher so deadly. He has recorded 87 strikeouts in 69.2 innings. Tarik Skubal will be his adversary on Friday. He has a 4.33 ERA and a 3-7 record this season.
Skubal can still record strikeouts, but he is facing a solid lineup. Even though Chicago’s team is depleted with injuries, they should still handle the Tigers with ease.
Houston Astros over the Minnesota Twins
The Houston Astros are coming off a brutal loss to the Red Sox, where they were defeated 12-8. The Twins defeated the Yankees on a walk-off after scoring four runs in the bottom of the ninth.
Minnesota’s fight on Thursday was unprecedented. The league has not seen this competitiveness throughout the year, which is apparent by the team’s 25-37 record. Minnesota was expected to be a dominant team heading into the season, but it has not occurred in 2021.
The Astros have won their past three series over the Red Sox twice and the Toronto Blue Jays. The franchise is one game back in the American League West, but they are dangerous. The team’s potent offense is what is going to push them to victory on Friday. Jose Urquidy of Houston will throw against Matt Shoemaker for Minnesota. This is the definition of a lopsided pitching matchup. Urquidy has been very good in 2021, striking out 47 batters in 55 innings.
Urquidy wins with location, and he does not frequently miss spots. The pitcher has only walked ten batters in 2021. His opponent, Shoemaker, is 2-7 with a 7.28 ERA. He has only struck out 34 batters in 50.2 innings.
The Astros should feast off Shoemaker tonight. This is a game where you could wager the over 10.5 and still feel confident that it’s going to hit. Jose Altuve and Yuli Gurriel have been doing most of the damage at the plate for the team. Gurriel has defined consistency slashing .335/.407/.545. Altuve has blasted 11 bombs and drove in 29 batters in 2021. These two should be the players that shine on Friday night.
If Urquidy can contain Nelson Cruz and Miguel Sano, the Twins will have a difficult night scoring at home.
Derek Hudson
Derek is a long time sports bettor who grew up in Providence, RI. Derek is data driven and believes the key to betting the sportsbooks is finding an edge in analytics. Derek is happily married and has two young boys. Derek will bet on anything if you let him.
