Friday’s slate of MLB action has several intriguing spots both from a viewership and a betting perspective. There are 3 picks standing out to me this morning that I would like to share, so let’s dive into my MLB best bets for Friday, May 8, and break each of them down! In addition, be sure to check out our expert MLB picks for all 15 games today and every matchup throughout the entire 2026 season.
MLB Best Bet: New York Mets ML over Arizona Diamondbacks (-136)
Odds available at FanDuel Sportsbook at time of publishing. Playable to -145 odds.
The New York Mets have lost 5 consecutive Nolan McLean starts, but the right-hander gives them a clear starting pitching edge on Friday as they host the Arizona Diamondbacks. McLean enters Friday with a 2.97 ERA in his first 39.1 innings of work. His 2.33 xERA and 2.12 FIP suggest he has been even more dominant, and I am a fan of his matchup against Arizona. The Diamondbacks offense was explosive in Game 1 of their series with Pittsburgh, but they were absolutely silent in Games 2 and 3. They scored just 2 combined runs against Paul Skenes and Mitch Keller, and their competition level doesn’t get any easier Friday. McLean has been excellent at limiting hard contact and earning strikeouts which gives me confidence in his half of the equation.
Ryne Nelson is the scheduled starter for Arizona in this game. Nelson had a strong 2025 campaign and gained a ton of supporters entering this year. His results have not been there, however, posting a 6.61 ERA in his first 31.1 innings. Nelson’s 5.79 xERA and 5.50 FIP aren’t much batter, and his batted ball profile is extremely concerning. He is allowing far too much hard contact, and his inability to keep those hard-hit balls on the ground could be detrimental in any matchup. Nelson has been especially poor at home, posting a 14.40 ERA through his first 3 home outings. The Mets offense has been lackluster to say the least, especially considering their payroll, but I do favor the Mets at current pricing on Friday.
Read our full Mets vs Diamondbacks prediction
MLB Best Bet: Cleveland Guardians ML over Minnesota Twins (-138)
Odds available at FanDuel Sportsbook at time of publishing. Playable to -145 odds.
Friday’s matchup between the Cleveland Guardians and the Minnesota Twins is a very fun game, in my opinion. Parker Messick has been one of my favorite starting pitchers to back in the entire sport this season, and despite a shaky start in his last outing I am still a major fan. Messick enters Friday with a 2.40 ERA and 0.92 WHIP through 41.1 innings of work. His 2.86 xERA and 3.07 FIP support his success, as does his elite batted ball profile. Messick not only suppresses hard contact, but he earns whiffs often and limits free passes. His profile is among my favorites of any starter currently. He faces a Twins lineup that ranks 12 in wOBA with a 99 wRC+ against lefties this season.
Cleveland ranks 11th in wOBA against lefties, but their wRC+ sits at 107 due to playing in tougher parks so far. They face Connor Prielipp in this matchup as the rookie southpaw makes his 4th start of his career. Prielipp has been solid so far, posting a 3.86 ERA in his first 14 innings of work. His 15 strikeouts are a signal of what he did in the minors, but Prielipp does rank just 1st percentile in average exit velocity allowed with a 3rd percentile barrel rate so far. I worry about walks with Prielipp as well, as that is something that could bite him. I will continue to back Cleveland in Messick starts until further notice.
Read our full Twins vs Guardians prediction for tonight’s matchup on Apple TV
MLB Best Bet: Robby Snelling (MIA) over 4.5 strikeouts (-146)
Odds available at FanDuel Sportsbook at time of publishing. Playable to -160 odds. Also betting over 5.5 strikeouts at +142 odds.
While listed last in the article, today’s player prop is my favorite bet on the board today. Robby Snelling is set to make his MLB debut for the Miami Marlins on Friday as his team hosts the Washington Nationals. Snelling ranks as the 32nd overall prospect in baseball according to MLB.com, and his debut is much anticipated.
The southpaw hurler was the 39th overall draft pick in the 2022 draft, signing with the Padres out of high school. Miami acquired him and has developed him to their liking. In 63.2 innings at AAA last season Snelling posted a 1.27 ERA across 11 starts. Through 6 starts spanning 29 innings of work this season in AAA the lefty has posted a 1.86 ERA. He has 44 strikeouts in those 29 innings and that is where my focus is for this game.
Snelling has his strikeout prop sitting at 4.5 on FanDuel with a -146 price towards the over. He has recorded 7 or more strikeouts in 4 of his 6 starts this season including 9 twice and a season high of 12 strikeouts. Washington ranks 4th in wOBA against left-handed pitching this season, so they could score a couple runs off of him, but they do have the 5th highest K% at 25.5% as well. Betting over 4.5 strikeouts in MLB debut’s is one of my favorite hobbies and I am more than excited to back Snelling on Friday.
See our full Nationals vs Marlins prediction
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