The Major League Baseball week continues with a full 15-game slate on Friday. It is headlined by a showdown on Apple TV between San Francisco and Baltimore. Other matchups to watch include Arizona vs Philadelphia, Cleveland vs Atlanta and Houston vs Seattle.
Here are my best bets, and also make sure to check out our MLB picks for predictions throughout the 2026 campaign!
Los Angeles Angels vs Cincinnati Reds Under 9.5 (-122)
The Reds’ offense – or lack thereof – combined with Chase Burns taking the mound is a prime recipe for the under. Cincinnati is dead last in runs scored with 39 after losing to Miami 8-1 on Thursday. Not counting extra innings, the Reds have scored 2 runs or fewer in 5 of their last 6 games. Fortunately for Cincy, Burns toeing the rubber is only good news. The 23-year-old is one of the top pitching prospects in baseball and has lived up to that billing in 2026. Through 2 outings he is 1-0 with a 0.82 ERA and 0.91 WHIP with a 16-to-4 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 11.0 innings of work. Burns now faces an Angels lineup that produced only 2 runs in each of their last 2 contests against the Braves earlier this week. Los Angeles could be without Jorge Soler, who is appealing his 7-game suspension following a brawl with Atlanta but was able to play on Wednesday – and homered again – with the appeal in progress. The Halos are countering with Jack Kochanowicz, who fired 5.2 innings of scoreless baseball during a 1-0 victory over Seattle this past Saturday.
Boston Red Sox ML over St. Louis Cardinals (-142)
Dustin May was a top prospect for the Dodgers several years ago, but it’s just about time – past time, in fact – to give up on this guy. Injuries prevented the right-hander from living up to the hype and it appears more than likely that he will never be able to do it. May struggled bigtime with the Dodgers and Red Sox in 2025 and is off to an even rougher start to this season with St. Louis. Through 2 appearances, the 28-year-old is 0-2 with a 15.95 ERA and 2.73 WHIP. When your WHIP is what your ERA should be, you know it’s a problem. The Red Sox are countering with Connelly Early, for whom the story is much different. Early, 24, has allowed just 3 runs in 9.1 innings so far this season to go along with 10 strikeouts. He is a projected star of the future and is already an important piece of Boston’s current rotation. The Sox may be scuffling in the early stages of 2026, but this particular pitching matchup gives them a significant edge.
Los Angeles Dodgers –1.5 over Texas Rangers (-110)
The Dodgers are playing like their normal selves to begin the year. They are 9-3 and their last 6 victories have all come by multiple runs. Los Angeles should be able to win by the necessary margin on Friday, as well. Tyler Glasnow is taking the bump for L.A. following 2 starts that were almost identical – 2 runs allowed on just 4 hits in 6.0 innings. He has recorded 15 Ks compared to only 3 walks. The Dodgers won those 2 games by a combined 13-7 score. Texas is countering with Kumar Rocker, the #10 pick of the Mets in 2021 (did not sign) and the #3 pick of the Rangers in 2022. He has not yet found his groove at the MLB level, compiling a 5.74 ERA in 14 starts last year. His first appearance this season resulted in a 2-0 loss to Cincinnati. Rocker will need a lot more run support if he wants any chance of beating the high-powered Dodgers.
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