2023 MLB picks, odds, lines, best bets for Friday, May 5 by top model: This four-way parlay pays over 8-1
The Baltimore Orioles will try to prove they belong in the playoff conversation when they visit the Atlanta Braves on Friday night as part of the 15-game Friday MLB schedule. The Braves (21-10) have made the playoffs five straight years and won the 2021 World Series title. The Orioles have missed the postseason six straight years and lost 100 games in three of the past four full seasons. First pitch for Orioles vs. Braves is set for 7:20 p.m. ET at Turner Field in Atlanta. The Braves are -210 favorites in Caesars Sportsbook's latest MLB odds. The Orioles are +175 underdogs, and the over/under for total runs scored is 8.5. In another key series starting Friday, the Dodgers and Padres square off in the first of six meetings over the next 10 days as they fight for positioning in the NL West.
You can find plenty of valuable betting options on the 15-game MLB schedule on Friday, and if you combine your favorite picks into a parlay you can cash in big. Before locking in any MLB picks or parlays for Friday, you need to check out the MLB predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven computer simulation 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 and is on a 28-22 run dating to the end of last season. Anybody who has followed it has seen profitable returns.
Now, the model has locked in four confident MLB best bets for Friday. They all involve games starting after 7:05 p.m. ET. If you successfully parlay the picks, you'd be looking at a payout of more than 8-1. You can only see the model's MLB picks for Friday at SportsLine.
Top MLB picks today
The model is backing the Red Sox +1.5 on the run line (-160) against the Phillies on Friday night, with Boston covering in almost 70% of its simulations. The pitching matchup – Boston's Chris Sale vs. Zack Wheeler for the Phillies – should be a good one, so it could come down to the bullpens. Sale missed most of last season after having wrist surgery, but he has struck out 24 in his past three starts, winning two. Wheeler is 3-1 with a 3.86 ERA. Boston's bullpen has a 3.44 ERA and 1.22 WHIP (both in the MLB's top 10), while the Phillies' is at 5.59 and 1.57 (both in the bottom four).
The Red Sox are 5-2 in the last seven meetings in Philadelphia and come in on a six-game win streak. The Phillies come back from a cross-country trip and have lost four in a row, including a three-game sweep in Los Angeles. The Red Sox are 19-14, and while the Phillies might have a slight edge at home, they are 15-17 overall. Their pitching has been an issue, as they allow more than five runs per game. Boston scores more than six per contest, while Philly averages 4.5 runs. The Red Sox are second in MLB in runs scored (195) and batting average (.274). You can see who else to back here.
How to make MLB parlays for Friday
The model has locked in three other best bets for Friday, including a confident play on an underdog that is winning in almost 60% of its simulations. These picks can help you earn a huge payday if you combine them in a parlay. You can only see the model's MLB parlay picks and best bets at SportsLine.
Which MLB picks should you target for Friday in a parlay offering a payout of more than 8-1? And which underdog is a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see the MLB best bets for Friday from the model that is 331-285 on top-rated MLB money-line picks the past two seasons, and find out.
