We've got a loaded Friday night baseball slate on tap for August 28.
Tarik Skubal makes his return to Detroit as the Dodgers play the Tigers at Comerica Park at 6:40 PM ET. Then, baseball's biggest rivalry is renewed in the Bronx as the Red Sox travel to play the Yankees at 7:15 PM ET.
Read on for our 5 MLB Best Bets Today.
MLB Best Bets Today
The team logos in the table below represent each of the matchups that our MLB betting staff is targeting from today's slate of games. Click on the team logos for any of the matchups below to navigate to a specific bet discussed in this article.
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 6:40 PM | |
  | 7:10 PM | |
  | 7:15 PM | |
  | 7:15 PM | |
  | 9:38 PM | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our MLB Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
Sean Paul's Dodgers vs Tigers Best Bet
By Sean Paul
Isn't baseball just poetic? Just a few weeks after the Tigers dealt their ace, Tarik Skubal, to the Dodgers, Skubal makes his return to the Motor City.
Since landing in L.A., Skubal has been decent but not his dominant self, posting a 3.34 ERA in 30 innings over four outings.
Skubal rarely beats himself, walking just 4.4% of hitters (99th percentile) and posting a dazzling 0.90 HR/9. Not to mention, the Tigers are pretty shaky against southpaws, and very few are on Skubal's level. Detroit is 22nd in the league in wRC+ (93), and it doesn't have much pop against them, ranking 23rd in home runs.
In general, Detroit's lineup is on the struggle bus right now, ranking 19th in wRC+ this month. Colt Keith has been its best hitter in August, but he's a non-factor in this matchup against a lefty.
His double-play partner, Kevin McGonigle, also has just a 78 wRC+ in lefty-lefty duels. Skubal can breathe easier knowing he has the platoon advantage against them both.
Opposing Skubal is Drew Anderson, who has Skubal to thank for rejoining the rotation, as he was in the bullpen before the trade. Anderson has given real value to this Tigers pitching staff, owning a 4.08 ERA with a 3.68 xERA and 4.18 FIP.
However, I'm not quite as sold on the starter version of Anderson, whose stuff is less effective than it is in short bursts.
His fastball sat in the 97 mph range and touched 99 this year, but he mainly sits at 94-95 and maxes out at 95 as a starter. Velocity may not be everything, but it decreases his margin for error.
Detroit has lost three of Anderson's four outings since he came back to the rotation. AJ Hinch also isn't asking him to throw 90-100 pitches, as he hasn't gone more than five innings or thrown more than 75 pitches in any of his four starts.
Anderson will face an angry Dodgers lineup that's really struggled this month, including get shut out last night against the Braves. 1-0.
Despite having star power from top to bottom, the Dodgers rank 19th with a 94 wRC+. Plus, Andy Pages suffered an injury and is now on the injured list.
Here's why I think Los Angeles could right the ship against Anderson: He struggles with the long ball, giving up 1.44 HR/9, and the Dodgers have plenty of power bats to make Anderson pay. What he does best is strike hitters out (10 K/9), but he's striking out fewer than a hitter per nine as a starter.
Despite their struggles, the Dodgers still have their bat-to-ball ability, punching out 20% of the time.
The Dodgers are heavy road favorites, which makes sense. The markets still believe in Los Angeles and its talent — and Skubal is on the mound.
There's zero value in laying -218 on the ML, but the question is: can the Dodgers score 4-5 runs in this game? I think so.
That's why I want the Dodgers -1.5 runs at -120. Anderson could implode here, and the Tigers lost three of his last four starts by 2+ runs.
Pick: Dodgers -1.5 (-130 or Better)
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Kev Mahserejian's Astros vs Mets Best Bet
The Astros have the 8th-best offense in the past month (105 wRC+), while the Mets have the 15th-best (100 wRC+).
Also, the Astros may be without their top-two left-handed relievers, Josh Hader and Steven Okert, as both have pitched three times in the past five days.
New York is finally looking respectable, even without star OF Juan Soto. The return of Francisco Lindor and Luis Robert Jr. rejuvenated this formerly stagnant offense, making an over in today's matchup viable.
Pick: Over 8 (-110 or Better)
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Ryan Minion's Rockies vs Braves Best Bet
By Ryan Minion
I'm backing Braves’ superstar slugger Ronald Acuña Jr to exceed an alternate 2.5 HRR (Hits + Runs + RBIs) mark in a game I expect the Braves’ runners to frequent the basepaths quite often.
While Ronnie has yet to have faced Sugano, I expect a major matchup edge for Atlanta’s young phenom largely due to Sugano’s requiring soft contact to retire opposing hitters, which is a potential recipe for disaster matched up with a batter of Acuña’s caliber.
Though Sugano actually boasts some impressive command of his arsenal with a relatively low 2.8 BB/9, his inability to miss bats has left him susceptible to heavy damage, particularly versus a raw power hitter profile like that of the Braves’ star.
Colorado’s right-hander enters Friday’s contest in very poor form, having just been shelled in consecutive outings, getting tagged for 12 runs over his last eight frames versus the Guardians and Dodgers.
Given Tomoyuki’s pitch-to-contact style via filling the strike zone as opposed to blowing away hitters with top-tier velocity offerings, a high exit-velocity slugger like Acuña Jr should be very well-positioned to capitalize on mistakes over the plate, and particularly more so if he hunts early-count fastballs.
In a game where Atlanta should score many runs, I am expecting a massive game at the plate from Acuña Jr.
Pick: Ronald Acuna Jr. Over 1.5 HRR (-200 or Better)
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Nick Martin's Red Sox vs Yankees Best Bet
By Nick Martin
Though Patrick Sandoval's command has been hit-or-miss this season and he does seemingly hold some blow-up potential, he should be the weakest pitcher to work at any point in this matchup for either side. He does get a reasonable matchup versus a Yankees side that has struggled mightily offensively for three months while displaying little discipline at the plate.
While it's not entirely fun to count on a decent showing from Sandoval, given how his stuff has graded out and the favourable matchup, -115 to back under 7.5 runs looks like value with Cam Schlittler toeing the rubber for the Yankees and both teams offering excellent bullpens.
Pick: Under 7.5 (-120 or Better)
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Charlie Wright's Phillies vs Angels Best Bet
I’m going right back to Andrew Painter after he delivered the best start of his career. The young righty cruised through 7 IP allowing 1 ER with 8 strikeouts. The new changeup is a legitimate weapon, and the decreased fastball usage has been a worthwhile adjustment.
Reid Detmers has ripped off 3 straight dominant starts. He’s allowed just 1 ER over this stretch. Detmers draws a lefty-heavy lineup, which should benefit him.
Pick: F5 Under 4.5 (-140 or Better)
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