MLB Betting Lines and Predictions for Friday, July 24
Thursday night provided several surprises, including late scratches to two superstars, and a thunderstorm that cut Opening Night short for the Yankees and Nationals. Unsurprising was Thursday night’s results — the Yankees and Dodgers, both teams that were popular public betting picks, combined to go 2-0. That was just the appetizer.
The rest of the MLB will take the field today giving us a full slate of 14 MLB games to bet on Friday night. Here are today’s MLB betting lines from online sportsbooks, plus a few MLB betting picks for Friday, July 24.
Also read: MLB World Series Odds, Tips, & Predictions
MLB Betting Lines for Friday, July 24
MLB Betting Picks and Predictions
Braves vs. Mets (ESPN, 4PM ET)
Pitchers
- Braves: Mike Soroka RHP (13-4, 2.68 ERA)
- Mets: Jacob deGrom RHP (11-8, 2.43 ERA)
Friday will begin with an NL East showdown between the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets, the only early afternoon game on the schedule. The Mets look to get back to the playoffs after a disappointing 2019 season. Jacob deGrom lost eight games despite having a 2.43 ERA. He’ll face off with one of the youngest pitchers in the division, 22-year-old Mike Soroka. Soroka had a great rookie season, delivering 13 wins while putting up a 2.68 ERA. The biggest question for Soroka is how much regression is due during his sophomore season?
This isn’t so much a bet against Soroka as much as it is on deGrom and the Mets. I’m happy to snag the Mets -137 at DraftKings Sportsbook, considering they’re already as steep as -150 at other shops.
MLB Betting Pick: Mets -137
Brewers vs. Cubs (ESPN, 7PM ET)
Pitchers
- Brewers: Brandon Woodruff RHP (3.80 ERA)
- Cubs: Kyle Hendricks RHP (3.71 ERA)
The Brewers and Cubs will face off Friday evening as the two NL Central teams begin their 60-game sprint. Many analysts, including our own Dave Potts, like the Brewers this season. One reason is that the Brewers’ pitching staff is already well-suited for the abbreviated schedule. Their starters averaged only 4.9 innings per start in 2019, consistently making use of their bullpen and getting the most from their arms in small doses. It’s one of the reasons why I like Josh Hader as a longshot bet to win Cy Young. (On a side note, I don’t mind Yu Darvish +2500 to win Cy Young either.) The Brewers still have a sour taste in their mouths after losing in the Wild Card round to the eventual world champion Washington Nationals.
For Chicago, it will be David Ross’s first game as the Cubs manager. As I touched on in a Chicago Cubs 2020 MLB Betting Preview, FanGraphs projects the Cubs to win between 31-32 games, which is just short of their win total at new IL sportsbook, BetRivers.
The Cubs’ odds to return to the playoffs was significantly boosted with the announcement that the MLB will expand the playoffs to include 16 teams in 2020. FanGraphs projects only one game between the top team in the division and the fourth-place team:
Cubs: 31.9 (+225)
Brewers: 31.4 (+300)
Reds: 31 (+265)
Cardinals: 30.8 (+240)
Pirates: 25.9 (+7000)
As for this particular game, I’m rolling with the underdogs and taking Milwaukee +110. Brandon Woodruff slider ought to give the Cubs lineup fits but who knows how many innings the Brewers will let him pitch. Still, Milwaukee has one of the better bullpens in the league and I like taking plus-money on a game I think is pretty much a coin toss.
MLB Betting Pick: Brewers +110
Orioles vs. Red Sox (ESPN+, 7:30PM ET)
Pitchers
- Orioles: Tommy Milone LHP (4.76 ERA)
- Red Sox: Nathan Eovaldi RHP (5.99 ERA)
John Means was originally slated for the Opening Day start but an arm injury has moved him to the IL. The Orioles replace Means with Tommy Milone, a pitcher who wasn’t even on the roster what seems a few days ago and is listed as a reliever on DraftKings for MLB DFS contests.
Both the Orioles and Red Sox faced their fair share of pitching issues in 2019, and I expect those to continue early this season. I’m betting Over 9.5 runs.
MLB Betting Pick: Over 9.5 Runs
Rockies vs. Rangers (8:05PM ET)
Pitchers
- Rockies: German Marquez RHP (4.03 ERA)
- Rangers: Lance Lynn RHP (4.08 ERA)
Coloradoans will get their first chance to legally bet on the Rockies since launching online sports betting earlier this year. If they want to bet on the Rockies, they’ll have to bet against an underrated Texas Rangers team in the regular-season debut of Globe Life Park.
The Rangers have a trio of left-handed power hitters in Danny Santana, Joey Gallo, and Rougned Odor. In fact, the first five hitters of the Rangers lineup bat left-handed.
The Rockies are likely to be a popular underdog bet. After opening +120, oddsmakers have moved the line towards the Rockies, making them -103. That’s fine by me, because I do like the Rangers -108 at FanDuel in a matchup against Marquez. Additionally, I’ll be betting Over 8.5 (-110) runs.
MLB Betting Picks: Rangers -108; Over 8.5 Runs
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