With the All-Star break behind us, teams around the league will now be focusing on their spots in the MLB standings and whether they can make a run at the postseason. With so many teams trying to get out to fast starts in the second half ahead of the trade deadline, action is sure to be intense on the diamond.
Making MLB picks and parlays is a great way to stay engaged with teams around the league. When considering different MLB parlay odds, here are three games you might want to include in your parlay Friday.
Miami Marlins vs. Baltimore Orioles
Friday starts an interleague battle between two surprising teams who sit in second place in their respective divisions as the Miami Marlins (53-39) take on the Baltimore Orioles (54-35).
The Orioles are the favorites in this one playing at home, but taking the Marlins at +110 is a great way to boost your MLB parlay odds. Not only have the Marlins been strong all year, but they have reigning NL Cy Young award winner Sandy Alcantara going Friday.
For full transparency, Alcantara’s MLB stats this season are not good as a whole. He is just 3-7 in 18 games with a 4.72 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, and has struck out just 94 in 114.1 innings. What needs to be focused on, though, is his performance as of recently. In his last three starts, he has allowed just six earned runs over a combined 18.2 innings. In two of those three starts, he allowed just a single earned run.
For comparison’s sake, Orioles’ starter Dean Kramer has given up 11 earned runs in his last 17 innings of work. While Alcantara is not back to his dominating self from last season, he has certainly shown progress in recent outings. Take Miami to win straight up at +110.
Boston Red Sox vs. Chicago Cubs
The Boston Red Sox might have the worst luck in baseball, but that doesn’t mean that you should ignore them when trying to boost your MLB parlay odds.
At 48-43, Boston is five games above .500, but yet they sit dead last in the MLB standings in the AL East, nine games out of first. For comparison’s sake, if they were in the AL Central, they would have a 2.5-game lead atop the division right now. Looking at the trends, they are 22-21 on the road, 8-2 in their last 10 overall, and currently on a five-game winning streak. On top of all of that, they have Brayan Bello on the mound Friday.
Examining his MLB stats this season, the 24-year-old Bello is 6-5 in 14 games with a 3.04 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and he has struck out 70 in 80 innings. He has also given up just four earned runs over his last 20.2 innings.
For the Chicago Cubs, they are just 5-5 in their last 10 games and have a losing record this season at Wrigley Field at 21-22. With MLB odds of -120, Boston is the favorite to win this one despite playing on the road. Take them to win to help boost your overall MLB parlay odds.
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. New York Mets
The last game to look at when considering your MLB parlay odds is between the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets. This one features a fantastic matchup on the mound as Julio Urias squares off with Justin Verlander.
For the New York Mets, this has been a seemingly lost season for them. Even after going 6-2 in their last eight games, they still sit a whopping 18.5 games behind the Atlanta Braves in the MLB standings.
Still, having a likely future Hall-of-Famer in Justin Verlander on the mound Friday gives them a shot of stealing the first game out of the break from the Dodgers. In his last three starts, Verlander has only allowed two earned runs over 18 innings, throwing shutouts in two of those starts.
Looking at his MLB stats, Urias has struggled a bit lately, as he has allowed 13 earned runs over his last three starts, going 1-2 in that span.
The Dodgers are in a much better position in the MLB standings as they sit tied for first in the NL West; however, they will still have to figure out Verlander if they want to win this one.
Looking at the MLB odds for this matchup, the Mets are underdogs Friday despite playing at home, where they are 20-19 this season. With Verlander on the mound, though, take the Mets to win this one straight up at +115.
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