MLB Best Bets for Friday, August 21st
Friday's MLB Best Bets card focuses on four wagers from the current Winners & Whiners free-picks slate: Blue Jays-Yankees Under 7 (-110), Tampa Bay Rays moneyline (+115), Chicago Cubs moneyline (-110), and Los Angeles Dodgers team total Under 4.5 (-105).
The prices below reflect the latest numbers posted in the corresponding Winners & Whiners matchup breakdowns Friday afternoon. Baseball markets move quickly, so always compare the current line before placing a wager.
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MLB Best Bet: Blue Jays vs Yankees Under 7 (-110)
The first Friday play comes from the Toronto Blue Jays vs New York Yankees prediction, where the total has already moved down from 7.5 overnight to 7.
Best Bet: Blue Jays-Yankees Under 7 (-110)
New York is a sizable moneyline favorite, but the lower-scoring angle is the cleaner way to attack the matchup. Cam Schlittler enters with a 2.19 ERA for the Yankees, while Toronto is now listing Mason Fluharty opposite him.
The line movement is important. A total dropping from 7.5 to 7 removes half a run of cushion, but the same underlying case remains intact at the current -110 price in the source article. Toronto's road first-five profile has leaned toward the under, and the Yankees have also produced useful home scoring-under results.
This is not a play that requires Toronto to keep the game tied. A 4-2 or 3-2 Yankees win is completely compatible with the handicap.
Pick: Under 7 (-110)
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MLB Best Bet: Rays Moneyline (+115) vs Orioles
The strongest plus-money position in this group comes from the Tampa Bay Rays vs Baltimore Orioles prediction.
Best Bet: Tampa Bay Rays ML (+115)
Baltimore has moved from roughly -121 to -135, while Tampa Bay is now sitting at +115. That creates a better value question than simply asking which club has the stronger starting-pitcher ERA.
Trevor Rogers brings the better ERA for Baltimore at 4.15, but Freddy Peralta still gives Tampa Bay strikeout upside despite his 5.27 ERA. More importantly for this bet, the current price allows the Rays to cash at plus money without needing to cover a run line.
The source handicap also points to Tampa Bay's positive road moneyline profile against Baltimore's negative home moneyline return. Those trends are supporting evidence rather than the entire reason for the play, but they fit a game priced much closer than the -135 favorite line suggests.
Pick: Tampa Bay Rays ML (+115)
MLB Best Bet: Cubs Moneyline (-110) vs Mariners
Friday's late window gives us a true pick'em in Seattle. The Chicago Cubs vs Seattle Mariners prediction has both sides at -110 after Chicago moved from a small +100 underdog earlier in the day.
Best Bet: Chicago Cubs ML (-110)
Matthew Boyd is scheduled to face Emerson Hancock at T-Mobile Park. Hancock owns the stronger ERA, 3.30 to Boyd's 4.02, so this is not a starting-pitcher mismatch disguised as a pick.
The appeal is the price and the broader full-game setup. Chicago's road moneyline results have been positive, while Seattle's home moneyline profile has been negative. At -110, the Cubs do not have to cover a run line or pay an inflated favorite tax.
In a game where the market is essentially asking bettors to choose a side, Chicago gets the nod at the current number.
Pick: Chicago Cubs ML (-110)
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MLB Best Bet: Dodgers Team Total Under 4.5 (-105)
The final selection avoids laying a massive Dodgers moneyline. Instead, the Pittsburgh Pirates vs Los Angeles Dodgers prediction targets how many runs Los Angeles scores.
Best Bet: Dodgers Team Total Under 4.5 (-105)
Los Angeles has strengthened to roughly -235 behind Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who enters with a 2.60 ERA. That side price is difficult to justify for a Best Bets roundup when a much more manageable derivative is available.
The Dodgers team-total Under 4.5 remains -105. Bubba Chandler does not have to outduel Yamamoto or lead Pittsburgh to an upset for this bet to work. He only needs to help keep Los Angeles below five runs.
That creates multiple winning game scripts. The Dodgers can win 4-1, 4-2, 3-2 or 3-1 and the team-total under still cashes.
The supporting trend is also notable: the source article lists Los Angeles at 21-42 on home team-total over/unders, with the under producing the strongest current home team-total return on Friday's slate.
Pick: Los Angeles Dodgers Team Total Under 4.5 (-105)
Friday MLB Best Bets Card
- Blue Jays vs Yankees: Under 7 (-110)
- Rays vs Orioles: Tampa Bay Rays ML (+115)
- Cubs vs Mariners: Chicago Cubs ML (-110)
- Pirates vs Dodgers: Dodgers Team Total Under 4.5 (-105)
These recommendations come directly from Friday's same-day Winners & Whiners free-picks coverage. The objective of the roundup is to collect the strongest current markets in one place without changing the underlying selections from the individual game analysis.
The two early plays begin shortly after 7 p.m. ET, while Cubs-Mariners and Pirates-Dodgers are scheduled for 10:10 p.m. ET. That makes the late games especially useful for bettors who want time to compare prices across sportsbooks.
Before locking in any wager, confirm the listed number has not moved materially. A Rays moneyline at +115 is a different value proposition than the same team at even money, and an MLB total moving from 7 to 7.5 materially changes the under.
For more matchup-by-match analysis throughout the night, return to the Winners & Whiners MLB free picks hub.
MLB Best Bets for August 21: Final Picks
Friday's card gives us two moneylines and two lower-scoring angles without forcing a huge favorite price.
The Blue Jays-Yankees Under 7 is built around a depressed scoring environment and a strong New York starter. Tampa Bay offers the card's plus-money opportunity against Baltimore. Chicago is a pick'em play in Seattle, while the Dodgers team-total under lets us fade an expensive Los Angeles moneyline without betting Pittsburgh to win.
Final MLB Best Bets: Blue Jays-Yankees Under 7 (-110), Rays ML (+115), Cubs ML (-110), Dodgers Team Total Under 4.5 (-105).
