MLB Best Bets for Friday August 1st: Top Baseball Betting Picks, Player Props

The Friday MLB card is loaded with a main event interleague matchup between the Philadelphia Phillies and Detroit Tigers.

We’ll break down three plays for the Friday action. Remember to monitor the odds throughout the day, as the props and totals market is constantly changing.

Here are the free MLB picks for Friday, Aug. 1.

Best MLB Plays Friday August 1st

Giants F5 at Mets (+105)

Rockies F5 vs. Pirates (+124)

Baz over 5.5 K’s (+115)

Giants F5 at Mets (+104 at DraftKings)

Both the San Francisco Giants and New York Mets head into Friday’s opener at Citi Field after getting swept in their last series.

Granted, the Mets pulled out the brooms on the Giants last week in San Francisco before New York lost all three games to the San Diego Padres.

The Giants are probably happy to be out of the Bay Area following an 0-6 homestand. San Francisco is 2-10 since the All-Star break, but Friday is the night things can turn around.

Robbie Ray heads to the mound for San Francisco, who tossed five scoreless innings against the Mets in his last start before yielding a two-run double with two outs in the sixth inning. Those would be the only runs scored by the Mets in a 2-1 victory, as the Giants are 0-3 in Ray’s last three outings.

The Mets have several things going against them on Friday night. Besides returning home from a West Coast swing, New York has compiled a 4-11-1 record in the last 16 games in the first five innings against left-handed starters.

Also, New York has slumped to a 3-7-1 mark in the past 11 home series openers in the first five innings.

Rockies F5 vs. Pirates (+124 at DraftKings)

The Pittsburgh Pirates have caught fire by winning eight of their last nine games. Following a three-game sweep of the San Francisco Giants, the Pirates continue their swing out West to battle the lowly Colorado Rockies.

In spite of Pittsburgh’s stellar play of late, there are several key trends that suggest the Pirates will not lead after five innings on Friday night.

The Bucs are 1-6 in Andrew Heaney’s last seven road starts in the first five innings. Pittsburgh is 4-10-1 in his past 15 outings in the opening five innings after he started the season 4-1 in the first five.

The Pirates haven’t led through five innings in 11 consecutive road series openers, while leading only once after five innings in the last 22 road games.

As far as Colorado goes, the Rockies own the worst record in baseball, but they are 6-3-1 in the first five innings in their past 10 games at Coors Field.

Shane Baz Over 5.5 Strikeouts (+115 at DraftKings)

The Tampa Bay Rays are in a stretch this week of battling each of last season’s World Series participants. After losing three of four games to the New York Yankees, the Rays welcome in the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Dodgers have been striking out a bunch of late, as Rays right-hander Shane Baz looks to take advantage tonight at home.

In the last 18 games, opposing starting pitchers have gone over their strikeout prop 16 times against Los Angeles. In the last series at Cincinnati, the Dodgers struck out 10, 11 and 7 times against the Reds’ starting pitchers.

Baz looks to eclipse his strikeout prop for the first time in four starts, as he has been limited to 5, 4 and 3 K’s in his past three outings. At home, Baz has racked up six strikeouts or more on five occasions.

In L.A.’s past 15 road games, opposing starting pitchers are a perfect 15-0 to the over on K props and have posted at least six strikeouts in nine of the last 12 opportunities.