Walk-Off Wagers: MLB Best Bets Today (Predictions for Astros-Yankees, Blue Jays-Dodgers, Angels-Tigers)

Breaking down the best bets for the MLB action on Friday, Aug. 8, including a pick for the Houston Astros-New York Yankees matchup.

The Houston Astros are 14-8 when starting pitcher Hunter Brown is on the mound this season. / Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Most of the teams in MLB were traveling on Thursday to set up their weekend series, and that sets up a perfect Friday with all 30 teams in action.

Several teams are making pushes for playoff spots, including the Texas Rangers and Cleveland Guardians in the AL and the Cincinnati Reds in the NL.

The last few weeks of the regular season should be extremely exciting to watch, so why not get in on the action with a few bets?

On Friday, I’m eyeing a play for the Houston Astros-New York Yankees matchup as well as the Los Angeles Dodgers-Toronto Blue Jays clash. 

Let’s dive into each of these games and their latest odds for the opener of many of these weekend matchups. 

MLB Best Bets for Friday, Aug. 8

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

• Houston Astros Moneyline (-110) vs. New York Yankees
• Los Angeles Dodgers-Toronto Blue Jays OVER 9 (-102)
• Detroit Tigers -1.5 (-137) vs. Los Angeles Angels

Houston Astros Moneyline (-110) vs. New York Yankees

The Houston Astros have just a 1.5-game lead in the AL West entering their weekend series with the New York Yankees, but New York has struggled mightily as of late, nearly getting swept in back-to-back series before beating the Texas Rangers on Wednesday.

The Yankees have just a 1.5-game cushion for the final wild card spot in the AL, and they could lose that pretty quickly in this series against Houston.

On Friday, Astros star Hunter Brown (2.47 ERA) gets the ball against Yankees youngster Cam Schlittler (4.58 ERA). This will be just the fifth appearance of Schlittler’s MLB career, but it’s a big one for New York.

Oddsmakers at many of the best betting sites have this game set as a pick’em, but I think this is an invitation to bet on the Astros with their ace on the mound.

Houston is 14-8 in Brown’s starts this season, and the righty has allowed two or fewer earned runs in 17 of his 22 appearances. Meanwhile, Schlittler has given up at least two runs in every outing as a Yankee, posting a 5.96 FIP and an expected ERA of 5.01. 

New York’s offense is just 27th in batting average over the last month, so I wouldn’t be shocked to see the Yanks struggle to get to Brown, who is allowing opponents to hit just .194 against him this season.

At this price, Houston is an easy bet given the pitching matchup on Friday. 

Los Angeles Dodgers-Toronto Blue Jays OVER 9 (-102)

Two of the best pitchers of their generation are facing off on Friday night, as Max Scherzer and the Toronto Blue Jays hit the road to play Clayton Kershaw and the Los Angeles Dodgers. 

This season, Kershaw has a 3.29 ERA, and he’s led the Dodgers to a 8-5 record in 13 appearances. However, his expected ERA sits at 3.96, and his expected batting average against is in just the 29th percentile (.262).

Toronto’s offense has been rolling, scoring 10 or more runs in three games in a row, and it ranks first in batting average (.311), OPS (.891) and runs scored (149) over the last month.

This season, the Jays are the best OVER team (64-47-5) in MLB.

I’m expecting a high-scoring matchup in this series opener, as the Dodgers are 56-56-3 to the OVER and rank first in MLB in runs scored, second in OPS and fifth in batting average for the 2025 season.

Scherzer (4.39 ERA) has allowed three or more runs in half of his eight outings this season. 

Even though he and Kershaw are legends and likely future Hall of Famers, I think this total is a little too low for two of the best offenses in MLB.  

Detroit Tigers -1.5 (-137) vs. Los Angeles Angels

When Tarik Skubal is on the mound, betting on the Detroit Tigers should be an easy choice. 

This season, Detroit is 16-6 when Skubal is on the mound, and the All-Star lefty has led them to wins by two or more runs in 12 of those games.

On Friday, he’ll take on Los Angeles Angels veteran Kyle Hendricks, who has a 4.59 ERA this season. The Angels are just 10-11 when Hendricks is on the mound, and the righty really struggles to draw swings and misses, ranking in the third percentile in whiff percentage and the fifth percentile in strikeout percentage this season.

The Angels are also one of the worst teams in MLB against left-handed pitching, ranking 27th in batting average. 

Detroit is 14 games over .500 at home this season, and I expect it to ride another gem from Skubal to a win on Friday night.

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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