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

A loaded 15-game slate in Major League Baseball kicks off the weekend, as every team has a first pitch scheduled for 6 p.m. EST or later on May 8.

So, why not place a few bets for the action?

There are a ton of great starting pitchers on the mound tonight, I’m eyeing three aces – Max Fried, Chris Sale and Dylan Cease – to lead the way in today’s MLB Best Bets.

Sale and the Atlanta Braves have gotten off to a great start in the 2026 season, and they find themselves as underdogs on the road against the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers. Can Sale lead Atlanta to an upset win?

I have a moneyline pick for that game and much more for Friday’s action.

MLB Best Bets for Friday, May 8

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Toronto Blue Jays First 5 Innings Moneyline (-166)
Atlanta Braves Moneyline (+100) vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
New York Yankees-Milwaukee Brewers First 5 Innings UNDER 4.5 (-166)

Toronto Blue Jays First 5 Innings Moneyline (-166)

The Toronto Blue Jays have dropped four games in a row, but I think they have a chance to turn things around against the last-place team in the AL West – the Los Angeles Angels – on Friday.

Dylan Cease is on the mound for the Jays, and he’s posted a 3.05 ERA while leading the team to a 4-3 record this season. Cease has allowed three or fewer earned runs in six of his seven starts, and he has an expected ERA in the 82nd percentile.

Meanwhile, the Angels will counter with Reid Detmers, who has better advanced numbers than his actual numbers in the 2026 season. He sits in the 85th percentile in expected ERA, but his actual ERA is 4.28. Detmers has allowed 37 hits in 40.0 innings of work, and the Angels are just 2-5 in his starts.

So, I don’t mind backing Cease in this matchup, even though Detmers is due for some positive regression. Los Angeles has fallen out of the top 10 in MLB in runs scored and OPS after a fast start to the season, ranking 28th and 21st in those statistics over the last 15 days.

Atlanta Braves Moneyline (+100) vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

The Braves are tied with the New York Yankees and Chicago Cubs for the best record in MLB this season, yet they find themselves as road underdogs on Friday night against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Chris Sale (2.14 ERA) is on the mound, and he's been one of the best pitchers in MLB this season, leading the Braves to a 6-1 record while allowing one or fewer runs in six of his seven starts. Sale ranks in the 84th percentile in expected ERA and the 89th percentile in expected batting average against.

So, I think he’s worth a shot against the Dodgers and Emmet Sheehan, who has allowed four or more runs in three of his six starts. The Dodgers are just 3-3 in those games, and Sheehan currently sits in the 42nd percentile in expected ERA.

Both of these teams rank in the top five in MLB in runs scored, batting average and OPS on offense, so I’m going to side with the better starting pitcher in this matchup.

Atlanta has a plus-32 run differential in Sale’s seven starts in 2026.

New York Yankees-Milwaukee Brewers First 5 Innings UNDER 4.5 (-166)

An interesting pitching matchup highlights Friday’s action in Milwaukee, as Max Fried and the New York Yankees take on Jacob Misiorowski and the Milwaukee Brewers.

Fried and Misiorowski have been two of the best pitchers in MLB this season, and I think that’ll lead to a low-scoring start to this game. Fried has given up no runs in four of his eight starts, and he only has one start where he’s allowed more than three runs.

Meanwhile, the Brewers’ young righty has seven starts this season with three or fewer runs allowed.

Here’s a look at just how dominant these two aces have been:

Max Fried vs. Jacob Misiorowski Pitching Comparison

ERA

Fried: 2.39
Misiorowski: 2.84

WHIP

Fried: 0.89
Misiorowski: 1.00

Expected ERA

Fried: 2.32 (94th percentile)
Misiorowski: 2.90 (84th percentile)

Expected Batting Average Against

Fried: .195 (89th percentile)
Misiorowski: .197 (88th percentile)

Strikeout Percentage

Fried: 21.4% (45th percentile)
Misiorowski: 38.1 percent (99th percentile)

Even though New York and Milwaukee both rank in the top 10 in runs scored this season, I think this game could be a pitcher’s duel to start on Friday night.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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