Walk-Off Wagers: MLB Best Bets Today (Predictions for Rays vs. Braves and Cubs vs. Dodgers)

Iain MacMillan | Apr 11, 2025

The Cubs and the Dodgers will face off in Friday night MLB action. / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

The MLB season marches on today with teams across the country beginning their weekend series. For us bettors, there's no better way to start our weekend than by putting some extra money in our pocket by winning a few Friday bets.

I have three wagers locked in for Friday's slate, including a bet on the total between the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers. Let's dive into them.

Top MLB Picks Today

Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook

• Rays -124 vs. Braves
• Angels +134 vs. Astros
• Cubs vs. Dodgers UNDER 8 (-112)

Braves vs. Rays Prediction

The Braves' offense has started to turn things around, but they still enter the weekend batting just .218 on the season. I think there's still some meat on the bone in terms of fading them, especially tonight when they're playing on the road with Bryce Elder on the mound. Elder recorded a 6.52 ERA in 10 starts last season and allowed three earned runs in just 4.0 innings in his first start in 2025.

A combination of poor hitting and bad pitching by the Braves tonight puts the Rays in a favorable spot. I think -124 is more than a fair price for Tampa Bay.

Pick: Rays -124

Angels vs. Astros Prediction

I can't believe I'm typing this right now, but the Los Angeles Angels have been one of the best offensive teams in the Majors in the early part of the season while the Houston Astros have been one of the worst. The Angels are seventh in OPS at .767 while the Astros are 29th at .583. Additionally, Ronel Blanco is starting for the Astros, and there are signs we're going to see some significant regression from him this season. He has allowed seven earned runs in just 6.2 innings pitched across his first two starts.

If you're betting on the Astros as home favorites today, you're completely throwing out the results from the first two weeks of the season. Instead, I'm going to ride the momentum (or lack thereof) from both teams and take the Angels to win as significant underdogs in Houston.

Pick: Angels +134

Cubs vs. Dodgers Prediction

Yoshinobu Yamamoto has already had one solid performance against the Cubs, keeping them to three hits and one earned run across 5.0 innings in the opening series of the season in Japan, so why not bet on another strong outing against Chicago tonight? Matthew Boyd is also coming into this game hot, having pitched 11.0 scoreless innings so far in 2025.

You may be surprised to find out the Dodgers, while showcasing some power, have been batting just .230 on the season.

With all of that in mind, I'll take the UNDER in this National League duel.

Pick: UNDER 8 (-112)

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You can check out all of Iain's bets here!