Friday’s MLB slate features 15 matchups with start times spanning from 2:20 PM ET to 9:45 PM ET.
I like two teams playing in the evening slate of Friday’s games. One team is a home underdog playing in a division matchup, and another is a home favorite playing a league game.
Can 23-year-old Marlins righty Eury Perez pitch well enough to earn his third win of the season on Friday? Will Athletics starter J.T. Ginn improve his 2026 record to 1-0 in a home matchup with the Guardians?
I’ll make picks for both games below. Read on for our Friday MLB Best Bets May 1 article.
MLB Best Bets: Marlins +108 vs. Phillies
Pitching Matchup: Eury Perez (MIA) vs. Zack Wheeler (PHI)
At the time of this writing, 70% of public bets are on the Phillies money line at -128 odds. To see which sides have public backing for Friday’s MLB slate, check out our MLB public betting chart page.
The Miami Marlins have a good shot to win outright as home underdogs against the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday night.
Miami consistently protects their home field, boasting a strong 10-6 straight-up record as the home team this season. They also handle their business well within the conference, sitting at a solid 12-10 straight up in National League games this year.
Coming into this matchup playing some good baseball, the Marlins are 6-4 straight up in their last 10 games overall. These combined factors make them an extremely live home dog perfectly positioned to secure an outright victory tonight.
Betting Pick: Miami Marlins +108
MLB Best Bets: Athletics -115 vs. Guardians
Pitching Matchup: J.T. Ginn (ATH) vs. Joey Cantillo (CLE)
The total for this game is 9.5 runs. You can bet the under at -115 odds at most books. To view all of the run line, money line, and total odds for Friday’s MLB games, click through to our MLB betting odds page.
There is some potential value in backing the Athletics on the money line to win outright as home favorites against the Cleveland Guardians on Friday night.
The Athletics consistently play well at Sutter Health Park, boasting a 7-6 straight-up record as the home team this season. They’ve also had success within their circuit, sitting at 13-12 straight up in American League games in 2026.
Furthermore, the Athletics rise to the occasion when favored, going 3-2 straight up as a favorite, and they handle tight turnarounds well with a solid 15-11 straight up mark when playing on no rest this year.
These combined factors make the Athletics a good bet to win outright at home in Sacramento on Friday night.
Betting Pick: Athletics -115
Friday MLB Best Bets May 1
- Miami Marlins +108
- Athletics -115