Baseball fans are in for a treat on Friday. 15 games between 30 teams are on tap tonight, including several can’t-miss matchups. Things will get interesting this evening when the Tigers take on their rivals, the Royals, in Kansas City. Elsewhere, the Rays and Astros face off in a battle between two of baseball’s hottest teams. As a nightcap, it’s the highly anticipated World Series rematch between the Yankees and Dodgers.
Before the start of today’s contests, here are three MLB bets worth placing on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Royals at Tigers under 8.5 runs (-108)
It’s been a banner year for the Tigers, who currently pace all of baseball with a 37-20 record. While there may be some negative regression down the road, it’s safe to say that Detroit is a legitimate World Series contender. The team has been carried by its pitching, headlined by reigning Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal. However, if anyone has emerged as a no. 2 in this rotation, it’s Casey Mize. The former top prospect has finally put it all together in 2025, and the results have been spectacular. Over 47.2 innings of work, the right-hander has posted a 2.45 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 41 strikeouts. That includes a seven-inning, one-run performance on April 19th against tonight’s opponent, the Royals.
In addition to a star-studded rotation, the Tigers also boast baseball’s fourth-highest scoring offense. Fortunately for the Royals, they’ll hand the ball to Seth Lugo. The All-Star has continued to dominate following a career year in 2024; he’s recorded a 3.02 ERA and 1.09 WHIP over nine starts. Over five career appearances vs. Detroit, the veteran has posted a 2.78 ERA. That includes a 6.2-inning, three-run game on April 19th (against Mize). Given how well these arms are pitching right now, there’s no reason to expect a shootout in Kansas City.
Diamondbacks -1.5 (-110)
Despite plenty of offseason hype, the Diamondbacks have fallen into a tailspin. Arizona has only won 13 of its last 30 games, falling to fourth place in the loaded NL West division. With that being said, the Snakes still boast an impressive pitching staff. Merrill Kelly isn’t the first, or even second name, casual fans would think of. However, he might be the most consistent hurler of the bunch. This season, the 36-year-old has notched an ERA of 3.52 over 11 starts. In fact, the veteran has allowed more than three runs in only two of those outings.
The visiting Nationals will send third-year pro Jake Irvin to the mound tonight. The soft-tossing righty only tops out at around 91.0 MPH. However, he’s found success due to an elite walk rate of just 6.8%. Unfortunately, Washington’s starter has gotten hit hard before in this spot. Over his last 10.2 innings pitched vs. the Diamondbacks, Irvin has coughed up eight earned runs (7.20 ERA). One of those two appearances came earlier this year, on April 4th. Arizona’s lineup is elite, scoring the fifth-most runs per game (4.98). Along with the always-reliable Kelly, it’s difficult to fade the D-Backs on Friday.
Yankees ML (-122)
It’s the matchup you’ve all been waiting for: Yankees vs. Dodgers. In this battle of behemoths, the storylines are endless. Aaron Judge vs. Shohei Ohtani. Cody Bellinger back in Los Angeles. Ageless wonders Freddie Freeman and Paul Goldschmidt at first base. Max Fried against…Tony Gonsolin? Not to knock the latter, but it’s safe to say New York has an advantage on the mound tonight. That’s more to do with Fried, the current Cy Young favorite in the American League. Over 70.0 innings this season, the lefty has notched a 1.29 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and 67 strikeouts. In addition, he’s compiled a respectable 3.50 ERA over 18 career games vs. LA.
Following a solid start to his season, Gonsolin has hit a rough patch recently. The 31-year-old has surrendered eight runs over his last nine frames. The biggest issue for the righty? A lack of command. Gonsolin’s 4.3 BB/9 ratio would rank as the sixth-highest in baseball, if he had enough innings pitched to qualify. That’s not ideal against a New York lineup that leads the majors in walks per game (4.09). Keeping that in mind, expect the Bombers to opt for a more patient approach on Friday. While it’s tempting to back Yankees -1.5 (+136), I’ll play it safe and take the moneyline tonight.
