MLB picks: White Sox vs. Orioles, Angels vs. Mariners

There’s lots of MLB action in store for Friday, but we’ll highlight the two games containing our best bets of the evening!

Leading off is our look at the series opener between the Chicago White Sox and the Baltimore Orioles. Then we’ll discuss a late-night AL West matchup between the Los Angeles Angels and the Seattle Mariners.

Chicago White Sox (51-35) at Baltimore Orioles (28-58), 7:05 p.m. ET

Bettors should expect another high-scoring affair at Camden Yards this Friday as the White Sox visit the Orioles.

Dallas Keuchel starts for Chicago, fresh off a disastrous outing against the Detroit Tigers in which he allowed seven earned runs over four frames. That start only added to his road woes in 2021, as Keuchel owns a 5.35 ERA and .290 opponent batting average in eight appearances away from home this season.

The southpaw is unlikely to be bailed out by his bullpen, which has a 5.36 ERA over the last two weeks (22nd in the majors in that span). Bettors should expect another fine game from Baltimore outfielder Austin Hays, who’s batting .353 with two homers and 10 RBI since June 23.

Jorge Lopez counters for the O’s, and his 2-11 record with a 6.02 ERA speaks for itself. The White Sox have won seven of their last 10 games heading into Friday night, averaging 6.3 runs per contest. Shortstop Tim Anderson – batting .462 to begin July – should be at the forefront of the Chicago attack against Lopez and the beleaguered Baltimore bullpen (5.12 ERA last two weeks, 20th in the majors).

MLB pick: Over

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Los Angeles Angels (44-42) at Seattle Mariners (46-42), 10:10 p.m. ET

Alex Cobb and Marco Gonzales should combine to allow a slew of early runs in the series opener between the Angels and the Mariners at T-Mobile Park.

Cobb has been awful on the road in 2021, pitching to a 7.77 ERA and .314 opponent batting average. He was tagged for five runs over seven frames in his lone start against Seattle this season.

Look for Mitch Haniger – who homered in Thursday’s game against the New York Yankees and is 4-for-9 lifetime against Cobb – to get things cooking for the Mariners.

Gonzales exits his shortest outing of the season, as he was pulled in the fourth inning against the Texas Rangers last Saturday after allowing six earned runs. He’s winless in seven starts since April 15, and takes on an Angels offense that’s averaged 6.14 runs over a seven-game span (6-1 straight-up).

Shohei Ohtani – who owns a 1.277 OPS in July – has unsurprisingly been a major contributor.

MLB pick: Over