MLB: Milwaukee Brewers at San Francisco Giants
USATSI

Kyle Gibson gets the start to open the second half for the Philadelphia Phillies, who will host the Chicago Cubs in the first entry in a three-game series. The Cubs will hand sophomore starter Justin Steele the ball. The Phillies are fighting to stay in a playoff spot, while the Cubs are likely preparing to sell off players -- including All-Star catcher Willson Contreras -- at the upcoming trade deadline.

First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. ET in Philadelphia. The game is one of 14 on a packed Friday MLB schedule. Others include Toronto at Boston, Tampa Bay at Kansas City, and San Francisco at Los Angeles. Before making any MLB picks or parlays, be sure to check out the MLB predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven computer model.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every MLB game 10,000 times, and it is 280-240 on top-rated MLB money-line picks since the start of the 2021 season, returning over $500 for $100 players. This is the same model that pegged the 2021 Atlanta Braves at 10-1 as one of three best bets to win it all last season. Anybody who has followed it has seen profitable returns. 

Now, the model has locked in four confident MLB best bets for Friday. They all involve games at 7:05 p.m. ET or later, so there's still time to get these MLB picks in. If you successfully parlay the picks, you'd be looking at a payout of more than 11-1. You can see the model's MLB picks only at SportsLine. 

Top MLB picks today

The model, which simulated every game on Friday's schedule 10,000 times, is taking the Rays (-130) to beat the Royals in their 8:10 p.m. ET game. The Rays enter the second half 10 games over .500 and with possession of the top AL Wild Card spot, while the Royals are languishing in the AL Central basement.

Drew Rasmussen will get the start for Tampa Bay. While Rasmussen has only pitched beyond the sixth inning just once so far this season, the right-hander has been quite effective for the Rays. The right-hander is 5-3 with a 3.22 ERA. Because this is the Rays we're talking about, he's often lifted somewhat early in games in favor of a parade of relievers, but that should serve Tampa Bay more than fine tonight against an impotent Royals offense. 

Kansas City will start Brad Keller, who is 5-9 and owns a 3.96 ERA. Keller's K/9 has sharply dipped this year, but he's also inducing more ground balls. That hasn't necessarily been enough to get the Royals over the finish line in his starts, and he'll have to contend with slugging first baseman Ji-Man Choi. Choi eats right-handed pitching for breakfast, and he's having by far the best season of his career. Whether it's with their bats or their arms, the Rays should be able to get the job done on Friday night.

How to make MLB picks and parlays for Friday

The model also locked in three other best bets for Friday, including a play on a game that should feature plenty of scoring. You can only see the model's MLB parlay picks and best bets at SportsLine. 

What MLB picks should you target for a payout of more than 11-1? And which potential slugfest does the model like on Friday? Visit SportsLine now to see the MLB best bets for Friday from a model that has a 280-240 record on top-rated picks since the start of the 2021 season, and find out.