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The top two preseason favorites in the AL West collide when the Houston Astros and Seattle Mariners open a key three-game series on Friday at T-Mobile Park in Seattle. The Astros (4-2) have won the division four out of the last five seasons and sit atop the AL West one week into the year. Meanwhile the Mariners (3-4) are looking to build upon last year's late-season surge. Houston is a -120 moneyline favorite in the latest Astros vs. Mariners odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while Seattle is a +100 underdog.

First pitch is set for 9:42 p.m. ET and the game is one of 15 on the MLB schedule on Friday. Elsewhere in the majors, the Boston Red Sox play their home opener against the Minnesota Twins, and the New York Mets have their home opener against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Before making any MLB picks or parlays, be sure to check out the MLB predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven computer model.

This model, which simulates every game 10,000 times, enters Week 2 of the 2022 season on a 216-181 roll on top-rated MLB money-line picks that dates back to last season, returning over $900 for $100 players. In addition, the model's four-leg parlay on Tuesday hit for more than 11-1. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.

Now, the model has locked in four confident MLB best bets for Friday. They all involve games after 7 p.m. ET, 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 10-1. You can see the model's MLB picks only at SportsLine. 

Top MLB picks today

The model, which ran 10,000 simulations on each of the 15 games on the schedule, is bullish on the reigning World Series champion Braves (-105) beating the Padres (-115). Atlanta (3-5) faces a lefty starter making his major league debut, MacKenzie Gore, and the Braves have been good this season against southpaws. So far this year, they have an on-base percentage of .400 against lefties, which ranks second in the majors. They also have an OPS of .807 against lefties, which ranks ninth.

In addition, first baseman Matt Olson has been a solid acquisition for the Braves. Obtained from Oakland in the offseason to fill the void left by Freddie Freeman, Olson leads the team in batting average (.407), on-base percentage (.543), slugging percentage (.630) and OPS (1.172). His OPS ranks 10th in the majors.

How to make MLB picks and parlays for Friday

The model also locked in three other best bets for Friday, including a play on an even bigger underdog than the Braves. Head to SportsLine now to see the picks. 

What MLB picks should you target for a payout of 10-1? And which underdog should you be all over? Visit SportsLine now to see the MLB best bets from a model that has a 216-181 record on top-rated MLB money-line picks dating back to 2021, and find out.