MLB Best Bets Today (July 24): Odds & Predictions For Friday

Plenty of MLB action to sift through for Friday, as divisional races continue to heat up. This is the time of the year when we realize certain teams become buyers, others become sellers, and contenders don't like messing with chemistry.

As a part of tonight's full slate, I have a pair of run-line winners and two totals.

The Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals renew their American League Central rivalry in the Motor City, and it's the pitching matchup that has me intrigued. Detroit might be the most dangerous fourth-place team in baseball. The question is whether or not it plans to ship Tarik Skubal to another team before the deadline. Skubal is on the hill against Royals right-hander Beck Way.

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I'm also looking at the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Angels, as the two meet in the Bay Area, and this is another pitching mismatch that will call for a run line play. While the Angels are in last place in the American League West, the Giants aren't that much better in fourth place in the NL West, sitting 18 games under .500.

From the National League, the total is enticing in the game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Washington Nationals, with a pair of starters who have me thinking just one thing with the Over/Under. The same can be said from the junior circuit, where a pair of old-school rivals that now play in different divisions meet in the Twin Cities, with the Athletics visiting the Minnesota Twins.

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Let's take a look at Friday's odds, via FanDuel:

Kansas City Royals at Detroit Tigers

• Moneyline: Kansas City +215 | Detroit -260
• Run Line: Kansas City +1.5 (-104) | Detroit -1.5 (-115)
• Total: 7.5 (-104/-118)

Whether or not Skubal leaves the Tigers remains to be seen, but right now we have to assume he's pitching to get Detroit back to relevancy. And this is a perfect opportunity for him to get an easy win on Friday night on his mound, against the worst team in the division. Skubal is just 6-5 this season, across 14 starts, but he has a 2.83 ERA to go along with it.

The Royals are handing the ball to Beck Way, who has made 18 appearances this season but doesn't have one start. The 26-year-old rookie right-hander has made 10 road appearances and has a 6.10 ERA to show for it. If he's being used as an opener, so be it, but it could prove to be one or two innings too many.

My Best Bet Prediction: Tigers Run Line -1.5 (-113)

• Tarik Skubal is enjoying a fantastic July, having gone 2-1 with a 1.59 ERA in three starts. He's allowed two or fewer earned runs in four straight starts, while boasting a 32-to-3 strikeout-to-walk ratio in that span. Though his history against the Royals isn't attractive on the whole, he was 1-0 with a 0.95 ERA in three starts against them last season. List both pitchers and take the Tigers on the run line.

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Los Angeles Angels at San Francisco Giants

• Moneyline: Los Angeles +136 | San Francisco (-162)
• Run Line: Los Angeles +1.5 (-162) | San Francisco -1.5 (+134)
• Total: 8.5 (-110/-110)

Logan Webb (5-7, 3.87) may not have a winning record this season, but he's pitched well enough to keep the Giants in line for a win most times. He's also done his better work at home, where he has a 3.74 ERA and opponents' batting average of .238. He's been drilled for nine home runs, and only two have come from Oracle Park.

The Angels are turning to Grayson Rodriguez, who is 3-3 with a whopping 8.23 ERA in eight starts. And while it's true he's been better on the road (2-0, 3.48) than at home (1-3, 10.22), he's 1-2 with an 8.71 ERA in five starts across June and July.

My Best Bet Prediction: Giants Run Line -1.5 (+134)

• Though the Giants have lost five in a row, they'll be glad to be home, where they've won three of their last four. During their last homestand, they averaged 4.7 runs per game at Oracle. The Angels have lost 13 of 18 while being outscored by 1.2 runs per game in that stretch. Giants on the run line.

Arizona Diamondbacks at Washington Nationals

• Moneyline: Arizona +116 | Washington -134
• Run Line: Arizona +1.5 (-194) | Washington -1.5 (+160)
• Total: 9 (-120/-102)

The Diamondbacks have one of their best pitchers on the hill with Eduardo Rodriguez, but this could be a strange spot for him. While the 33-year-old left-hander is 8-3 with a 2.62 ERA in 20 starts this season, he arrives in D.C. after getting hammered by the Cardinals to the tune of five runs on seven hits over 2.2 innings.

The Nationals, meanwhile, are handing the ball to Carson Palmquist, who is 0-1 with an 8.74 ERA in seven appearances (four starts) this season. He's made four appearances in D.C., including three starts, and is 0-1 with a 6.48 ERA.

My Best Bet Prediction: Over 9 (-120)

• Yes, three of the last four meetings have stayed under, but dating back, this is a series that typically finds its way into higher digits. In fact, six of the last 10 meetings landed high, with the average final landing on 10.1 runs per meeting. Look for Washington's offense to jump on Eduardo Rodriguez early, and the Snakes to slither their way into the game with bats in the later innings. This one is going into double digits.

Athletics at Minnesota Twins

• Moneyline: Athletics +136 | Minnesota -162
• Run Line: Athletics +1.5 (-152) | Minnesota -1.5 (+126)
• Total: 9.5 (-118/-104)

The Athletics have the most pathetic pitching staff in baseball. And it's not even close. There's a reason five of their last seven games have gone over, with their opposition averaging nearly nine runs per game. Again, that's just the opposition. Since May 25, the A's are 16-33 with a 6.64 ERA. More recently, since July 2, they're 2-13 with an 8.06 ERA.

The Twins, meanwhile, have gone over in three of their last five games, and return home for the first time since before the All-Star break. It's a perfect spot to generate some offense and grab a big win. Given the starting pitching. I don't know if Minnesota can be trusted. Especially since the A's have won four in a row.

My Best Bet Prediction: Over 9.5 (-118)

• Jacob Lopez (4-4, 6.64) is up for the Athletics, and while he might be 4-1 away from Sacramento, he also has a 5.88 ERA on the road. Zebby Matthews is up for the Twins, and he comes to the rubber with a 4-7 mark and 5.40 ERA in 12 starts. In July alone, he's 0-2 with a 10.54 ERA. Three of the last four meetings have landed north of the total.

W.G. Ramirez is a veteran sports writer from Las Vegas and a Senior Staff Analyst at Ballislife Bets. Follow him on X at @WillieGRamirez.