Author: Max Roth

Major League Baseball is nearing the postseason with every passing day. Several front-running title contenders lead the pack while a few bottom-feeders have little to play for. But many teams like the White Sox and Cardinals are in the middle of the two, desperately fighting for a playoff spot.
The Yankees, Twins, Astros, Mets, Brewers, and Dodgers currently lead their divisions, while teams like the Padres and Braves now occupy the Wild Card spots in the National League. This article will look at four upcoming games for Friday, August 5, and the odds for those must-bet contests.
Atlanta Braves at New York Mets
This is a massive battle between the two top teams in the NL East. The Braves have had the best record of the summer and have been nipping at the Mets’ heels since mid-June. 
The Mets, who are at home, are -120 favorites in this matchup, while the Braves are +100 underdogs.
The Mets have been favored in 78 games this season and have won 53 times. Meanwhile, the Braves have been underdogs only 22 times this season but have only won eight of those games. The two starting pitchers for this matchup are Ian Anderson for the Braves and Taijuan Walker for the Mets.
New York Yankees at St. Louis Cardinals
After making a trade deadline swap, the Yankees will travel to St. Louis to take on the Cardinals. The Yankees may be at 70 wins, but they are 5-5 in their last 10. On the other side, the Cardinals are just behind the Phillies in the NL Wild Card race at 55-48.
The Yankees, poised to win the AL East, are -150 favorites in this matchup. The Cardinals, on the other hand, are +100 underdogs at home.
The starting pitchers in this game are Nestor Cortes for the Yankees and Dakota Hudson for the Cardinals. Nestor Cortes has an earned run average of 3.84, while Dakota Hudson has an ERA of 3.41.
Tampa Bay Rays at Detroit Tigers
This game is a classic matchup between a contender and a pretender. The Rays currently occupy one of the three American League Wild Card spots, and the Tigers are next-to-last in the AL Central. Friday, the two clubs will play one another in the Motor City.
Entering the matchup, the Rays are -175 favorites on the road, and the Tigers are +150 underdogs at home.
The Rays have won 40 of the 70 games they were favorites in, while the Tigers have won 33 of 87 games as underdogs. Corey Kluber is set to start for Tampa Bay, while Detroit has yet to announce a starting pitcher.
Toronto Blue Jays at Minnesota Twins
Finally, we end with a battle between two potential American League playoff teams. The Twins come into the series narrowly ahead of the Guardians and White Sox in the AL Central. Up north, the Blue Jays have won eight of their last 11 games and hold the first AL Wild Card spot.
The Twins’ home-field advantage makes them a solid -165 favorite in this matchup, while the Blue Jays are […]