Mookie Betts Swings into Action: Dodgers' Star Among Expert's Top MLB Picks for Friday
Mookie Betts is among an expert's top MLB picks for Friday, as the Los Angeles Dodgers host the Boston Red Sox.
The 2026 MLB trade deadline is on Monday, and Colorado catcher Hunter Goodman is the only player in the top 10 in homers this year with a realistic shot of being traded by then. Goodman's Rockies are home tonight, but the expert is focused on Betts, who is due for a big game after only two homers since June 28.
Betts has a career 1.357 OPS against Boston's Ranger Suarez, and the expert likes him as an option every week. Meanwhile, Freddie Freeman (6-for-18, two 2B) and Andy Pages (2-for-4, two 2B) are also worth considering.
The expert has a strong track record, up $1,681 on MLB picks over the past four seasons. They're getting hot on home run plays, with Kyle Tucker hitting a home run at +700 against the New York Mets last Friday.
Betts is a bit more fired up to face the Red Sox, given the lopsided salary dump trade that sent him to Los Angeles in February 2020. He's batting a career-low .232 with 13 homers, but the expert thinks he's due for a big game.
Boston starts lefty Ranger Suarez (4-3, 3.02 ERA), who has five home runs allowed this season and just one in his past eight. But against Suarez, Betts has a career 1.357 OPS with two homers and a double in 12 at-bats.
The expert also likes Freddie Freeman (6-for-18, two 2B) and Andy Pages (2-for-4, two 2B), who have both had success against Suarez.
On the other side of the California double, the San Francisco Giants visit the Padres on Friday with a 9:45 ET first pitch. The expert was not originally planning to play a Giants player, but Willy Adames is worth considering.
Adames has a career 1.851 OPS against Padres starter German Marquez, with four home runs in 13 at-bats. Marquez has allowed 12 home runs in 11 appearances this season, and his road splits are remarkably better than his home splits at Petco Park.
The expert generally has no interest in a Giants batter on these props, but Adames is an exception. He's having a solid power year with 18 homers, but only hitting .227.
The Giants are a giant flea market at this point, with everyone short of Logan Webb on the block. But for now, Adames is worth considering as a home run prop bet.
The expert's picks are available at DraftKings, where new users get $150 in bonus bets with a $5 wager. Bet on home run props and more at FanDuel Sportsbook, where new users can get up to $1,000 in Bet Reset Tokens.
Source: CBS