Itās fast approaching the weekend, and that means more top matches in the MLB. Here we look at some of the top fixtures coming our way, and bring our Friday night MLB free betting picks.
This weekend weāre checking out two of the three 2022 World Series betting favorites. The LA Dodgers are taking on the Padres, and the Houston Astros visit Cleveland to take on the Guardians.
| 2022 MLB World Series; Winner Betting |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| New York Yankees | +350 | +350 |
| LA Dodgers | +350 | +350 |
| Houston Astros | +525 | +525 |
| New York Mets | +700 | +700 |
| Milwaukee Brewers | +1200 | +1200 |
| Toronto Blue Jays | +1200 | +1200 |
| San Diego Padres | +1200 | +1200 |
| Atlanta Braves | +1200 | +1200 |
| Boston Red Sox | +4000 | +4000 |
| Minnesota Twins | +3300 | +3500 |
| St Louis Cardinals | +3500 | +4000 |
| San Francisco Giants | +2500 | +2500 |
| Tampa Bay Rays | +3300 | +3300 |
| Chicago White Sox | +3300 | +3300 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | +3500 | +4000 |
In the latest MLB World Series betting odds, the Dodgers and the New York Yankees are joint favorites at +350. Third in the betting is last seasonās beaten finalist, the Houston Astros. Hoping to go one better this season, the Astros are +525 - which is just ahead of the side making up the top four in the betting, the New York Mets at +700.
LA Dodgers look set to Finish off the Padres' NL West Chances
First up, weāre starting with the joint 2022 World Series betting favorites, the LA Dodgers, who host the San Diego Padres. These two sides occupy first and second in the NL West. The Dodgers sit top with a .680 win percentage, the Padres are second with a .566 percentage.
- Match; LA Dodgers v San Diego Padres
- Where; Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, California
- When; Friday, August 5th, 2022
- Time; 10.10 pm ET
The Padres have little chance of overhauling the Dodgers and winning the division. The best MLB betting sites have the Dodgers at -10000 to top the division, with the Padres at +2000. They do look good bets to make it to the MLB postseason playoffs.
So, if you are one of the few that believes a Padres series win here could see them pull off a shock and win the division. Now is the time to get on!
Too Much Ground for the Padres to make up in NL West
Fridayās match is the opening game of a three-match mini-series across the weekend. And, anything other than a lockout for the Padres will leave them with way too much to do to win the NL West.
And even if they can win it three zip, that doesnāt guarantee a division win either. The Padres would be better off focusing on keeping the San Francisco Giants at bay, although with the Giants' recent form (3ā7), they are doing a good job of that themselves.
As for the form guides, the Dodgers are 7-3 in their last ten, while the Padres are 6-4 across the same period. It promises to be an exciting mini-series, and the Dodgers have shown they can be beaten lately, despite having such an outstanding month of July.
Highest win % in July in @Dodgers history:
2017 - .870 (20-3)
2022 - .808 (21-5)
1962 - .769 (20-6) pic.twitter.com/KcvXm8KnAX— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) August 1, 2022
So, are the Padres really in a position to capitalize? I donāt think so. Theyāve not had the hardest of runs lately. They did have a 2-1 mini-series win over the Mets, but they suffered a 12-0 home drubbing to the Giants just a couple of weeks before that.
I wasnāt going to back the Dodgers given their recent form, but Iāve changed my mind and Iām happy to take the Dodgers to beat the Padres on the handicap for my first betting pick.
Can Stuttering Astros get back on Track?
Next up are the Guardians and the Astros. The Guardians have been fighting it out with the Twins for the top spot in the AL Central across recent days and weeks. Thereās not much between the two sides, but the Guardians are going to have their work cut out this weekend when they face the Astros in a four-match mini-series starting on Thursday night.
The Astros will no doubt be aware that this series puts additional pressure on the Guardians, who are third in the betting to win the AL Central. The Guardians are +275, with the White Sox at +155, and the Twins at +125. It is expected to be a close race, and this mini-series could have a huge bearing on the outcome.
- Match; Cleveland Guardians v Houston Astros
- Where; Progressive Field, Cleveland, Ohio
- When; Friday, August 5th, 2022
- Time; 7.10 pm ET
But what of the Astros? Well, theyāve just suffered back-to-back defeats to the dodgiest team in the MLB - the Boston Red Sox.
Heck, whatās going on?
Anyway, all joking aside, we know the Red Sox are one of those teams capable of beating anybody and losing to anybody. So itās not worth reading much into those results.
Duran's 3-RBI night powers #RedSox past Astros in series opener.
š: https://t.co/BpwHjWwQGX pic.twitter.com/1Mbku91uWW
— Red Sox (@RedSox) August 2, 2022
Guardians Under Extra Pressure
In their last ten, the Guardians are 5-5, and they have a home record of 26-20. The Astros are 4-6 in their last ten, with an away record of 34-21. Thatās a pretty decent away return, but also one you would expect from the team who are the third favorites to win the 2022 World Series.
Iām not reading too much into the Astros results against the Red Sox, so Iām sticking with the Astros to keep their good away record going. The Guardians know they need to get results this weekend, and that means additional pressure, so Iām happy to take Dusty Bakerās team to win on the handicap.
