Friday’s MLB Best Bets | April 28

Best Bet: Rays (-1.5)

After Thursday’s 14-5 blowout win over the White Sox, we look to back the Rays. The White Sox have been playing with zero heart this entire season and what team loves to beat up on bad teams? The Rays. Tampa is 15-1 against teams below .500, and their run differential this season is a staggering +96. Their bats are scorching hot, as they lead the league in both extra-base hit percentage at 10.4% and runs per game at 6.58.

Today is a rematch of Sunday’s game with Zach Eflin and Lucas Giolito on the bump. Eflin had the White Sox’s number on Sunday, going 5.0 IP with four strikeouts and one earned run, while Giolito went 7.0 IP with five strikeouts and allowed two home runs and four earned runs.  Unless Chicago decides to show up tonight, expect the Rays to trounce the White Sox by more than one run.

Best Bet: Twins (-1.5)

Jordan Lyles Day is absolutely the new Patrick Corbin Day. The Royals starter has been struggling early on this season, allowing 3.4 earned runs per game. In games that Lyles started in, teams have beaten the Royals by two or more runs in four of his first five starts.

Outside of the Royals’ pitching struggles, their bats have been cold all season. Kansas City has the second-worst runs per game average at 3.19 and the worst on-base plus slugging percentage at 0.609.  While the Twins have not been that impressive this season, their ace Pablo Lopez is on the mound today and they’ve had recent success against the Royals.

Lopez, in his first start of the season against the Royals, went 5.1 IP with eight strikeouts and no earned runs. In the four games they have played each other this season, the Twins have covered the spread in every matchup — and in two of those, Kansas City was shut out.