MLB Picks: Free Expert MLB Picks for Friday, Aug. 25

Kansas City Royals at Seattle Mariners

The Mariners have been on a strong run in the second half of the season, going 22-8 over their last 30 games. A combination of improved offense and pitching has put the Mariners back into playoff contention. The Royals have been one of the worst teams in baseball all season with not much hope.

As the season winds down, I will be focused more on matchups that pit motivated teams against unmotivated teams. Brady Singer has pitched well for the Royals over his last seven starts, going 3-1 with a 3.43 ERA, 42 strikeouts and five walks. Bryce Miller has also pitched well for the Mariners with a 3.49 ERA, 34 strikeouts, and seven walks over his last seven starts.

The key here is the Mariners at home should be able to suppress any run-scoring

by the Royals. The Mariners have the highest run differential in the last 10 games at +2.8 with a team batting average of .308.

MLB Best Bets for Royals at Mariners

• Mariners -1.5 runs for 1 unit (DraftKings +124)

Colorado Rockies at Baltimore Orioles

The Orioles continue to play good baseball while getting value from oddsmakers. They are -185 on the moneyline and if this were the Dodgers vs. Rockies, it would be -285. I care about wins and losses over the name of the team, and this is one of the biggest mismatches on the slate.

The Orioles are 7-3 in their last 10 with a .288 batting average, 3.36 ERA and +2.2 run differential while the Rockies are 3-7 with a .278 average (nullified on the road and in Baltimore), 6.72 ERA and -0.5 run differential.

Baltimore has been one of the best teams at home with a 38-24 record (+14 games over .500) and the Rockies are one of the worst teams on the road with a 20-46 record (-26 games under .500). The Orioles have also handled left-handed pitching with a 29-15 record and the Rockies are starting lefty Kyle Freeland tonight.

MLB Best Bets for Rockies at Orioles

• Orioles -1.5 runs for 1 unit (DraftKings -105)

New York Yankees at Tampa Bay Rays

There is no reason to be backing the Yankees these days, as they are one of the most disappointing teams in baseball with a 1-9 record over their last 10 and 6-14 in their last 20. Meanwhile, after hitting a prolonged slump, the Rays have bounced back with a 7-3 record in their last 10 and a 13-7 last-20 record.

Even though Gerrit Cole is pitching for the Yankees and has had a Cy Young-type season, it has not mattered in terms of wins and losses against the opposition. The Yankees are just 4-6 in Cole's last 10 starts.

MLB Best Bets Yankees at Rays

• Rays -1.5 runs for 1 unit (Fanduel +162)

MLB Best Bets Recap

Mariners -1.5 runs for 1 unit (DraftKings +124)

Orioles -1.5 runs for 1 unit (DraftKings -105)

Rays -1.5 runs for 1 unit (Fanduel +162)

BONUS - 3 team ML parlay for 0.34 unit

Mariners, Orioles, Rays ML (DraftKings +294)