The Chicago Cubs added their name to the 12-team MLB postseason field with Wednesday’s victory, which is also their first postseason berth since 2020. But are they playing well enough to be taken seriously in October? Their struggles are a key component to our trio of today’s MLB best bets.
After going 2-1 on Wednesday including a massive +314 cash when Juan Soto hit a home run, I am back to keep the momentum going heading into the weekend.
Read on for my top MLB picks & predictions for Friday, September 19.
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Friday’s Best MLB Picks & Predictions
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Chicago Cubs (-126) at Cincinnati Reds (+104) | O/U 8.5 (-109/-111)
The Cubs seem destined to enter the playoffs as the NL’s top wild card team, as they are too far back of the Brewers to win the NL Central (six games), and are five games up on the Padres in the wild card race. That could lead to complacency down the stretch for a team that has won seven of their last nine games, but have struggled overall since the All-Star break.
Since the All-Star break entering yesterday’s series opener against the Reds, Chicago has ranked 21st in batting average (.240), tied for 23rd in runs per game (4.1), 20th in home runs (63), 23rd in slugging (.396), and 21st in OPS (.713).
Nico Hoerner (12-game hit streak entering Thursday) and Ian Happ (.353 average, 1.200 OPS in last 18 games) are seemingly the only things going right for the Cubs offensively of late. Pete Crow-Armstrong is batting .175 with two home runs and a 37 wRC+ in 41 games since August 1, Seiya Suzuki has just 11 RBI in his last 48 games, and Matt Shaw is batting .204 with nine home runs and an 80 wRC+ in his previous 83.
Let’s back a more motivated Reds squad playing for their postseason lives to win the second game of this series.
Pick: Reds Moneyline (+104)
New York Yankees (-121) at Baltimore Orioles (-101) | O/U 9.0 (-113/-108)
The Yankees entered Thursday’s series opener with the Orioles with a 15-4 record in their last 19 road games. In that span, New York averaged 6.7 runs per game while owning a plus-48 run differential.
Leadoff man Trent Grisham has once again caught fire, with 12 home runs and 25 RBI in his last 26. That is the most home runs and the second-most RBI in the Majors over that span (since August 20).
New York finished its series against the Twins with its 24th game scoring 10 or more runs, and the next-closest is the Red Sox at 21.
This line is not as inflated as it could be since Baltimore has lefty Trevor Rogers with his minuscule 1.43 ERA toeing the rubber. However, I am backing the bigger sample size of the Yankees’ recent road success, and will gladly lay this chalk for them to win outright.
Pick: Yankees Moneyline (-121)
Washington Nationals (+168) at New York Mets (-208) | O/U 8.5 (-103/-118)
With Alonso's first-inning solo home run yesterday, he is three shy of joining Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani as the only active players with at least four seasons of 40-plus home runs.
Alonso has now homered in four straight games for the third time in his career (2019, 2023). In the other two instances where he was going for a fifth straight, he went a combined 1-for-7, including an 0-for-3 performance against today's opponent, the Washington Nationals.
Alonso and Juan Soto are the second teammates in Mets history to each have a season of 35 home runs and 100 RBI. The "Polar Bear" is also one of only two players with five straight seasons of 20 doubles and 30 home runs (Ohtani).
It also bodes well for Alonso's chances to make history as New York entered yesterday with a .340 batting average with runners in scoring position (the best in the majors) since the start of August.
These are great odds in an eerily similar spot against the Nationals to make history, even if Nationals southpaw Andrew Alvarez has allowed just one home run in 15.2 innings to start his MLB career.
4 straight games with a homer for Pete Alonso! 🍎 pic.twitter.com/OAFmWcjiMB
— MLB (@MLB) September 18, 2025
Pick: Pete Alonso to Hit a Home Run (+286)
Mike Spector is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @MikeSpector01