Friday features a full 15-game MLB slate, which includes the Red Sox's first visit to Yankee Stadium in the 2026 season. That would normally draw a ton of eyeballs in the Big Apple, but considering the Knicks will be playing Game 2 of the NBA Finals in San Antonio, who knows what it will look like in the Bronx? Plus, Boston has been struggling mightily this year, sitting dead last in the AL East entering Friday, while New York is without three-time MVP Aaron Judge -- he will miss multiple weeks. I haven't utilized Judge in this space this season, and it looks like I won't until after the All-Star Break, at the earliest. Judge is currently off the board at FanDuel to lead the majors in homers and fell to +15000 to win another AL MVP.
I've accidentally stumbled into a different MVP trend, this one being ex-NL MVPs. That doesn't include back-to-back winner Shohei Ohtani, who appears to be trending towards taking home that hardware for the third year in a row. I think we might see a lot of runs overall on Friday as winds are blowing out at many stadiums and it's finally hot pretty much everywhere now.
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Those interested in MLB betting, particularly home run prop betting, should take a look at what SportsLine expert Matt Severance is playing for Friday's games.
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Last Friday, my home run picks were the Dodgers' Freddie Freeman and Braves' Mike Yastrzemski. Freeman cashed, I believe, my first HR pick from here as he went yard off Phillies ace Zack Wheeler in the bottom of the first inning at Dodger Stadium, so that was nice to win early in the game as Freeman paid +509. Yastrzemski was priced +570 and didn't go yard in Cincinnati but had two hits, so he cashed Over 1.5 total bases. Per usual, all HR picks mean I also like O1.5 total bases for said hitter.
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Top MLB home run picks for Friday, June 5
- Ronald Acuna Jr, Braves (+420, FanDuel)
- Christian Yelich, Brewers (+445, DraftKings)
Ronald Acuna Jr., Braves (+420, FanDuel)
Atlanta is a +200 second favorite behind the LA Dodgers (-185) to finish with the best record in the majors, and I might have to take that Braves wager. They currently hold the best mark of 42-21, two ahead of the Dodgers, and largely have accomplished that without a ton from Acuna, the 2023 NL MVP. The Braves host the Pirates with a 7:15 ET first pitch.
The 28-year-old Acuna some time on the injured list earlier in the season and that may have contributed to a slow start, but he is starting to heat up with the weather -- a rare game tonight where winds aren't blowing out but weather shouldn't much factor. In the past seven days, Acuna is batting .333 with four homers and a 1.434 OPS. I'm not sure he will ever be a 41-homer guy again like he was in 2019 and 2023, but he could be a consistent 30-homer threat if he can stay on the field. Truist Park is quite hitter-friendly, although Acuna is batting only .216 with two homers at home in 2026.
Pittsburgh's Mitch Keller (5-2, 4.35 ERA) is a fine pitcher but was hit hard in three of five May starts to finish with a 5.50 ERA in the month. Keller was shelled for seven runs last time out by Minnesota despite not allowing a homer. He has surrendered only four in his 12 starts spanning 68.1 innings. But Acuna has hammered Keller, going 8-for-19 with three homers, good for a 1.371 OPS. Never a bad idea to back a leadoff hitter for a home run because he could get that extra at-bat guys batting in spots 3-5 might not.
Also consider Matt Olson, someone I've used in this space in 2026, as he's 6-for-12 with a homer and double career off Keller.
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Christian Yelich, Brewers (+445, DraftKings)
If there is a Friday game in the thin air of Coors Field in Denver, I'm probably playing some batter from said matchup to go yard unless it's a completely punchless team visiting or there is major bad weather. For tonight, the forecast is 83 degrees at first pitch and winds blowing out eight mph for a series opener between the Brewers and Rockies with an 8:40 ET first pitch. Those are hitting condition, Holmes!
And there should be runs aplenty with two struggling starting pitchers in Milwaukee's Brandon Sproat (1-4, 6.24 ERA) and Colorado's Ryan Feltner, he of the career 11-27 record and 5.17 ERA. Feltner hasn't been too awful this year at 2-1 with a 4.85 ERA and actually thew six shutout innings last time out at Coors Field against the Giants. Feltner has allowed five homers in six total outings spanning 26.0 innings.
The 34-year-old Yelich, the 2018 NL MVP who is primarily a designated hitter these days to help keep him healthy (spent about a month on the IL earlier), has a career OPS of .904 and average of .318 in 36 at-bats at Coors Field with five homers and two doubles. Yelich is hitting for a solid average in 2026 at .289 and in four games this month is 8-for-17 with seven runs scored. But he has gone yard a scant four times this season and not since May 25 vs. St. Louis. Yelich hasn't gone yard vs. Feltner, either, but is 5-for-12 with three doubles. No Brewers batter has hit one out vs. Feltner.
It's hard not to respect the Brew Crew because they are winning not like most teams these days with power in the lineup as Milwaukee is dead last in the majors in homers with 44. As a Cubs fan, the Brewers irritate me so much but they are so well-run.
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