All 30 teams were in action on Friday, June 5 in MLB, though the San Francisco Giants and Chicago Cubs were the lone afternoon game on the slate. Most of the action will take place in the evening, headlined by the league's top rivalry as the Boston Red Sxo open a three-game series against the New York Yankees. Those interested in MLB betting, for Red Sox vs. Yankees or any other games, need to see what SportsLine expert Adam Thompson is locking in for his best bets on Friday.
An analytics-driven exploiter of matchups, Thompson specializes in the NFL, the NBA and MLB. He also has delivered consistent winners in college basketball, horse racing and golf. Over the past two seasons, Thompson is up over 70 units in MLB and over 60 units in the NBA. You can find more of his picks at SportsLine, and in the member-exclusive SportsLine Discord server, a community of sports betting enthusiasts and SportsLine experts.
Here are Thompson's best bets and analysis for Friday's MLB games.
Best MLB picks for Friday, June 5
- Red Sox money line vs. Yankees (+125)
- Martin Perez Under 15.5 outs vs. Pirates (-134)
- Diamondbacks money line vs. Nationals (-133)
Red Sox money line vs. Yankees
A new series between the historic rivals. New York swept Boston earlier this season but the Red Sox are hitting better now â better than even the Yankees â who now have a gaping hole in the lineup with Aaron Judge out due to a fractured rib. New York lost two of three against the Guardians without Judge in the lineup. Last year, the team was 4-6 without him. It's a big deal.
Red Sox starter Sonny Gray (6-1, 3.06) allowed one run or less in four of his five starts this May, going 4-0 in those games. He's backed by a bullpen with a 3.18 ERA the last two weeks. Ryan Weathers (2-3, 3.52) is pitching well, but there's value in the big road dog here.
Martin Perez Under 15.5 outs vs. Pirates
The Braves' starting pitcher has been lights out most of the time. That's especially true at home, where he owns a 0.82 ERA in 22 innings. Overall in eight starts, he's a modest 3-3 with a 2.98 ERA. He's also rarely pushed past 85 pitches. In those eight starts, he's gone Over five innings (15 outs) three times.
The Pirates are lighting up the scoreboard lately. They're averaging 8.2 runs per game over their last six, and their OPS over the last 15 days on the road (.785) and against left-handers (.776) suggest more success here. With Atlanta's bullpen being strong of late, we'll back another quick hook for Perez.
Diamondbacks money line vs. Nationals
Can we start believing in Merrill Kelly again? After a rough stretch to begin 2026, the D'backs starter has allowed nine runs over his last 34 1/3 innings, going 4-0 with a 2.35 ERA over those five starts. The bullpen behind him has a 2.56 ERA since around Memorial Day.
The Nationals lead the league in runs scored, but just got swept by the Marlins, losing every game by three or more runs. Nats left-handed pitcher Foster Griffin has been up and down, and now faces a Snakes lineup with an .826 OPS against southpaws across the last two weeks. Arizona is 16-7 when favored, including 7-2 when the money line is in the -120 to -150 range.
