No day action today on the diamond and that means we get a loaded late slate. Our MLB predictions for tonight feature two pitchers that you want to have access to across the board (be it in fantasy baseball or the betting markets) and another that has, and continues to be, an auto-fade.
MLB Predictions for Friday, April 24
Pirates at Brewers: No Runs Through 2 Innings (+144)
Playing a game with two aces on the mound can be a bit tricky as you rarely get any sort of discount in the “unders” markets, but a slow start seems more than likely and through the powers of SGPs, we can leverage that to make a little bit of money.
The Buccos have been one of the best early game offenses in the sport and that helps explain the pricing of this market, but Brandon Woodruff is one of the pitchers I’m comfortable with in just about any matchup when he’s right.
And he’s currently “right”.
The big righty has a sub-3.00 xERA despite a poor outing at Fenway earlier this month and while he’s always been an economical pitcher, he’s taken it to another level through the first month of this season (13.6 pitches per inning).
At 33 years old, he’s prioritizing “pitching” over “throwing” and the results have largely been great. Opponents hold a .206/.250/.324 slash against him on their first trip through the order and have just six hits in 36 at-bats with men on base. If you’re not going to be able to string hits together against Woodruff, that makes power your best bet and he happens to be facing a Pirates offense that ranks in the middle of the pack in all power metrics and 24th in average launch angle.
If he can hold the Pittsburgh bats in check, the other side of this equation is pretty straight forward: Paul Skenes.
Arguably the best pitcher on the planet squares off against one of the slowest starting offenses in the league (19th in first inning OPS and 23rd in the second frame). He should be plenty fresh after a delay shortened outing held him to just 64 pitches over the weekend and a fresh version of Skenes is as close to inevitable as we have in today’s game.
In four April starts, he’s allowed just nine hits and three runs. After walking multiple batters in each of his first three outings of 2026, he’s walked just one in the past 10 innings and seems to be nearing the high-end form that we’ve come to expect.
The total for this game is as low as any one the slate and if there are going to be fireworks of any kind, I don’t expect them to come in the early going while these two elite arms are executing their respective game plans.
Nationals at White Sox: Over 9.5
It’s Fade Miles Mikolas Day again!
Yes, Mikolas was sharp on Sunday, when he threw four scoreless innings of four-hit ball in relief with four strikeouts and a walk to get a no-decision in a 3-0 home win against the Giants, but, as encouraging as that outing was, he still has a 9.15 ERA, 5.40 xERA, 5.01 xFIP, 1.98 WHIP and 15:10 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 19 2/3 innings over five appearances (three starts) this season. I need to see more decent efforts from him before I can trust him.
The White Sox counter with Erick Fedde, who’s 0-3, like Mikolas, but has pitched way better, posting a 3.92 ERA, 3.56 xERA, 1.11 WHIP and 15:7 strikeout-to-walk rati oin 20 2/3 innings over four appearances (three starts) this season.
I will take a shot on the White Sox behind Fedde, given the gap in performance compared to Mikolas, and the Over, with Fedde and Mikolas allowing plenty of traffic and run-scoring chances. This isn’t as much a bet on either offense as it is one against the opposing pitchers, a stance I’m comfortable taking given how the game is played today.
Athletics at Rangers: Jake Burger to hit a home run
The Rangers’ lineup has had excellent numbers against Luis Severino, but if there’s one player who has destroyed Severino’s pitching throughout his career, that’s Jake Burger. The Rangers’ slugger has hit .368 with a 1.560 OPS and four homers against Severino across 19 at-bats. And it’s not as if the matchups between these two players were a long time ago, either. Burger smashed a three-run home run the last time he faced Severino on April 13, going yard in the first inning.
Given the results the Rangers’ hitters have had against Severino in the past, Burger should have plenty of protection in the lineup. But considering his elite numbers against the veteran hurler, he’s an outstanding option to go yard in Friday’s loaded slate.
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