Free MLB Picks Today for Friday, August 4th, 2023

Our free MLB picks are out for Friday, August 4th, 2023! Make sure you check our MLB picks before the action kicks off.

Look below to find our free MLB picks for the five best games on today’s schedule!

Atlanta Braves @ Chicago Cubs – 2:20PM ET

Tony Battalio

The Atlanta Braves have been the best team in all of baseball this season, and they will be looking to keep the momentum rolling when they open up this three-game weekend series at Wrigley Field against the Chicago Cubs. The Braves come into this game with the best record in all of Major League Baseball this season and that is well-deserved as their lineup has been one of the most lethal in the league that can kill you from the lead off spot all the way to the number nine spot. The Atlanta Braves come into this game with a record of 69-37 through their first 106 games of the 2023 Major League Baseball season. They are winners of six out of their last ten on the year as well. 

The Chicago Cubs come into this game looking to grab a victory over the Atlanta Braves, and it certainly won’t be an easy task despite them having the home-field advantage. Chicago had plenty of expectations coming into the season but they haven’t lived up to any of them as it looks like their rebuild still has a few more years left before they can be considered a contender in the National League once again. Chicago comes into this game treading water around the .500 mark throughout the majority of the season and I don’t expect it to get much better for them in this one, as I have the Atlanta Braves grabbing the victory. 

Washington Nationals @ Cincinnati Reds – 6:40PM ET

Tony Battalio

It has been an awful season for the Washington Nationals, but they have shown progress on their seemingly never ending rebuild. This Washington team has not been competitive since they lifted the commissioner’s trophy back in 2019 and ever since then they have been towards the bottom of the basement in the National League East division. However, this team has shown plenty of fight this season, and it looks as if their rebuild is showing considerable progress towards what could be a bright future ahead. Patrick Corbin takes the mound for the Nationals in the opening game of this series, and he has shown signs of being a solid, starting pitcher once again this season.

The Cincinnati Reds have turned a complete 180 on the season as coming into the month of June. They looked nearly dead in the water. However, a trio of young prospects have turned their season around and now sit in first place of the National League Central division over the Milwaukee Brewers. It will be looking to keep the momentum rolling by grabbing a huge victory in the opening game of the series against Washington on Friday night at home. I look for Cincinnati to grab a comfortable victory over the Washington Nationals in the opening game of the series at home on Friday night as they look to extend their lead in the National League Central division over the Milwaukee Brewers.

New York Mets @ Baltimore Orioles – 7:05PM ET

Tony Battalio

The New York Mets have officially entered rebuild mode, and that is now more obvious by the fact that they were defeated by the Kansas City Royals on Thursday afternoon. Their loss to Kansas City on Thursday afternoon was their third consecutive loss to the Royals. As they were swept by one of the worst teams in all of Major League Baseball this season. They look absolutely lost right now and they are out on the field and the remaining two months of this year’s regular season is going to be a very long process for the Mets after they traded away their top two starting pitchers. Now the Mets will be looking to regroup in the opening game of this series against one of the best teams in all of baseball this season.

Baltimore has been incredible this season and they currently possess the best record in the American League. They are sitting on top of the hardest division in all of baseball this year, and they will be looking to extend their lead with another victory over the New York Mets here on Friday night as they open up this series at home at Camden Yards. They have combined solid, hitting and fantastic starting pitching, and it has put them on a collision course to be a serious contender to win the American League pennant this season, and for several seasons well into the future. I expect them to have a quality performance in the opening game of the series against the New York Mets and pick up a victory here on Friday night.

Chicago White Sox @ Cleveland Guardians – 7:10PM ET

Tony Battalio

The Chicago White Sox are coming off of a rough series against the Texas Rangers where they were swept in a three-game series on the road in Arlington. Now they will face a familiar foe for the second time in the last week as they had to Cleveland for a three-game weekend series against the Guardians. These two teams just met last weekend where they split a four-game series and now they will play another three games here at Progressive Field instead of in Chicago. It’s been a rough season for the White Sox after coming into the year with plenty of expectations and aspirations of winning the American League Central division. However, that hasn’t been the case and now they will be looking to play spoiler for the Cleveland Guardians as they look to gain some momentum coming down the back half of the year.

The Cleveland Guardians have been struggling as of late and they are coming off of a series where they were no hit and swept by the defending World Series champions, the Houston Astros. Now they will be looking to bounce back against their American League Central division rivals when they meet up with the Chicago White Sox for the second time in a week. They picked up a victory in their previous game against the White Sox in the finale of their four-game series last weekend. Now they will be looking to make it two consecutive victories, as they were getting desperate for a win to keep pace with Minnesota in the division. That is what I expect as I have Cleveland grabbing a victory here on Friday night at home.

Pittsburgh Pirates @ Milwaukee Brewers – 8:10PM ET

Tony Battalio

It’s been a rough season for the Pittsburgh Pirates this year after such a magical start through their first 30 games. They will be looking to play spoiler the rest of the way as they open up this three-game weekend series with the Milwaukee Brewers. Pittsburgh is seemingly stuck in a never ending rebuild and they will go yet another year without touching the postseason and it makes you wonder how they manage to pick up 22 victories in their first 30 games of the season earlier in the year. Pittsburgh comes into this game 12 games below .500 at the moment through their first 108 games of the 2023 Major League Baseball season. 

The Milwaukee Brewers will be looking to grab a victory in the opening game of this series on Friday night as they try to get themselves back into first place in the National League Central division. They are currently trailing the Cincinnati Reds by a couple of games as they come into the opening game of the series on Friday night at American Family Field. Milwaukee has been saw it all season long but none of the teams in the National League Central division have been overwhelmingly dominant this season. Unless things change for them quickly if they managed to skate by and win the division, they don’t seem to be a threat to win the National League pennant this season. But I do have them grabbing the victory here on Friday night over the Pirates.

If you need more news, information and predictions, head over to our MLB hub page for all your baseball needs!

*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.