Content on this page may include affiliate links. If you click and sign up/place a wager, we may receive compensation at no cost to you.
Best bets today: Brewers-Dodgers among SportsLine's top MLB plays, predictions for July 18
With 15 games on the schedule, baseball highlights Friday's sports action
Baseball returns in full on Friday after the annual All-Star Break, and there are a ton of intriguing featured games for bettors to choose from on July 18, including Red Sox at Cubs, Reds at Mets, Yankees at Braves, Astros at Mariners and Brewers at Dodgers.
We highlight the top betting opportunities with links to full game analysis and picks throughout the article while providing the top betting tips for today's matchups.
We also share more information on the best sportsbook promotion today from Fanatics Sportsbook. Fanatics is offering up to $1,000 in No Sweat Bets for new users across their first 10 days with the sportsbook. You can learn more about this offer below.
Best MLB bets today
Boston Red Sox at Chicago Cubs (-140, 7.5): 2:20 p.m. ET
No team is hotter in MLB than the Boston Red Sox, who likely didn't want the All-Star Break to come as they've won 10 in a row and now travel to Chicago to face the NL Central-leading Cubs. It's a battle of two veteran right-handers, with Lucas Giolito (6-1, 3.36 ERA) going for Boston while Chicago will start Colin Rea (7-3, 3.91 ERA). Giolito is enjoying a nice bounceback year for Boston after missing all of 2024 on the heels of a poor 2023 campaign. He's pitched three straight quality starts, including six scoreless innings against Colorado in his last start of the first half. As for Rea, after starting 2025 in the bullpen, he's helped stabilize a Chicago rotation that has been handed some key injuries. He's pitched two straight quality starts, with his last outing being a seven-inning appearance where he allowed one run to the Minnesota Twins.
Brewers at Dodgers (-190, 8.5): 10:10 p.m. ET
The last game of the night in the National League features the team with the best record in the Senior Circuit, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the hottest team on that side, the Milwaukee Brewers, who have won eight of their last 10 and hold the top NL Wild Card spot. Tyler Glasnow (1-0, 3.52 ERA) makes just his seventh start of 2025 and his second since coming off the injured list for L.A., while the Brewers counter with Quinn Priester (7-2, 3.55 ERA). Glasnow made his return to the mound on July 9 in his first start since April 27 and gave up one unearned run in five innings against these very same Brewers. As for Priester, his last outing saw the young right-hander give up two earned runs across six innings against the Washington Nationals. This matchup features an 'A' grade from the SportsLine Projection Model, which you can check out below.Â
Today's featured sportsbook promo
There's no promo code required to take advantage of the latest new-user offer from Fanatics Sportsbook. With this promotion, Fanatics offers $100 in No Sweat Bets for 10 straight days. This offer applies only to the first bet you make each day. If any of your first bets of the day lose, you get that stake back in bonus bets up to $100 per bet for a maximum return of $1,000 in No Sweat Bets. If any of those bets win, you receive your stake and winnings in cash like normal.Â
To get the full value of this offer, a new Fanatics user would need to bet $100 as their first bet of the day for each of their first 10 days after creating a Fanatics account. Bonus bets expire after seven days, and bets won using bonus bets return just the winnings and not the stake.
Fanatics Sportsbook promo code terms and conditions:
- Minimum deposit: $10
- No promo code required
- Must be 21 or older and in a state where Fanatics Sportsbook legally operates.
- Place a daily first bet of at least $1 on any market with odds of -500 or longer. If your qualifying wager loses, you receive a bonus bet equal to the amount of your losing wager, up to $100. This offer covers 10 consecutive days starting when you sign up with Fanatics. This means you can earn up to $1,000 in bonus bets over the promo period.
- Bonus bets are credited to your account within 72 hours of your qualifying wager settling as a loss.
- Each bonus bet expires after seven days.
- After placing your first bet on Day 1, you need to opt-in to the promotion each day before placing your qualifying wager in order to continue receiving bonus bets.
- Bonus bets cannot be cashed out or withdrawn.
- Bets won using bonus bets return only the winnings and not the stake.
Other games to bet on for Friday, July 18
Over at SportsLine, you'll get top-notch analysis, including game breakdowns, betting trends, predictions, and expert advice on all the MLB games slated for Friday, July 18. You can also join the SportsLine Discord channel for even more betting tips and expert picks.
Get more out of your SportsLine subscription!Â
Discord is the place you can chat with other members as well as the experts text...
Discord chat is for subscribers only.
Learn More- Picks: Golf | MLB | NASCAR | UFC | More
- Early Edge: YouTube | Apple Podcasts
- Newsletters: SportsLine Daily | Fantasy
- More: Download App | New at SportsLine
Qualifying SportsLine members receive a 30-day free trial of Paramount+ with SHOWTIME. Sync your account right here.Â
