Two National League teams that hope to go deep in the playoffs collide when the Atlanta Braves and St. Louis Cardinals begin a key three-game series on Friday at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. The reigning World Series champion Braves (78-48) sit in second place in the NL East, two games behind the Mets. Meanwhile the Cardinals (72-53) lead the NL Central by six games over the Brewers. 

Atlanta is a -160 favorite in the latest Braves vs. Cardinals odds from Caesars Sportsbook while St. Louis is a +135 underdog. First pitch is set for 8:15 p.m. ET. The game is one of 15 on the MLB schedule for Friday. (See up-to-date lines for every game on our MLB odds page.)

Before making any MLB picks or parlays, be sure to see the predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven computer model.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every MLB game 10,000 times, and it is a 305-263 on top-rated MLB money-line picks since the start of the 2021 season. This is the same model that pegged the 2021 Atlanta Braves at 10-1 as one of three best bets to win the World Series. Anybody who has followed the model has seen profitable returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on the MLB schedule for Friday, Aug. 26 and has generated a four-leg parlay that would pay almost 17-1! The parlay doesn't start until 7:05 p.m. ET, giving you plenty of time to make your MLB picks.

We can tell you that one of the picks is the Giants (+110) to beat the Twins. But the model has three other picks, including plays on two even bigger underdogs! You ABSOLUTELY need to see them before locking in any MLB picks of your own.

So which underdogs are a MUST-BACKS? And what other teams do you need to include in your parlay for a payout of almost 17-1? ... Join SportsLine right now to find out which picks you should be all over on Friday, all from the model that is on a 305-263 run on top-rated MLB money-line picks since the start of 2021!