Houston Astros ace and American League Cy Young favorite Justin Verlander returns to the mound for the first time since Aug. 28 when he faces the Oakland A's in the second game of a four-game series on Friday at Minute Maid Park in Houston. The 39-year-old Verlander (16-3, 1.84 ERA) has missed three starts with a minor calf issue. He leads the majors in ERA and WHIP (0.86) and is tied for second in wins.

Houston is a -385 favorite in the latest Astros vs. A's odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while Oakland is a +300 underdog. The over/under for runs scored is 7.5. First pitch is set for 8:10 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 316-272 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 it has seen profitable returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on the MLB schedule for Friday, Sept. 16, and has generated a three-leg parlay that would pay almost 33-1! The parlay doesn't start until 8:10 p.m. ET, giving you plenty of time to make your MLB picks.

We can tell you that one of the picks is the Diamondbacks (+158) to beat the Padres. But the model has two other picks, including plays on two bigger underdogs! You ABSOLUTELY need to see them before locking in any MLB picks of your own.

So which underdogs are MUST-BACKS? And what other teams do you need to include in your parlay for a payout of almost 33-1? ... Join SportsLine right now to find out which picks you should be all over on Friday, all from the model that is on a 316-272 run on top-rated MLB money-line picks since the start of 2021!