MLB Betting: 3 Best Player Prop Bets for Friday 8/16/24
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Player props can be useful in a variety of ways -- from taking advantage of them straight up to measuring a player's potential to produce in daily fantasy baseball on FanDuel. Here, we're going to focus on the former.
Utilizing our MLB projections -- which are powered by numberFire -- as a guide, here are some MLB player props bets that look appealing via the MLB odds at FanDuel Sportsbook.
Please note that betting lines and projections may change throughout the day after this article is published. Also, the weather may be an issue in some locations.
Best MLB Player Props Today
Weston Wilson To Record An RBI (+135)
Patrick Corbin, who comes into the night with a 5.98 ERA, 5.90 xERA, and 4.64 SIERA, will throw against a loaded Philadelphia Phillies offense.
Corbin cedes a .318 BA, .528 SLG, and 1.45 home runs per nine innings to right-handed hitters. Enter Weston Wilson, a righty who has the matchup to bat in a run against the left-handed Corbin.
Wilson has played only 16 games in the majors this season. We don't have a voluminous sample for him, but what we know is encouraging. For starters, he checks the handedness box for this matchup. He's also gone 13-for-38 (.342 BA) at the plate this season, including six extra-base hits.
He's seen just 18 at-bats opposite lefties, but he notched eight hits in this split, including four extra-base hits. Last night, he became the first Phillies rookie in history to hit for the cycle. Wilson is hot right now and has been batting toward the bottom of a Philadelphia order that is primed to get on base opposite Corbin, so I'll back him to knock in a run.
Paul Skenes Over 8.5 Strikeouts (+114)
It's not lost on me how high of a bar is being set here, but Paul Skenes is pitching at home against the most strikeout-prone team in MLB. What could go wrong?
The opposing Seattle Mariners contribute a .218 BA (30th), .368 SLG (27th), and .297 wOBA (24th) versus right-handed pitchers. Skenes can pass through batters with pace, so Seattle's meh offense could help keep him in the game longer. Skenes generates a 32.3% strikeout rate and punches out 11.25 batters per nine innings.
The Mariners strike out against righties at a resounding 28.3% rate. No other team in MLB strikes out any higher than a 25.8% rate against this handedness. Only 14 teams strike out at a 23.0% rate or higher in this split.
Skenes has started seven games against any of those 14 teams. Here's how he fared in the K department in those contests -- 7 Ks, 11 Ks, 9 Ks, 7 Ks, 8 Ks, 9 Ks, and 11 Ks. Not too shabby. Now that he'll face the most strikeout-prone team of all, I'm willing to back an awesome night for him at these +114 odds.
Steven Kwan To Record 2+ Bases (-110)
Steven Kwan has the third-best batting average in baseball (.325) and is facing a contact-prone pitcher, Aaron Civale, tonight.
Civale surrenders a .347 wOBA, 44.2% fly-ball rate, and 1.68 home runs per nine innings to left-handed hitters. Kwan, meanwhile, produces a .306 BA, 136 wRC+, and 39.0% fly-ball rate opposite righties.
American Family Field is a friendly park for lefties to go long, and Kwan has had a bit more power in his pocket as of late, smashing two home runs in his last five games. Plus, he bats leadoff and will be playing this one on the road. In turn, he could easily be subjected to five at-bats in this one.
Kwan has recorded at least two bases in 45 out of 95 games this season. Add in the matchup against Civale and circumstances that could have him seeing upwards of four plate appearances, and he's a worthy target in this market.
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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author’s advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.