Player props can be useful in a variety of ways -- from taking advantage of them straight up (to the tune of cold hard cash) 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 projections as a guide and looking at the MLB odds at FanDuel Sportsbook, here are some spots where you can find value today in the prop-betting market.
Here are some MLB player prop bets to make tonight.
Please note that betting lines and our game projections may change throughout the day after this article is published. Also, the weather may be an issue in some locations.
Elly De La Cruz To Hit a Home Run (+500)
The hype is real for Elly De La Cruz.
De La Cruz is one of the top prospects in the MLB and made his debut last night and didn't disappoint. While he ended with just one hit, it was a thunderous double that clocked in with a game-high 112.0 mph exit velocity. That was his calling card throughout the minors, and with one of the best hitter's parks in the league waiting for him, we should see plenty of offensive production from him.
Essentially, the +500 number for his home run is very high, and I don't anticipate it staying there moving forward. I want to jump on board now, and we can always reassess things further down the line.
The Cincinnati Reds have a 4.91 implied run total and are set to take on Noah Syndergaard, who is worth attacking every time he is on the mound. This season, Thor has allowed a .368 wOBA, .536 SLG, 5.03 xFIP, 2.03 HR/9, 36.7% fly-ball rate, and 32.7% hard-contact rate versus left-handed hitters.
De La Cruz has elite numbers from his time in the minors this season with a .335 ISO, .437 wOBA, and 152 wRC+. It's his time to shine. Of course, I have to also add De La Cruz To Record an RBI (+105).
Christian Walker To Record 2+ Total Bases (-125)
Christian Walker has been borderline elite this season, and not enough people are talking about it.
Walker is crushing the ball this year and is staring down a great matchup to continue that trend tonight. The Arizona Diamondbacks are rocking a 4.97 implied run total, and with the offensive production we've seen from them this season, it wouldn't be a surprise to see them nearly double that.
They are taking on Patrick Corbin, who allows a .359 wOBA, .494 SLG, 4.43 xFIP, 1.78 HR/9, 13.9% strikeout rate, and 19.0% HR/FB ratio. None of that is good for Corbin, and it has really been that way for a few seasons. He struggles versus righty power hitters, and this is the spot to jump in that matchup.
Walker comes in with a 171 wRC+, .429 wOBA, .396 ISO, 50.0% fly-ball rate, and 40.0% hard-contact rate versus left-handed pitchers this season. Whew, buddy! Those are some juicy numbers to have in this type of matchup and has me excited for Walker tonight.
LaMonte Wade Jr. To Record an RBI (+115)
A plus money player prop at Coors Field? Sign me up!
Coors Field is the best hitter's park in the league, and anytime we can get a simple RBI prop at plus money, I'm going to take it. The San Francisco Giants have a slate-high 6.29 implied run total against the Colorado Rockies in a game with an 11.0 over/under. Surprise, surprise. A game at Coors Field is expected to see a lot of scoring.
We turn to LaMonte Wade Jr, who is crushing righties this season to the tune of a 169 wRC+, .421 wOBA, .205 ISO, 38.1% fly-ball rate, and 38.3% hard-contact rate. That puts him in a spot to be productive on a nightly basis, especially when he is at Coors Field.
The Rockies will have Connor Seabold on the mound, who comes in allowing a .356 wOBA, ..478 SLG, .304 BABIP, .5.29 xFIP, 1.64 HR/9, and 45.8% fly-ball rate to left-handed hitters. Those are some rough numbers to be sporting while at Coors, and it puts the Giants in a great spot to produce tonight.