The MLB season is well underway, which means it’s time to make some wagers on baseball.
If MLB outright picks, runlines or totals aren’t your style — and perhaps you want to dig even deeper — you’ve come to the right place. Here are our expert MLB prop bets that’ll help you win some dough.
Today’s MLB Prop Bets
| Bet | Record | Unit Profit |
|---|---|---|
| Hitters | 100-77 | 11.324 |
| Pitchers | 10-15 | -6.999 |
| All | 110-92 | 4.325 |
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Total Bases
| Player | Opposing Pitcher | OVER | UNDER |
|---|---|---|---|
| OF Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (ARI) | RHP Kodai Senga (NYM) | O 0.5 Total Bases (-190) | U 0.5 Total Bases (+130) |
Pick: OVER 0.5 Total Bases (-190)
When Gurriel gets going, there are few hitters in baseball like him. He's brewing up a hot streak right now, having cashed the OVER in nine of 10.
Yoan Moncada Total Bases
| Player | Opposing Pitcher | OVER | UNDER |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3B Yoan Moncada (CHI) | RHP Kenta Maeda (MIN) | O 0.5 Total Bases (-160) | U 0.5 Total Bases (+115) |
Pick: OVER 0.5 Total Bases (-160)
The White Sox stink, but Moncada has quietly been pumping out hits. The third baseman has cashed the OVER 0.5 in 13 of his last 15 contests.
Corey Seager Total Bases
| Player | Opposing Pitcher | OVER | UNDER |
|---|---|---|---|
| SS Corey Seager (TEX) | RHP Kevin Gausman (TOR) | O 1.5 Total Bases (-115) | U 1.5 Total Bases (-115) |
Pick: OVER 1.5 Total Bases (-115)
If the Blue Jays pitch to Seager, he will deliver. The Rangers superstar owns a career .389/.500/.500 slash line off Kevin Gausman, so if he gets his pitch, he won't miss.
MLB Handicapping Tools
Check out our free MLB betting tools. These tools will help sports bettors find the edge over the books.
What Is An MLB Prop Bet?
An MLB prop bet is a wager that has no direct impact on the outcome of a baseball game.
A prop bet is a “proposition” wager, and though these bets are often for entertainment purposes, there is still room for plenty of profit, especially in baseball. MLB prop bets can range from MLB player props like a pitcher’s strikeout total or a hitter’s hit total, to more niche bets like stolen bases or hitter strikeouts.
At your online betting site of choice, MLB prop bets could be something like:
- • How many strikeouts will Gerrit Cole throw? OVER/UNDER 6.5
- • How many hits will Mookie Betts have? OVER/UNDER 1.5
- • Will Trea Turner steal a base? OVER/UNDER 0.5 SB
How To Read MLB Prop Bet Odds
When you visit your favorite online sportsbook, you can find prop odds for most sports, including baseball. Most props will look like the following example (with either YES/NO odds or OVER/UNDER odds):
How many strikeouts will Gerrit Cole have against the Red Sox?
- OVER 6.5 +200
- UNDER 6.5 -200
In this MLB prop bet example, you can wager on whether you think the Yankees right-hander will strike out seven or more Boston Red Sox, or six or fewer. If you place $100 on Cole to strike out OVER 6.5 at +200 odds, you would return $300 (your $100 back, plus $200 in profit). If you win a bet wagering on the UNDER 6.5 at -200, you would need to wager $200 to profit $100. Calculate exact profits using our sports betting calculator.
Popular MLB Pitcher Prop Bets
Baseball props are tons of fun thanks to the variety of avenues to make money. Pitcher props offer dozens of different bets on a single player every game.
Strikeouts
Betting strikeouts is among the more popular pitcher prop bets. Depending on the pitcher, a total might be set at 4.5 strikeouts. From there, your options are to bet OVER or UNDER. If you're set on the OVER, be sure to check the stats before laying this bet. Remember to analyze if this pitcher is good at getting swings-and-misses, or if the team he's facing has a propensity for striking out.
Walks
Like with strikeouts, you need to understand the pitcher and the opponent before betting OVER/UNDER on walks. Does the pitcher have a high BB/9? How many batters did he walk in his last three outings? Does the opposing lineup have trouble chasing pitches? All those questions should be answered before you place a bet.
Hits
If you think a hitter will stifle an opposing batting order, bet the UNDER on his hits. If you want to fade him, hammer the OVER. Oftentimes, the OVER is a better wager since it's possible for a pitcher to have a good outing while allowing many hits. It's nearly impossible for a pitcher to have a cruddy outing if he doesn't allow hits.
Home Runs
Some pitchers struggle with the longball. Bad pitchers give up lots of homers, but so do good ones. Gerrit Cole and Robbie Ray are two excellent pitchers with solid career numbers who often get burned by the longball. For home run bets, check to see how powerful the pitcher's opposing lineup is. And maybe if they throw a specialty pitch (ex. Cole has a very reliable fastball), see if the lineup hits that pitch hard or not.
Outs
If you bet on how many outs a pitcher will record, you're estimating how deep he'll work into the game. For example, if Jose Berrios has his total outs set at 15.5, you'd either bet the OVER or UNDER. If he works 5.1 innings that day, then the OVER hits. Anything less, and the UNDER wins.
Earned Runs
For earned runs bets, follow the same research as hits or home runs. Check a pitcher's ERA, as well as his game logs for previous outings. If he's getting roughed up often, perhaps an OVER bet is warranted.
