It's June and the baseball season is in full swing with 16 games on the MLB betting board this Saturday. That gives us countless MLB player prop bets to consider, so we're sifting through all the matchups and numbers to bring you some of our favorite plays.
Today we're fading one of the worst offenses in the majors, backing a struggling slugger in a tasty matchup, and expecting Austin Riley to tee off at Coors Field. Here are our best free MLB player prop picks for Saturday, June 4.
MLB props for June 4
Picks made on 6/4/2022 at 11:15 a.m. ET.
Click on each pick to jump to the full analysis.
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Today’s best MLB prop bets
The odds widgets below represent the best odds currently available for each betting market at regulated sportsbooks.
Slick Nick
The Boston Red Sox and Oakland Athletics face off in the second game of a three-game set today after the A's lost 7-2 last night. The A's didn't get on the scoreboard until the eighth inning last night when they faced off against the shaky Boston bullpen and have averaged just 2.0 runs per game in their last four contests.
Hitting issues have plagued Oakland all season, with the A's tied for last in the majors with an OPS of .604. They've been even worse at home where they are plating a pathetic 2.71 runs per game.
The BoSox will send Nick Pivetta to the mound today. The veteran has looked very sharp recently, pitching to a 1.59 ERA with a 0.77 WHIP through 34 innings in his last five starts. We're fading the A's offense at home and taking the Under 2.5 earned runs allowed for Pivetta.
Pick: Nick Pivetta Under 2.5 earned runs (-133)
Juan for the money
Reds pitcher Tyler Mahle is coming off one of his best performances of the season, throwing nearly seven innings of shutout ball against the Giants. Despite that stellar start, Mahle has still pitched to a subpar 5.53 ERA with a 1.38 WHIP on the year.
Tonight, Mahle and the Reds host the Washington Nationals at the hitter-friendly confines of the Great American Ball Park. The Nats haven't been hitting well this season and despite rumors that they are considering trading Juan Soto (reports shot down by GM Mike Rizzo), he crushed a solo home run last night.
The 23-year-old phenom has struggled to make contact this season, batting just .223, but his expected slugging percentage of .561 ranks among the Top 10% of hitters in the majors. He has hit 10 homers and 11 doubles in 54 games, and that power, combined with the fact that he doesn't chase pitches, should result in positive regression.
It's also worth noting that Soto is 3-8 with a homer and a double against Mahle in his career. We're taking the Over 1.5 on Soto's total bases.
Pick: Juan Soto Over 1.5 total bases (+135 at DraftKings)
Bat Riley
The defending World Series champion Braves look to climb back to .500 as they face off against the Rockies tonight. Atlanta has been mashing lately, ranking fourth in the majors in OPS over the last 15 days, and third baseman Austin Riley has been a big reason for that.
Riley leads the club with 12 home runs and 106 total bases, and while he went 0-3 against the Rockies last night, he had gone 10-22 with 22 total bases in his previous five games.
The Rockies will have southpaw Kyle Freeland toeing the rubber. Freeland isn't a terrible pitcher but it isn't easy throwing at the hitter's paradise that is Coors Field. Freeland has a 4.96 ERA this season while pitching to a 6.25 ERA with a .328 OBA in six starts at home. He could be in trouble versus a hard-hitting Braves lineup, especially against Riley, who has been mashing lefties with an OPS of 1.082.
Riley is eighth in the majors in hard-hit percentage while ranking 10th in average exit velocity and barrels per plate appearance. Those analytics suggest that he's likely to have plenty of success in the thin air of Coors Field tonight. We're taking the Over 2.5 on his total bases.
Pick: Austin Riley Over 2.5 total bases (+120)
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