Thanks to some doubleheaders, it's an absolutely loaded day on the diamond with 16 games on the MLB schedule for baseball player prop bettors to dive into.
Noah Syndergaard is on the mound for the Angels, so that means we’re betting someone to steal a base against him. Plus, Francisco Lindor will look to stay hot against a slumping Patrick Corbin, and there is some nice value with a Christian Javier prop in tonight’s matchup against the A’s.
Check out our MLB player prop picks for Tuesday, May 31, as we bank on some of baseball’s best to do their thing.
MLB props for May 31
Picks made on 5/31/2022 at 12:00 p.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.
Aaron the thief
Welcome back to our weekly segment, “Who will steal a base against Noah Syndergaard?”
Yes, Syndergaard takes the ball for the Los Angeles Angels when they open a series in the Bronx against the New York Yankees. And while the Yanks aren’t really known from their speed on the basepaths, Thor has been so bad at allowing runners to get the jump on him that we just can’t pass up on this opportunity.
Syndergaard has allowed an MLB-worst 12 stolen bases over his first seven starts of the season and has allowed at least one in five of those seven games.
Baserunners swiping bags is something that has been a problem for Syndergaard dating back to his time with the Mets. That is because of a slow and deliberate delivery to the plate, which has carried over to this season.
So, who is the best Yankee to back to swipe a bag in this matchup?
Well, let’s start with the guy who gets on base more than any other guy in Yankee pinstripes, and most of the league for that matter, Aaron Judge.
Judge is having a fantastic season to this point and will garner MVP consideration if he keeps it up. The outfielder is slashing .309/.376/.669 with a league-leading 18 home runs. So, he gets on base. A lot. He is also a perfect 3-for-3 in stolen base attempts.
Obviously, Judge to steal a base is a bit of a long shot, but it’s worth a stab at this price.
Pick: Aaron Judge Over 0.5 stolen bases (+800)
Keep fading Corbin
Today is a good day.
That’s because we get to bet another of our favorite fades in Washington Nationals’ starter Patrick Corbin. The lefty will be on the bump tonight when the Nats visit the New York Mets.
It looks like it will be another long season for Corbin, who at this point in his career is arguably baseball’s most expensive innings eater. The lefty is pitching to an expected ERA of 6.09 while surrendering a .310 expected batting average to opponents.
Even though Corbin’s had some against the Mets this season, he enters this matchup on a three-game stretch where he has given up 21 hits in 17 1-3 innings. And now, he has to deal with one of the hottest hitters in baseball – Francisco Lindor.
The Mets’ shortstop is looking more and more like the guy we remember from Cleveland and is on fire at the dish. Lindor is hitting .406 over his last eight games with six extra-base hits and Over 1.5 total bases six times over that stretch. He is also 6-20 in his career against Corbin.
And when Corbin hands the ball off to the bullpen, Lindor will get some at-bats against a group of relievers that rank 22nd in ERA, 25th in WHIP, and 27th in opponent batting average. Getting Lindor to go Over his total bases at even money looks like a great value today.
Pick: Francisco Lindor Over 1.5 total bases (+106)
Javier secures W
Right off the bat: I love this bet.
This bet is backing Christian Javier to record the win tonight when he takes the ball for the Houston Astros against Frankie Montas and the Oakland Athletics.
Let’s get this out of the way first: Montas has been fantastic. Seemingly, the last man standing in Oakland, the right-hander has a 2.84 xERA and is striking out 10.3 batters per nine innings. He also has a great track record against Houston, but this isn’t about Montas. This is all about fading the Oakland offense, and the number we are getting.
The A’s have been absolutely putrid when facing right-handers this season. Their .207 batting average and .586 OPS both rank dead last in the MLB versus righties. They also rank 22nd when it comes to strikeout rate against right-handers and today they face an up-and-comer righty in Javier.
The Astros’ right-hander has an xERA of 2.93, is limiting opponents to a .203 xBA, and is punching out 11.7 batters per nine innings.
Javier has arguably been just as dominant as Montas this season and his last two starts have been outstanding, giving up just one run on six hits while striking out 18 in 11 2-3 innings.
But only one lineup has the potential to break through and that’s the Astros, the team that ranks 10th in OPS and third in home runs when facing right-handers.
Back Javier to grab the win at a great value.
Pick: Cristian Javier to record a win (+230)
Did you know that if you played today’s MLB props as a parlay, you could win $584.00 on a $10 bet?
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