Today’s MLB slate features 15 games, giving us a massive range of action to bet on. Highlights include Dodgers vs. Angels, Red Sox vs. Astros, and Braves vs. Mets, but there’s plenty of value to be had by looking elsewhere, too.
Here are my favorite MLB prop bets, including batting, home run, and strikeout props, for today.
All MLB odds are current as of Wednesday, August 13.
Best MLB Prop Bets
Nationals: Over 3.5 Runs (-125) vs Royals
DraftKings Sportsbook • WAGER: 0.5 Unit
While the Nationals aren’t exactly breaking records in the runs scored department this season, they’ve been solid lately, averaging 5.67 runs per game over their last three outings.
Now, they’re taking on Royals pitcher Seth Lugo, who, at first glance, has solid numbers at 8-6 with a 3.46 ERA, but he’s been beat up on a bit recently.
Over his last five starts, he’s allowed three runs or more three times.
In his most recent outing against a depleted Minnesota Twins lineup, he allowed seven earned runs and two home runs across four innings.
With a line of 3.5, I think the Nationals could get to Lugo, who’s had some issues lately.
There’s value here, making it one of the more solid MLB bets of the day.
Best MLB Home Run Prop Bets
Cody Bellinger (+285) vs. Twins
DraftKings Sportsbook • WAGER: 0.25 Units
This matchup for Bellinger is already a great start, as he’s a lefty hitting at Yankee Stadium.
Down that right field line is just 314 feet.
As for the matchup, Bellinger comes into this game with 21 home runs this season.
He’ll face off against Twins pitcher Joe Ryan, who’s been excellent this season, going 11-5 with a 2.79 ERA.
However, I think this could be a home run spot.
Ryan has allowed 15 home runs this season, and nine of them have come against left-handed batters.
As for Bellinger, 15 of his 21 home runs have come against right-handed batters.
Bellinger hit a home run against the Twins just a few days ago on Aug. 11.
Ryan is excellent, so there’s some worry here, hence the 0.25 unit wager.
Best MLB Strikeout Prop Bets
Shohei Ohtani: Over 5.5 Strikeouts (-115) vs Angels
DraftKings Sportsbook • WAGER: 0.5 Unit
The Dodgers have been conservative with Ohtani on the mound.
He’s logged eight appearances and has yet to go beyond four innings.
However, he went four innings in his most recent outing against the St. Louis Cardinals, allowing one run and recording eight strikeouts.
Here, against his former team, the Angels, the line is set at 5.5 strikeouts.
No team in Major League Baseball strikes out more per game than the Angels. They average 9.7 per game.
We’ve seen Ohtani go well beyond 5.5 with his eight against St. Louis, a team that strikes out the fourth-least per game.
I’m taking the over, especially with the motivation against his former team.
Best MLB Player Prop Odds Today
Check out our props comparison tool’s best MLB player prop bets for today’s MLB slate. Click on a game below to see all of its prop bets.
Catch more of our daily MLB bet picks
How Baseball Prop Betting Works
Prop betting in baseball is where users wager on other outcomes aside from who wins and loses, the run-line spread, or the total. There are player props and game props, and there can be non-game-related props if there are special events.
For instance, if you are planning to watch the New York Mets vs. the Atlanta Braves and don’t trust the Mets to win with Kodai Senga on the mound but still want to cash in on him pitching, you can bet his strikeout Over/Under prop.
Or if there’s a player in Atlanta with good career numbers against Senga, you can bet on him to get a hit or drive in a run during the game.
If Jose Quintana‘s Over/Under for strikeouts was set at 4.5 and he struck out five, Over would be the winning bet. If you bet on Matt Olson to have a hit or an RBI against Quintana, and he achieves that, then that Over bet will hit, too.
Best Baseball Prop Betting Sites
Betting baseball props is easy with no shortage of legal online sportsbooks. Here are a few of our favorites:
BetMGM Sportsbook
BetMGM is an exceptional option for prop betting on baseball, with a slew of available markets and props for every MLB game each day.
The BetMGM app also offers users loyalty rewards, advice, and a live-stream option for certain marquee games and events. Users can watch their games in real-time and get the most accurate and dependable info to make informed bets and win big.
FanDuel Sportsbook
FanDuel is another great choice for baseball prop betting, particularly since users can parlay multiple props in a Same-Game Parlay. FanDuel, which popularized the Same-Game Parlay, has become the top sportsbook in the U.S. due to this prop-heavy betting option.
But wait, there’s more. FanDuel also recently released Game Parlay+, enabling bettors to combine multiple props from multiple games to win even more. FanDuel is the only sportsbook that offers that at the moment, and that feature should entice prospective bettors to participate in their service.
Caesars Sportsbook
Caesars is a terrific option for betting on props in all sports, especially baseball. Caesars is well known for its terrific app and regularly boosts odds for props or parlays for marquee games.
With Caesars Rewards, users can also accrue points and use them for dining, and hotel stays at Caesars properties, and sports tickets, which means you can win big while also watching your online account soar.
BetRivers Sportsbook
BetRivers has a wide variety of prop betting options for baseball bettors and gives new and novice gamblers a helpful guide to betting and tips and advice so they can make the best decision possible.
The BetRivers app also provides more than 100 markets for every MLB game each day, and the sportsbook has an exceptional welcome offer, as new users who make a first deposit of up to $250 will receive a 100% match.
DraftKings Sportsbook
DraftKings has a ton of betting options for every sport, especially baseball, and that makes turning those props into a Same-Game Parlay a breeze. DraftKings lets users combine many markets from the same game with the simple toggle of an icon.
The DraftKings online sportsbook is the most widely available option nationwide, meaning if you’re in a state where online betting is legal, you can undoubtedly use their app.
How to Pick the Best MLB Prop Betting Sites
Ease of Use
It’s important to feel comfortable with the sportsbook that you choose to use. Whether it be the layout of the website or the ease of depositing and withdrawing funds, it can make a difference in your overall experience.
Welcome Bonuses & Promotions
Keep an eye out for these bonuses or promotions, as they could prove to be profitable. As far as welcome bonuses go, some sportsbooks will offer free wagers to new customers. Regarding promotions, they can include boosted odds to potentially make wagers more profitable for customers.
Variety of Props
A wide variety of props equates to more opportunities to win money. That not only means offering game, team, individual, and season-long props but also offering more of them. A wider variety of props could also lead to added entertainment as you follow along with your wagers.
Odds on Props
This is very important. It’s not uncommon for multiple sportsbooks to list the same line on a prop. However, the odds can be different - use a betting calculator to compare payouts and find the best value. For instance, if DraftKings has the odds on a Mookie Betts hits prop at -110, but BetMGM is boosting it +115, it’s worth it to put your money down at BetMGM.
What MLB Prop Bets Are Available?
We already mentioned Over/Unders for strikeouts for starting pitchers as a prop betting option for baseball. Here’s a list of other standard prop bets for baseball:
- Over/Under for runs, hits, RBI, total bases, stolen bases, and strikeouts: Typically set at 0.5, will each hitter/batter accomplish that?
- Anytime home run hitter: Will an individual hitter hit a home run?
- Will the game go to extra innings?
- Alternate totals: If the Over/Under for runs is set at 8.5, you can bet lower or higher options at longer or shorter odds.
- Race to a certain run total: Which team will reach a certain run threshold first?
- Which starting pitcher will have the most/least strikeouts, walks, hits allowed, etc.? Pitching props are widely available for starters but may not be featured if an “opener} is being used.
Baseball Prop Betting Promotions
Prop betting promos like boosts are great enticements for users to bet. If the Spencer Strider strikeout prop or a Jose Altuve Over 1.5 hits in a game is boosted to plus-money at one online sportsbook, that’s a good reason to choose a particular sportsbook over another.
One type of promotion is an odds boost. This is where a bettor receives more lucrative odds for a typical prop bet to hit.
For instance, some sportsbooks might produce curated prop parlays, like enabling bettors to wager on Max Scherzer and Yu Darvish to combine for more than 14.5 strikeouts in a game featuring the Texas Rangers and San Diego Padres.
Or maybe one would boost the odds on Mike Trout and Aaron Judge to each drive in a run in a game between the Los Angeles Angels and New York Yankees.
Other prop boosts could be for enhanced odds on Randy Arozarena to hit a home run for the Tampa Bay Rays in a specific game.
There are also welcome bonuses that are often offered for new members, including initial deposit matches up to a certain dollar amount.
Best Baseball Prop Bets
The only baseball prop bets better than the ones you love are the ones you love that are boosted. So be sure to peruse each sportsbook app daily to try and find those boosted props, whether it’s strikeouts, RBI, or who will hit a home run today.
Maybe a single sportsbook is boosting a star pitcher’s Over/Under of 5.5 strikeouts one night to +100. Take advantage of that boost and the extra 10% profit you’ll gain.
Or if a solid hitter getting a hit is boosted from -125 to +110 on one sportsbook, that’s well worth taking advantage of.
Props are great because they can hit even if the outcome you think will happen is completely wrong.
Baseball Prop Betting Strategy
Search for matchups you like and markets that seem attainable. Start small and then build your way to the three- and four-leg prop parlays that more seasoned gamblers can put together.
If your favorite team has an unfavorable matchup, but you think one of your favorite players will do well, it benefits you to wager on a player prop. There’s no wrong way to choose a prop.
The key to betting is to look for statistical trends. Fortunately, many sportsbooks offer trends and stats on their online platforms these days.
Common sense also pays off too. For instance, say the Los Angeles Dodgers are playing the first of a three-game series against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field, and you know that home runs fly out of the ballpark in Denver.
That’s a great time to look for the best home run bets on one of the Dodgers’ top power hitters — like Betts, Max Muncy, or someone else who has been recently driving the ball.
Benefits of MLB Prop Betting Online
Prop betting on baseball is so much better online. For instance, so many props are boosted online, which provides a bigger payout than those made at a physical sportsbook. Payouts are faster online as well, giving users more playable funds to put toward other potential wagers.
Plus, users can shop for the best odds across a slew of sportsbooks instead of being confined to a single location, thus ensuring the largest possible payout.
How to Place a Baseball Prop Bet Online
Here’s how to place a prop bet on baseball: follow these simple steps to get started.
- Register at a preferred sportsbook. Be sure to click GET BONUS at the top of this page to ensure the max new-player bonus.
- Peruse the prop betting options for each MLB game.
- Find the one you like the best.
- Tap it to add it to your bet card.
- Insert the amount you want to wager.
- Press “Place bet."
- Root for it to hit!
Where Can I Legally Place an MLB Prop Bet Online?
Betting on baseball props is legal anywhere online sports betting is allowed. Here’s a list of those states:
- Arizona
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New York
- Nevada
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- Tennessee
- Virginia
- Washington D.C.
- West Virginia
- Wyoming
Choose More Than One Baseball Prop Betting Site
Having funds in more than one online sportsbook enables bettors to shop to find the best odds possible for their preferred baseball prop bet. But you can only do that if you have money in more than one online sportsbook, which is why keeping funds in multiple accounts is integral.
Having a number of sites to place bets on props allows you to search for a variety of different props. Also, it’s important to search for odds across multiple sites to help maximize your potential profits.
Various sites also offer different promotions daily, so being registered with multiple sportsbooks would allow you to take advantage of those opportunities.
