MLB Player Props & Best Bets for Today, May 12

Quinn Allen - Betting Analyst at Covers.com
Quinn Allen • Betting Analyst 7+ years betting experience
Updated: May 12, 2026 , 07:49 AM ET • 4 min read

Quinn Allen's prediction: Paul Skenes carves a Colorado Rockies lineup who struggles to make contact.

Paul Skenes Pittsburgh Pirates MLB
Photo By - Reuters Connect. Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field

It's a full 15-game slate across the Majors today, which means no shortage of value in my MLB player props. I'll highlight Paul Skenes, Elly De La Cruz, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. 

Read more in my MLB picks for Tuesday, May 12. 

Best MLB player props today

Player  Pick Odds
Pirates Paul Skenes Over 7.5 strikeouts -101
Reds Elly De La Cruz Over 1.5 hits +185
Dodgers Yoshinobu Yamamoto Over 6.5 strikeouts +114
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Paul Skenes Over 7.5 strikeouts (-101)

Paul Skenes is carving opponents early on, posting a 2.36 ERA while striking out 46 hitters in 42 innings of work. The Pittsburgh Pirates ace has cashed the Over in Ks just once in his last three starts, but he did finish with seven punchouts in the other two outings, and tonight's matchup heavily plays in Skenes' favor. 

He'll face the lowly Colorado Rockies, one of the worst teams in the big leagues. Colorado strikes out more than any other team, with an average of 9.78 per game. They're also averaging over 12 Ks per contest across their last three, and Skenes' electric stuff will be too much for them.

He also has 26 punchouts in 21 1/3 home innings. 

  • Time: 6:40 p.m. ET
  • Where to watch: SportsNet Pittsburgh, Rockies.TV

Elly De La Cruz Over 1.5 hits (+185)

Elly De La Cruz is tearing the cover off the baseball. He's batting .308 in May and .367 over the last week. The Cincinnati Reds star has three consecutive multi-hit games, and he finished with three hits in Sunday's victory over the Astros. De La Cruz had seven hits in that three-game series. 

Tonight's matchup will be one he's looking forward to as well. The Washington Nationals send veteran Miles Mikolas to the mound, who sports an ERA over seven. He's getting absolutely torched every time he takes the hill, and De La Cruz is hitting .333 against him, going 5-for-15 lifetime. 

De La Cruz is also batting a mile better at home with a .346 average, compared to a .232 mark on the road. 

  • Time: 6:40 p.m. ET
  • Where to watch: Reds.TV, Nationals.TV

Yoshinobu Yamamoto Over 6.5 strikeouts (+114)

The Los Angeles Dodgers have been led by the dominance of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who is having a nice campaign. He's gone 3-2 with a 3.09 ERA, striking out 40 in 43 2/3 frames. Yamamoto has hit the Over in Ks in three of his last four appearances, and he sat down eight via the strikeout in his most recent start against the Astros. 

Yamamoto will face the San Francisco Giants this evening, and he already struck out seven against them earlier this season. He's held them to a .181 average as a lineup as well. The Giants do a respectable job of putting the ball in play, but they strike out a lot more on the road, averaging 8.33 Ks

  • Time: 10:10 p.m. ET
  • Where to watch: SportsNet LA, NBC Sports Bay Area
Quinn Allen's 2026 Transparency Record
  • Prop picks: 22-41, +0.25 units

Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
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Quinn Allen - Covers
Betting Analyst

Quinn Allen is an experienced sports journalist from Vancouver, Canada who fell in love with sports by the time he could walk. He proceeded to play high-level baseball and soccer growing up and eventually played college baseball in the United States.

After his career ended, Quinn received his broadcast journalism degree from BCIT and has since written for many sports publications including ClutchPoints, Gino Hard, and RG, where he plies his trade as a writer and editor.

Quinn's favorite team is Chelsea FC and he'd like to watch a match at Stamford Bridge one day. He loves to bet on NBA player props and encourages others to bet responsibly and not chase losses.

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