It should be a great day for MLB prop betting with 15 games on the schedule, including four matinee matchups.
First, we take a look at a Reds-hot hitter this afternoon, followed by a pair of pitchers coming off their respective “worst” starts of the season as the Kansas City Royals send Danny Duffy to the mound to take on the Detroit Tigers, and Gerrit Cole toes the rubber for the New York Yankees against the Tampa Bay Rays.
We break down and pick those games and more with our best free MLB prop bets and predictions for Wednesday, May 12.
Today’s MLB props and picks
Jesse Winker Over 1.5 Total Bases (+110)
Cincinnati Reds outfielder Jesse Winker might be one of the most overlooked stars in baseball. After a 12-game hitting streak earlier in the year, the Reds’ slugger has started another one. Winker is now on a five-gamer heading into the Reds series finale against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Winker is 9-19 during this five-game hitting streak, with five doubles and a dinger, raising his batting average to .374 for the season with a 1.114 OPS. Next up on Winker’s hit list is Buccos’ starter, Trevor Cahill.
Cahill, like almost everyone on the Pirates, is having a rough go of things early on in this 2021 campaign. The right-hander has been tuned up to the sound of a 6.75 ERA and a 1.57 WHIP. He is also allowing opponents to hit .311 off him this season.
We just can’t say no to the plus money with Winker to go Over his total bases prop in this one.
Royals Five-Inning Runline -0.5 (-105)
Danny Duffy is coming off his worst start of the season for the Kansas City Royals, where he allowed three runs on eight hits with six strikeouts compared to just one walk in 5 2-3 innings. So, yeah, his season to this point has been pretty good.
Even with that “down” start, Duffy still owns a 1.26 ERA and a 1.07 and now gets to go against the Detroit Tigers, a team he shut out over five innings while striking out eight back on April 25.
To make matters worse for the Tigers, they are the worst team in the Bigs when it comes to facing southpaws. Detroit ranks dead last in batting average (.178) and OPS (.485) when facing left-handed pitchers this season.
The Tigers counter with right-hander Casey Mize, who has recorded back-to-back quality starts but allowed six runs on seven hits against the Royals back on April 23. K.C. is a good bet to have the lead through five.
Gerrit Cole Over 9.5 Strikeouts (-130)
Gerrit Cole keeps up our theme of pitchers coming off their “worst” start of the season that really wasn’t that bad. The New York Yankees ace allowed two runs on five hits in seven innings while striking out just four batters. For shame, Gerrit.
Seriously though, Cole has been outstanding this season. To go along with a great 1.61 ERA and a 0.72 WHIP, the right-hander leads the MLB in FIP (1.29) and in strikeout-to-walk ratio, which is a ridiculous 22.0. 22-1!
While Cole had his lowest strikeout total of the season last time out, he’ll get a chance to make up for that when he takes the ball Wednesday against the free-swinging Tampa Bay Rays.
Tampa Bay strikes out more than anyone in baseball, getting punched out 10.38 times per game, and got rung up by Cole 10 times in 6 1-3 innings when they faced off back on April 18. This strikeout total of 9.5 is great value considering Cole went Over this number four times in his previous five starts.
Yesterday's MLB record: 1-2, -1 unit
Season MLB betting record: 57-62-3, -6.41 units
MLB betting card for May 12
- Jesse Winker Over 1.5 Total Bases (+110)
- Royals Five-Inning Runline -0.5 (-105)
- Gerrit Cole Over 9.5 Strikeouts (-130)
Picks made on 5/12/2021 at 10:30 a.m. ET
MLB parlays
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