The baseball season is in full swing, along with the props and side bets that hit the MLB betting board every day. We comb through all the betting options to bring you some of the best value plays every day.
Today, we’re starting off with an early afternoon contest at Camden Yards, a side of one of our usual favorite wagers "deGrom Day," and we also look at a pitching mismatch in the Battle of L.A.
Here are our best free MLB prop bets picks and predictions for Sunday, May 9.
Today’s MLB props and picks
Red Sox vs Orioles Under 9 (-110)
At first glance, you might see this matchup between the highest-scoring team in MLB in the Boston Red Sox and a Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher with an ERA of 6.43 and lean toward the Over.
But with the Orioles the best Under bet in the majors and going 16-4-1 to the Under in their last 21 games overall, we're going in the opposite direction.
Keep in mind that the Orioles are one of the worst batting teams in baseball, ranking 25th in both runs per game with 3.88 and OPS at .668.
Both teams have gotten solid play from their bullpens with Baltimore's relievers pitching to a 3.46 ERA and Boston's putting up a mark of 3.77.
With the Red Sox going below the total in seven of their previous eight contests on the road, go with the Under this afternoon.
Diamondbacks vs Mets First 5 Innings Under 3.5 (-132)
The Mets ace was scratched from his previously scheduled start on Tuesday which robbed us of one of our favorite wagers here at Covers — the First Five Innings Under when deGrom gets the start.
The right-hander has been one of the most dominant pitchers in the world since he entered the bigs in 2014 and is on pace for his best season yet. He has pitched to 0.51 ERA with a 0.57 WHIP and an incredible 59 strikeouts in 35 innings through five starts this year.
But constantly betting the First 5 innings Under when he pitches wouldn't be quite so profitable without the other side of the equation, the Mets' struggles at the plate.
The Mets are once again one of the worst hitting teams in the majors, ranking 21st with an OPS of .680. They've also been particularly bad in the early going, plating just 2.04 runs per game through the first five innings.
Even with the first five innings Over/Under set at a low 3.5 and shaky righthander Riley Smith on the mound for Arizona, we're going with the Under.
Runline L.A. Dodgers -1.5 (-115)
The defending World Series champion Dodgers were on a brutal stretch heading into the weekend, losing 10 of their last 12 games going into Saturday. They came away with a big 14-11 win last night and will look to keep that momentum going with another strong performance against the Halos today.
The Dodgers' loaded lineup had been poised for a big breakout. The club ranks second in MLB in OPS but it has stranded more runners in scoring position than any team in the majors.
Look for L.A. to have plenty of success against Angels starter Jose Quintana, who is 0-3 in five starts with an ERA of 10.59 and a WHIP of 2.24.
The Dodgers will send Trevor Bauer to the mound and the 2020 NL Cy Young winner is having another banner campaign, pitching to a 2.44 ERA and 0.79 WHIP with 58 strikeouts through 44 1-3 innings. Don't overthink this contest. Back the Dodgers on the runline.
Yesterday's MLB record: 2-2
Season MLB betting record: 52-58-3, -7.02 units
MLB betting card for May 9
- Red Sox vs Orioles Under 9 (-110)
- Diamondbacks vs Mets First 5 Innings Under 3.5 (-132)
- Runline L.A. Dodgers -1.5 (-115)
Picks made on 5/09/2021 at 8:48 a.m. ET
MLB parlays
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