MLB Player Props & Bets: Friday (7/24)
The MLB season is in full swing. Every Friday in this column, we will seek to attack pitcher matchups. We won't bore you with exclusively under only plays, but we won't shy away from them if they offer more value than usual. Total strikeouts, outs recorded, and, as the season progresses, total hits and total bases; they're all in play. Let’s dig into our top MLB player props and picks for Friday’s slate of games.
Get instant alerts when a line reaches your target via the BettingPros App >>
MLB Player Props & Bets: Friday (7/24)
Season Record: 30-19
Kyle Tucker Over 0.5 Hits (-185 at BetMGM)
Kyle Tucker has struggled hard in Los Angeles and is batting a career low .236 despite having more protection than he can ask for. With that said, Tucker actually improves on the road, where he hits .261 vs .211 at home. He has also fared better against left-handed pitchers, against whom he has a .248 batting average. Tonight, Tucker will take on a familiar foe in Sean Manaea, whom he has a .350 lifetime (7-20) average against, with five extra base hits and a massive four home runs in just 20 at-bats.
Of course, his struggles this season mean there is more risk than the simple batter-versus-pitcher profile suggests, but Manaea has had his struggles of his own this season. He will toe the slab this evening with a horrendous 4.74 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, and .262 BAA. Numbers that are unacceptable for a team trying to compete. The juice on this one is fair, but offers value as it does not fully account for Tucker playing better on the road and against lefties. Tap the Over on Tucker for Friday evening at BetMGM.
Mookie Betts Over 0.5 Hits (-203 at Kalshi)
Another struggling Dodgers hitter, Mookie Betts, was tapped today thanks to his .313 lifetime average (10-32) against Mets pitcher Sean Manaea. Hitting just .232 on the season and an abysmal .185 in July, the hope here is that Betts shows up against a pitcher that he has had success against in the past. Like Tucker, Betts has been better on the road this season, where he hits a slightly more respectable .248.
The juice on this total is a little absurd, even for a 0.5 line against a pitcher Betts has had a history of success against. With the odds as high as +175 on the under and Betts failing to record a hit in six of his last seven games, the +EV play here is on the under. However, the aim here is not to become a boring under column on Friday (the casual is generally averse to under plays), so we will stick with the plus matchup and tap Betts on the Over despite the high juice. As always, keep it to a one-unit play; do not chase a one-unit return.
Cam Schlittler Over 6.5 Strikeouts (-134 at ProphetX)
Yankees pitcher Cam Schlittler continues to impress. He comes to the mound today with a 2.20 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, and .206 BAA. He has recorded eight or more strikeouts in four of his last six games, with five and six in the other two. He has relinquished three runs or fewer in seven of his last eight and two or fewer in six of those eight.
As dominant as Schlittler has been this season, the Yankees are still managing his pitch count, with the second year pitcher rarely making it through the sixth inning. The 6.5 strikeouts represent a solid value, but there is a significantly higher probability for the 5.5 alt line. With that said, we will be sticking with the 6.5 as Schlittler will be facing off against a Philadelphia Phillies team that averages 8.86 strikeouts per game, the seventh-worst mark in the Majors. Slap the Over on Schlittler for Friday evening's MLB action.
Raju Byfield is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Raju, check out his archive and follow him @FantasyContext.