Today, Javier Assad makes his season debut for the Chicago Cubs. I highlight why he faces a tough task against the Tampa Bay Rays. Then, I discuss why Reynaldo Lopez should record a season-high in strikeouts when his Atlanta Braves take on the Los Angeles Angels. And finally, Aaron Judge has three multi-hit games in a row heading into a series with the Athletics.
Here are the best MLB player prop bets for April 7.
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MLB Player Props & Bets: Tuesday (4/7)
(Odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook) | This Season: 1-2-0 (-0.64 units)
Javier Assad Under 3.5 Strikeouts (-120)
Javier Assad is making his season debut today, after striking out 23 batters in 37.0 innings last season. In eight appearances in 2025, Assad struck out four or more batters just three times. The most strikeouts he recorded was six, and he managed two or fewer strikeouts in three games where he pitched at least 4.0 innings.
This season, the Rays have struck out just 74 times in 10 games. That's the third-fewest strikeouts in the league, and yesterday, Cubs' starter Jameson Taillon struck out just four Rays in 6.0 innings. Assad made it 6.0 innings only twice last season, and if he doesn't go that far today, there's really no shot that he hits this Over. The price is high, but this is as close to a sure thing as you're going to get.
Reynaldo Lopez Over 5.5 Strikeouts (+108)
This play is all about the matchup. Reynaldo Lopez has struck out three batters in each of his first two starts, despite pitching at least 5.0 innings in each of those games. But this is a pitcher who struck out at least six batters in five of his last seven games in 2024 before missing nearly the entire 2025 season.
Lopez has struck out 25 batters in 88 at-bats against the current Angels' lineup. He should continue to strike out Angels at a high rate tonight, as they currently lead the league with 118 strikeouts. And if you're worried about Lopez striking out just three batters in each of his first two starts, those two performances came against the Royals and Diamondbacks, teams that rank seventh and first, respectively, when it comes to fewest strikeouts this season.
Aaron Judge Over 1.5 Total Bases (-115)
After a rough start to the season, Aaron Judge has recorded two hits in each of his last three games. During that span, he's also hit a double and a home run.
Tonight, he faces Aaron Civale, a pitcher that he is batting .278 against in his career. While Judge has struck out six times against Civale, he's also recorded three extra-base hits, including a home run.
In his only start of the season, Civale allowed four hits, one of which was a home run. And even if Civale gets the better of Judge, the Athletics' bullpen has allowed 45 hits this season. And for his career, Judge is hitting .333 against the Athletics with five doubles and four home runs.
Phil Wood is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Phil, check out his archive and follow him @Phil_Wood_Jr.