MLB Player Props & Bets: Tuesday (9/22)
Today is the final Tuesday of the MLB regular season, and I'm tracking three player props that are particularly favorable from today's slate. Below, I highlight why Zack Wheeler and Andre Pallante are being undervalued in their matchups against lineups they've been effective against. Then, I explain why Matt Olson should continue his hot hitting against the Reds. Here are the best MLB player props for Tuesday, September 22nd.
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Tuesday’s Top MLB Player Props
(Odds Courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Zack Wheeler Over 6.5 Strikeouts (-108)
Zack Wheeler has struck out 177 batters in 150.1 innings this season. He's rung up nine strikeouts in two of his last three starts, and he's struck out at least seven batters in 12 games this season.
The Brewers have scored the second-most runs in the league, but they also strike out a lot. They have struck out the 12th-most of any team in baseball, and though Wheeler hasn't faced them this season, he has the advantage over this lineup.
In 104 plate appearances, the Brewers have struck out 31 times against Wheeler. They're hitting just .190 against him, and they've managed to score just eight earned runs.
The Brewers don't hit many home runs, and Christian Yelich is the only Brewer to hit one off Wheeler. If the Brewers can't score on one swing and Wheeler keeps them in check like he has all his career, they won't be able to chase him early. That means he'll be in this game long enough to reach seven strikeouts.
Andre Pallante 5+ Strikeouts (+134)
Andre Pallante doesn't strike out many hitters, managing just 104 in 151 innings this season. He's struck out at least five batters in just one of his last seven starts. Yet, I'm still taking him to strike out five Pirates tonight.
Earlier this season, Pallante struck out six batters in six innings against the Pirates. In that game, he allowed just one earned run. That performance wasn't a fluke. Though the Pirates are the fifth-highest-scoring team in baseball, Pallante has held them to a .190 batting average in his career.
The Pirates have struck out 1,452 times this season, which is the fourth-most in the league. Pallante has already taken advantage of this lineup once this year, and in his career, he has struck out 19 Pirates in 84 at-bats. In my eyes, the Pirates need to chase him before the fifth to keep him from hitting this total. However, Pallante has pitched at least five innings in 16 consecutive starts.
Matt Olson Over 1.5 Total Bases (-102)
I'm tempted to take Matt Olson to hit a home run, but with the price around +300 at every major sportsbook, there isn't enough value in that play. That said, Olson has only faced Brandon Williamson once in his career, and the result of that at-bat was a home run.
Olson didn't record a hit on Sunday, but he has eight in his last five games. He's posted multi-hit games in three of those contests, with his most recent home run coming last Friday. Olson only has four extra-base hits this month, but three of them have come in his last nine games.
Though Olson's history against Williamson is limited, this is still such a great matchup that this play needs to be made with the price so close to +100. After all, Williamson has allowed a home run in four consecutive appearances, and he enters this game with a 1.53 WHIP and a 5.56 ERA.
Phil Wood is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Phil, check out his archive and follow him @Phil_Wood_Jr.