MLB To Hit a Home Run Player Prop Picks & Predictions: Friday (4/14)

by Trenton Pruitt |
Apr 14, 2023

The weekend is here, and we have a full 15-game MLB slate to celebrate. Action gets underway at 6:40 p.m. ET with a National League showdown between the Diamondbacks and Marlins and concludes out West at 10:10 p.m. ET with the Cubs taking on the Dodgers.

If you're looking for a few longshot bets to get the weekend started, I've got you covered. Here are my top three home runs props for tonight.

MLB YTD: 14-13 (+9.23 Units)

Friday's Best To Hit A HR Player Prop Bets

Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook

Josh Bell (+550)

The Guardians hit the road for a six-game road trip, with their first stop being the nation's capital, where they'll take on the Nationals. They'll turn to Cal Quantrill to snap their two-game losing streak. The Nationals counter with Trevor Williams in this interleague showdown scheduled for 7:05 p.m. ET from Washington, D.C.

Williams has bounced around from team to team recently, making the Nats his fourth team in five seasons. So far with Washington, the right-hander is 1-1 over two starts with a 4.35 ERA and 1.16 WHIP. Most recently, he faced the Rockies in a winning effort, limiting them to two earned runs over 5.1 innings. Williams allowed five hits while striking out four batters in the 7-6 win.

The veteran hurler will be taking on a Guardians team that is not known for its power. Only the Nationals (5) have fewer home runs than the Guardians (6) so far this year. However, when Cleveland signed Josh Bell to a two-year, $33 million contract, his purpose was to bring some power to the lineup. He hasn't homered yet this year and is only batting .109, but the switch-hitting first baseman will have a great opportunity to get off the schneid tonight. He's 2-8 (.250) against Williams in his career, with a home run and a double. I think it's worth a sprinkle to say Bell goes yard tonight.

Juan Soto (+550)

The Padres dropped a 4-3 extra innings matchup to the Brewers in the series opener last night. They'll attempt to get back in the win column tonight when they send Michael Wacha to the hill. Milwaukee opts for Eric Lauer in this National League clash slated for 9:40 p.m. ET from Petco Park in San Diego, CA.

Lauer has had a rough start to the season, posting a 1-1 record to go along with a 7.71 ERA and 1.82 WHIP over two starts. His most recent outing was a losing effort where the Cardinals touched him up for six earned runs over 4.0 innings. The Red Birds mashed a pair of home runs while collecting seven total hits in the 6-0 affair.

The left-hander is taking on a Padres team that's relied on the long ball for their success this year, sitting at sixth in the category (19). Star outfielder Juan Soto has three of those 19 bombs, with his most recent coming against the Mets on Wednesday. Soto has seen Lauer well throughout his career, going 5-13 (.385) against him with two home runs and six RBI. I say the power hitter adds his fourth big fly of the year tonight - let's take Soto to homer.

Ian Happ (+600)

The Cubs head out West after taking two out of three games from the visiting Mariners earlier in the week. They'll make a stop in Los Angeles and round out the trip in Oakland next week. Justin Steele gets the nod in the series opener, while the Dodgers go with newcomer Noah Syndergaard. First pitch is scheduled for 10:10 p.m. ET from Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CA.

Syndergaard's tenure with the Dodgers isn't off to a fantastic start, as he's 0-1 with a 6.30 ERA and 1.20 WHIP over two games started. The right-hander took the loss last time out, allowing six earned runs on eight hits to the Diamondbacks. He lasted just 4.0 innings in the 12-8 defeat.

Ian Happ can breathe a sigh of relief after inking a three-year, $61 million contract a couple of days ago. Now the left fielder can focus on what he does best - playing baseball. He's off to a respectable start this season, sitting at .282 with one home run and six RBI. The switch hitter loves the spotlight, so I'm expecting him to have a big series in Los Angeles this weekend. He'll have a favorable matchup against Syndergaard in the opener tonight as he's 1-2 (.500) against him with a home run. Let's lock in Happ to go deep against the Dodgers.

Check out our other best bets for Friday:

Navigate

MLB To Hit a Home Run Player Prop Picks & Predictions: Friday (4/14)

Friday's Best To Hit A HR Player Prop Bets

Try Premium for FREE in our mobile app