Top 3 MLB Player Prop Bets & Picks: Sunday (4/20)
Read on for our top MLB player prop bets for Sunday, April 20th.
Get instant alerts when a line reaches your target via the BettingPros App >>
Sunday’s Best MLB Player Prop Bets
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Joe Ryan Over 5.5 Strikeouts (-120)
Joe Ryan has put up a 2.45 ERA and 0.77 WHIP with 23 strikeouts in 22 innings so far this season. That works out to 27.4 K% and 9.41 K/9. The Twins righty has a great matchup vs the Braves today.
Atlanta has posted a 27.2% strikeout rate against righties this year, which ranks 28th in MLB. We’ve seen Ryan show a high ceiling for strikeouts, racking up eight in five innings vs the Mets in his last outing. As a pitcher with elite command, Ryan can fly over this number today.
It’s also worth looking at recent right-handed pitchers vs the Braves. Chris Paddack (6 K), Chris Bassitt (10 K), Kevin Gausman (6 K), Joe Boyle (7 K), Drew Rasmussen (7 K), and Taj Bradley (7 K) have each cleared 5.5 strikeouts vs the Braves in the last week.
Justin Verlander Over 5.5 Strikeouts (-105)
Justin Verlander has gotten off to a shaky start with the Giants, but he’s been able to generate whiffs so far. Despite a 19.3 K%, the future Hall of Famer has a 13.5% swinging-strike rate, so he deserves better in terms of strikeouts.
This is a great spot for Verlander to get back on track, as the Angels have a 25.1% vs righties, which is fourth-most in MLB. It’s been even worse in the last seven days, where Los Angeles has put up a 34.8 K%, ranking 30th in MLB during that stretch.
We should also note that Verlander has shown a high ceiling this year, including a nine-strikeout game vs the Reds on April 9th.
Luis Castillo Under 4.5 Strikeouts (-120)
Luis Castillo has struggled to rack up strikeouts this season, registering an underwhelming 19.1 K% (7.59 K/9) in 21.1 innings. This includes four strikeouts or fewer in two of four starts.
It’s going to be tough for the veteran to get to five or more punchouts against the Blue Jays. Toronto has a 17.6 K% vs righties, which is tied for 2nd in MLB. We’ve seen pitchers like Bryan Woo (7 IP, 4 K) have a tough time striking out the Jays. Expect something similar with Castillo.
We’re getting a nice price at DraftKings (-120), as other sportsbooks have this at (-130) or worse, such as FanDuel.
Frank Ammirante is a featured writer at BettingPros. Follow Frank on X @FAmmiranteTFJ.