Javan Shouey
We are in the final month of the MLB regular season and there are several awards and playoff berths that need to be decided on. With increased stakes as the season winds down, each matchup we talk about becomes even more important. Wednesday’s slate is jam-packed with interesting matchups and below are our 2 favorite prop bets for this slate!
Best MLB player prop bet: Miami Marlins first 5 innings team total over 2.5 (-105)
Odds available at DraftKings sportsbook at time of publishing. Playable to -115 odds.
Mitchell Parker has had a disastrous season for the Washington Nationals, and I am looking to pick on him once again Wednesday as he takes on the Miami Marlins. Parker entered the month of August with a 4.91 ERA. While that is not a desirable mark for an MLB starting pitcher, it is a far better mark than he currently holds. After 27.1 innings of work in August the southpaw hurler allowed 11 walks and 36 hits. Among those 36 hits, 9 were home runs, contributing towards his 31 earned runs allowed in that month alone. Parker has allowed 3 or more runs within the first 5 innings in each of his last 6 starts.
The Marlins offense was a weak unit to begin the season, but they have improved in the 2nd half with some of their young prospects rounding into form. This Miami team is now one I am interested to see in a couple years as they find their footing as major leaguers. While the opposing lineup is not the most important thing in Parker’s mind currently, I do like how the Marlins possess some power in case they are unable to string together long innings.
Best MLB player prop bet: Shane Bieber (TOR) under 2.5 earned runs allowed (-125)
Odds available at Caesars sportsbook at time of publishing. Playable to -135 odds.
Shane Bieber was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays from the Cleveland Guardians this trade deadline while the right-hander was still on his way back from injury. It was a risk for the Blue Jays who are looking to make a deep postseason run, but the former Cy Young winner has looked sharp in his first 2 starts with his new club. Bieber tossed 6 innings of 1-run ball with 9 Ks in his team debut against the Marlins before tossing 5.1 innings of 2-run ball with 6 Ks against a tougher Brewers lineup in his 2nd outing. Now Bieber takes on a Cincinnati Reds offense that has been inconsistent of late.
The Reds are just 3-9 in their last 12 games after coming within a game or so from the Mets for the final wild card spot. Now they sit 5 games back from the final spot and their postseason chances are dwindling unless they can rack up some wins. Cincinnati does benefit offensively from playing this game in their hitter-friendly park, but I do lean towards another strong start from Bieber despite the venue.
