MLB Player Props Today: Riley, Cole, Plus a Kluber PrizePicks Prediction (March 30)
What kind of performances can we expect on Thursday from Austin Riley, Gerrit Cole, and Corey Kluber? Follow along as our MLB betting expert, Nick Galaida, breaks down his three favorite MLB prop bets, plus a PrizePicks prediction for Opening Day.
Happy Opening Day 2023! The new baseball season begins on Thursday with a 15-game slate, beginning with two games starting at 1:05 p.m. EST. Each day this summer, we will be breaking down our favorite spots on the market, including looks at hits, stolen bases, strikeouts, and more.
Below are three spots we are targeting for March 30 as we look to start the new year on a high note.
MLB Prop Bets Results – Monthly
March: 0-0
MLB Props Results – Wager Type
Hit Props: 0-0
Stolen Base Props: 0-0
Strikeout Props: 0-0
Outs Recorded Props: 0-0
MLB Player Props Today
- Austin Riley to Record a Hit
- Gerrit Cole Over 7.5 Strikeouts
- Corey Kluber Less Than 4.5 Strikeouts
Austin Riley to record a hit (-240), FanDuel
As of this writing, total base props are not released at major retail books, but Austin Riley to get two bags is a completely reasonable risk when the line drops. In 2022, Riley had a .329 batting average, 1.084 OPS, and a 196 wRC+ against left-handed pitching. Patrick Corbin was among the worst pitchers in baseball in nearly every meaningful metric last season except for one – first-pitch strike percentage. Expect Riley to get a few good pitches to hit in his first couple of trips to the plate and for him to find a way on base. Use the hit prop as a parlay piece or wait for his total bases to be released.
Gerrit Cole Over 7.5 strikeouts (-146), FanDuel
Betting strikeout props without umpire information is not something we will do often, but Opening Day is one of the rare exceptions – reduced unit size accordingly. In this matchup, Gerrit Cole gets to face a San Francisco Giants lineup that ranked fourth-worst in baseball last season in called strikes plus whiffs (CSW%). San Francisco was a relatively disciplined offense, chasing outside of the strike zone only 30.0% of the time – fifth-best in the league – but their contact percentage on pitches in the zone was 23rd out of 30 teams. Cole ranked in the 92nd percentile in Whiff% last year and has performed well in cold weather (50 degrees or less) since 2018 – expect him to get the job done in this spot.
PrizePicks MLB Prediction
Corey Kluber Less Than 4.5 strikeouts, PrizePicks
Again, it is important to note that we do not have umpire information as of this writing, so reduce your unit size accordingly here. Corey Kluber has struggled mightily in cold weather in recent years, especially as it relates to strikeouts. In 2022, he had only four strikeouts in 5.0 innings during his lone start in sub-50-degree temperatures. In 2021, he had two strikeouts in one cold weather start. In 2019, he threw 14.1 innings in games with a temperature of 50 degrees or colder, posting a 21.7% strikeout rate. On Thursday, the forecast in Baltimore is 37 degrees at first pitch with strong winds blowing out towards right field. At plus money against a relatively high-contact Baltimore Orioles lineup, the under is worth a look here.
Check out more DFS sites with Fantasy baseball pick’em like No House Advantage.
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