MLB Player Props for Friday, 5/8: Best Bets & Predictions Today
What kind of performances can we expect from Nick Lodolo, Jacob Lopez, Max Fried? Follow along as our MLB betting analyst, Nick Galaida, breaks down three of his favorite MLB prop bets for Friday, May 8, 2026. Get all of Nick’s picks, including more MLB plays, by subscribing to the RotoGrinders Props & Pick’em package.
Friday’s MLB slate features 15 games, beginning at 6:10 PM ET with the Astros against the Reds. Nick Lodolo will be making his much-anticipated return from the injured list to start tonight for Cincinnati. Jesus Luzardo, Max Fried, and Chris Sale are among the other notable names scheduled to be on the bump to begin the weekend.
As always, bettors should start the day by taking a look at the MLB weather. Friday’s forecast is once again on the cooler side, with most temperatures being in the 60s at first pitch. It could be another frustrating day for bats around the league.
Below, you can find three of my favorite picks for Friday, May 8th!
Best MLB Player Props for Friday, May 8th
Here are my top player prop bets for today, with the first pitch scheduled for 6:10 PM ET on Friday, May 8th:
- Nick Lodolo Over/Under 5.5 Strikeouts
- Jacob Lopez Over/Under 14.5 Outs Recorded
- Max Fried Over/Under 2.5 Earned Runs Allowed
Nick Lodolo UNDER 5.5 Strikeouts (-118, Novig)
Lodolo will make his season debut for the Reds, after starting the season on the injured list due to a blister issue. During Lodolo’s rehab process in the minor leagues, he never faced more than 19 batters or threw more than 79 pitches. He doesn’t project to be extremely limited tonight, but he nonetheless should have some guardrails around his workload, especially with a mostly rested arm barn behind him.
Houston’s offense has dealt with some injuries of late, but it’s worth noting that they haven’t struck out more than 4 times against any of the last 7 left-handed starters they have faced. Lodolo doesn’t have overwhelming swing-and-miss stuff, and he’s always been less effective at home than on the road.
Jacob Lopez OVER 14.5 Outs Recorded (-166, DraftKings)
DRAFTKINGSThe Athletics’ arm barn is extremely rested heading into the weekend, but this is still a low number for Lopez to clear. It’s rarely Plan A for a team to pull their starter before he completes the 5th inning, and that’s even more true in the first game of a series.
Lopez threw 96 pitches against the Guardians in his most recent outing and worked into the 6th inning, despite allowing 6 earned runs. He hasn’t completed fewer than 5 innings in any traditional start since April 5th.
Baltimore is a patient offense that works a lot of deep counts, so this isn’t an ideal matchup for Lopez, but he would likely need to allow a lot of traffic on the basepaths to not get a chance at 15 outs.
Max Fried UNDER 2.5 Earned Runs Allowed (-179, Caesars)
CAESARSFried allowed 3 earned runs against the Orioles in his most recent start, but he gets a much more favorable matchup against the Brewers. Their offense ranks 29th in OPS, ISO, and wRC+ against LHP during the last 30 days. Fried is also one of the better pitchers in baseball at controlling the running game, which should negate one of Milwaukee’s biggest strengths.
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