MLB Player Props for Monday, 5/5: Best Bets & Predictions Today
What kind of performances can we expect on Monday from Miles Mikolas, Sandy Alcantara, and Nick Pivetta? Follow along as our MLB betting analyst, Nick Galaida, breaks down three of his favorite MLB prop bets for Monday, May 5th. Get all of Nick’s picks, including more MLB plays, by subscribing to the RotoGrinders Props & Pick’em package.
Following some treacherous weather conditions over the weekend, the new week of baseball has a much more favorable outlook, with only 2 games from tonight’s 10-game slate facing a potential delay or postponement. The action gets underway at 6:40 p.m. ET, with first pitch between the Dodgers and Marlins at loanDepot Park in Miami.
As always, be sure to monitor our MLB starting lineups page throughout the day, as unexpected changes in the batting order can result in value opportunities in the betting and DFS markets.
Another reminder – it’s not a bad beat or unlucky if you bet a player to hit a home run and his fly ball dies on the warning track because it’s 40 degrees with the wind blowing in! Before locking in any bets, use our MLB weather page, curated by Chief Meteorologist, Kevin Roth. There are countless edges to be found if we make the right reads on possible rain delays and great hitting weather, just to name a few. Taking a look at the weather report can save us from a bad bet that otherwise looks good on the surface.
Below, you can find my 3 picks for Monday, May 5th!
Editor’s Note: Don’t live in a state with sports betting? Use our Underdog promo code & PrizePicks referral code GRINDERS for over $1,000 in sign-up bonuses for fantasy pick’em contests today.
Best MLB Player Props for Monday, May 5th
Here are my top player prop bets for today, with the first pitch scheduled for 6:40 PM ET on Monday, May 5th:
- Miles Mikolas Over/Under 17.5 Outs Recorded
- Sandy Alcantara Over/Under 15.5 Outs Recorded
- Nick Pivetta Over/Under 5.5 Strikeouts
Miles Mikolas UNDER 17.5 Outs Recorded (-140, FanDuel)
Following a doubleheader on Sunday, it’s natural to assume that the Cardinals will look for as much length as possible out of Mikolas on Monday in an effort to conserve resources in their bullpen. However, it’s worth noting that the Cardinals only used four true relievers across two games yesterday, none of whom had pitched the day prior. That means that their arm barn is actually in decent shape heading into the new week. Tonight, Mikolas will have to contend with a patient Pittsburgh lineup that ranks 28th in swing% across the last couple of weeks. Mikolas is also yet to throw more than 89 pitches in any outing this season, indicating that the coaching staff isn’t particularly comfortable with letting him face the opposing team’s heart of the order three times. There is some value on the under.
Sandy Alcantara OVER 15.5 Outs Recorded (-110, DraftKings)
Alcantara has been really bad to begin 2025. He enters play on Monday with an 8.31 ERA, 5.57 FIP, and 1.65 WHIP. He’s nearly walked more batters than he has struck out. Still, he’s faced 20+ batters in 4 of his 6 turns through the rotation, with one of the exceptions being a game in which he was chased after recording only 6 outs due to allowing 6 earned runs. A hyper-proximity matchup against the Dodgers doesn’t exactly scream positive regression, but the Dodgers did play on the road in Atlanta on Sunday Night Baseball yesterday. There is some possibility that the Los Angeles bats are at least a little bit fatigued in this tough travel spot. Miami has shown no indications of workload restrictions surrounding Alcantara’s pitch count, which means he should have every opportunity to work into the 6th inning this evening if he’s at all effective.
Nick Pivetta OVER 5.5 Strikeouts (-145, DraftKings)
Pivetta has been phenomenal of late, racking up 6+ strikeouts in each of his last 4 starts. Tonight, he gets to face the Yankees, an offense that is close to the league average in contact% on swings at pitches in the zone in addition to called strike% across the last 14 days. There are a few high-contact bats in New York’s lineup on Monday, but the presence of Anthony Volpe and the inexperienced Jorbit Vivas could help Pivetta out. Cold and potentially rainy weather conditions, which are not fun for hitters, don’t hurt the odds of Pivetta cashing this ticket.
Image Credit: Imagn