MLB Player Props Today: Scherzer, Javier, Plus a PrizePicks Prediction (October 18)
What kind of performances can we expect on Wednesday from Max Scherzer and Cristian Javier? Follow along as our MLB betting expert, Nick Galaida, breaks down three of his favorite MLB prop bets and DFS pick’em predictions for today – Wednesday, October 18, 2023. Get all of Nick’s picks, including more baseball props, at ScoresandOdds.
Happy Wednesday! Today’s MLB Postseason slate features only one contest, but it figures to be worth the watch with Max Scherzer making his return to the bump for the Texas Rangers as they look to take a commanding 3-0 lead over the Houston Astros in the American League Championship Series. First pitch is scheduled for 8:03 p.m. ET from Globe Life Field.
We went 2-1 on our recommendations again in this article yesterday and are 12-3 (80.0%) across our last 12 postseason player prop recommendations! During the regular season, we went 103-63-6 (62.6%) across our last 172 recommendations in this article. We were 120-59 (67.2%) on pitcher prop recommendations.
Below are three prop leans for October 18!
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MLB Player Props Today
- Max Scherzer u4.5 Strikeouts
- Cristian Javier u4.5 Strikeouts
- Cristian Javier + Max Scherzer Less Than 9.0 Strikeouts (Combo)
Max Scherzer u4.5 Strikeouts (-116), FanDuel
On Wednesday, Max Scherzer will be making his first appearance in a live game since September 12. In his last two starts before hitting the injured list, Scherzer totaled only six strikeouts in 8.1 innings of work, spanning two starts. Tonight, he gets an extremely difficult matchup against the Houston Astros, an offense that had the 4th-lowest strikeout rate of any team in baseball against right-handed pitching on the road during the regular season. It is possible that Scherzer is effective this evening, but still manages to fall short of this market number. It is also entirely within the realm of reasonable outcomes that Scherzer does not last long in this contest before Manager Bruce Bochy goes to the bullpen. There are multiple pathways to the under cashing in this spot, making it a worthwhile risk at the price.
Cristian Javier u4.5 Strikeouts (-128), FanDuel
Cristian Javier had nine strikeouts in his first postseason start this October, but he is likely to find it difficult to repeat that performance tonight against a tough Texas Rangers offense. Javier struggled mightily to get swings-and-misses across the platoon during the regular season, with only an 18.5% strikeout rate against left-handed hitters. This evening, he will face at least five left-handed hitters. Javier also struggled on the road this season, where he posted a pedestrian 21.9% strikeout rate and an abysmal 5.25 FIP. Houston is all-hands-on-deck tonight as they look to avoid going down three-games-to-none to begin the ALCS. It would not be surprising if Javier is on an extremely short leash in Game 3, making this an appealing look.
MLB DFS Pick’em
Cristian Javier + Max Scherzer Less Than 9.0 Strikeouts (Combo), PrizePicks
If not convinced that either Cristian Javier or Max Scherzer are going to struggle to get strikeouts tonight, PrizePicks has an alternative option for those in eligible stats – taking a combo-approach. Both Javier and Scherzer are risky options on the mound tonight, facing strong opposing offenses. It is likely that at least one of them struggles in this spot, and it would be surprising if the other starting pitcher managed to do enough to make up for the other’s shortcomings in such a scenario. Both bullpens could be active as early as the fifth inning on Wednesday. This is an interesting option worth considering for those who have access to PrizePicks.
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MLB Props Results – Wager Type
HITTER PROPS
Dinger Tuesday: 4-11-1
Hitter: 119-110-6
Stolen Base: 1-2
PITCHER PROPS
Hits Allowed: 3-2
Outs Recorded: 35-20
Strikeout: 73-34-3
Walk: 1-0
Earned Runs Allowed: 0-0-1
MISCELLANEOUS PROPS
1st Inning: 0-4