MLB Player Props for Thursday, 5/8: Best Bets & Predictions Today
What kind of performances can we expect on Thursday from Brandon Lowe, Bryson Stott, and Pavin Smith? Follow along as our MLB betting analyst, Nick Galaida, breaks down three of his favorite MLB prop bets for Thursday, May 8th. Get all of Nick’s picks, including more MLB plays, by subscribing to the RotoGrinders Props & Pick’em package.
Thursday’s 9-game MLB slate featured some afternoon action, but there are still 5 games left to get underway as of this writing, meaning plenty of options are still available for the betting community to find a few plays to their liking.
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 Thursday, May 8th!
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Best MLB Player Props for Thursday, May 8th
Here are my top player prop bets for today, with the first pitch scheduled this evening for roughly 6:40 PM ET on Thursday, May 8th:
- Brandon Lowe Over/Under 0.5 Hits + Runs + RBIs
- Bryson Stott Over/Under 1.5 Hits + Runs + RBIs
- Pavin Smith Over/Under 1.5 Hits + Runs + RBIs
Brandon Lowe OVER 0.5 Hits + Runs + RBIs (-135, BetMGM)
Following a hot start to the new campaign, Lowe has found himself in a rough slump of late, hitting .146 with a 42 wRC+ since April 23rd. During that span, he’s gone hitless in 6 of his 12 games. He has an incredibly difficult matchup facing talented southpaw Jesus Luzardo, but this line still has some value. Lowe doesn’t even need to record a hit to cash this prop – a sacrifice fly or an RBI groundout would suffice, as would scoring a run after reaching on a fielder’s choice, and so forth. Lowe could also see an at-bat later in the game against a right-handed pitcher, which would be more favorable in terms of him getting on base. This is simply good value for a talented player.
Bryson Stott OVER 1.5 Hits + Runs + RBIs (-120, DraftKings)
Stott has been kind to us in this article to begin the season, so we are going to keep riding him in good matchups. He will be in the leadoff spot once again, this time facing Ryan Pepiot, who has struggled to a 5.32 FIP against lefties this season.
DRAFTKINGSWith Stott once again at the top of the lineup, he will have plenty of chances to have someone behind him drive him home. He’s also more than capable of taking care of business himself with a multi-hit performance. This is a worthwhile risk at the price.
Pavin Smith OVER 1.5 Hits + Runs + RBIs (+135, DraftKings)
Smith is an elite platoon hitter. Entering play, he owns a 168 wRC+ this season, with 4 home runs and an astounding 20.2% walk rate in 109 plate appearances.
DRAFTKINGSTonight, Smith draws a tough matchup against Yoshinobu Yamamoto, but he has the benefit of seeing a Dodgers pitching staff that could be slightly fatigued, traveling from Miami to Arizona for this game. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Smith have a productive night at the dish to begin this weekend intra-division series.
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