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Best MLB prop bets May 21: Back deGrom vs. Yankees, fade Kochanowicz against Athletics

I’m looking to take advantage of Coors Field and have plays on two starting pitchers in today’s top MLB prop picks.

Today’s MLB props narrative: The Rockies’ offence has been abysmal, but the club is at its hitter-friendly home park and facing an unimposing hurler. I’m targeting one of its hottest bats to do damage.

Check out the best MLB prop bets for Wednesday, May 21, featuring plays on Ryan McMahon, Jacob deGrom and Jack Kochanowicz.

MLB prop bets

Best bet: deGrom over 15.5 outs (-112)

We haven’t seen prime New York Mets deGrom this season but he remains an upper-tier arm.

deGrom still possesses elite velocity, piles up Ks and doesn’t walk many batters. His numbers are excellent:

2.29 ERA (10th in MLB)
0.98 WHIP (10th)
5.5 BB% (17th)
26.6 K% (19th)

He’s coming off back-to-back 90-plus-pitch outings for the first time this season and worked eight frames in his last start, his best of the season.

While the Texas Rangers will likely stay somewhat cautious with deGrom, they aren’t handling the two-time Cy Young winner with kid gloves.

The New York Yankees have the best offence in baseball — they lead in wRC+, OBP and home runs — but this line isn’t asking deGrom to go into the Bronx and fire seven innings.

You have to wonder if the Rangers’ bullpen factors in a couple of extra outs for deGrom as long as he’s keeping Texas in the ballgame.

These teams have a quick turnaround tomorrow, playing at 12:35 p.m. ET, and the Rangers aren’t off until May 29.

Key stat: deGrom has allowed two runs or fewer in six straight starts, clearing this line four times.

Embed: #114064

Best MLB picks

McMahon over 0.5 RBI (+163): I want nothing to do with the Rockies at home against the Philadelphia Phillies. But I also want nothing to do with Taijuan Walker.

This game has a huge total of 11.5. If you want in on Phillies props, you’ll be paying a premium price.

Colorado is terrible, though McMahon makes sense as a target.

As the projected cleanup bat, he’ll at least have some competent hitters ahead of him. That includes Ezequiel Tovar, who just returned from a month-long absence.

McMahon has team-best numbers in May in homers (four), average (.322) and OPS (1.047).

And he’s taken advantage of his home park this season:

5 of his 6 bombs
.282/.416/.535 line
Team-leading .951 OPS

This is a great price, and I don’t trust Walker at Coors.

Walker comes in with a 2.62 ERA, but he’s been a punching bag the last two seasons. The righty isn’t a big K guy, walks too many batters and couldn’t keep the ball in the yard last year.

Kochanowicz under 17.5 outs (-112): Kochanowicz gets the Athletics at Sutter Health Park, the most hitter-friendly stadium in MLB this year, per Baseball Savant.

The Athletics have a 110 wRC+ at home and rank in the top 10 in ISO vs. right-handers.

This is a tough matchup for any arm, let alone a wild one who doesn’t miss bats.

Perhaps the lack of whiffs helped Kochanowicz work deep last season (he was 8-1 against this line from August on), but he also wasn’t missing the zone the same way he is now.

The righty has walked four batters in three of his last four starts and is hitting this outs prop at a below-50% rate.

Kochanowicz’s 3.3 K-BB% is the worst mark among starting pitchers and does not paint the picture of someone who can be trusted in a difficult environment.

The Angels are in the middle of a tough stretch and aren’t off for another week. But they’ve been getting good length out of their starters, making this a clear fade spot for me.

MLB prop picks made at 1:40 p.m. ET on 05/21/2025.

Best MLB prop bets May 16: Back Freddie Freeman, Josh Smith and CJ Abrams

Four players are featured in Friday’s best MLB prop picks.

Today’s MLB props narrative: Freddie Freeman is tearing the cover off the ball and I expect that to continue in a plus matchup vs. the Los Angeles Angels. I have other recommendations on two hot leadoff hitters, as well as one starting pitcher.

My favourite MLB prop bets for May 16 include plays on CJ Abrams, Josh Smith and Ranger Suarez.

MLB prop bets

Best bet: Abrams over 1.5 total bases (+120)

Abrams is an obvious target against the Baltimore Orioles, who are starting left-hander Cade Povich.

The southpaw has been hammered this season and particularly obliterated at his hitter-friendly home park.

5.55 ERA (7.94 at home)
1.54 WHIP
Below-average 18.4 K%
Above-average 1.77 HR/9 rate

As for Abrams, he’s swinging a hot stick as the Washington Nationals’ leadoff man.

The switch-hitter fared better vs. lefties last season for the first time in three years. This season, he’s bashing all pitchers, slugging north of .540 against both left-handers and righties.

Overall, Abrams is batting .317 with a .926 OPS.

Abrams has routinely been topping this line and the former first-round pick appears poised for a breakout in his age-24 season.

Key stat: The shortstop has cleared 1.5 bases in seven of his last eight games, and at the second-highest rate in the National League (per Team Rankings).

Best MLB picks

Freeman over 1.5 bases (-120): This price feels like a steal with the way Freeman is swinging it right now.

.440/.474/.780 in May with four home runs.

That comes after an April in which he had a 1.031 OPS. On the season, his 1.132 OPS is second only to Aaron Judge.

Freeman is hitting .389 and slugging .733 vs. right-handers and sees Angels RHP Jack Kochanowicz tonight.

Lefties have tattooed Kochanowicz, hitting .308/.379/.527. Six of the seven homers Kochanowicz has allowed have been to LHBs.

Following Kochanowicz will be an Angels bullpen that has the highest ERA (6.97) in MLB.

Smith over 0.5 runs (+100): The Texas Rangers’ utility man has been batting leadoff for much of the month, and he’s been delivering all season.

Smith is hitting .306 with an .833 OPS, numbers that are elevated against RHPs.

BA: .323
OBP: 394
OPS: .910
All 4 of his HRs

Smith’s Rangers host Lance McCullers Jr. and the division rival Houston Astros. McCullers, who hadn’t pitched since 2022, is making his third start of the season.

He has walked three batters in each start, allowing seven runs his last time out.

McCullers is understandably throwing with diminished velocity and his struggles to find the zone (which has plagued him before) make him hard to trust.

Smith has posted above-average walk rates throughout his four-year career. His ability to get on via his bat and eye sets him up well vs. McCullers.

On top of that, Smith has raked at home: .377/.441/.566.

Friday’s best MLB pitching prop

Suarez over 5.5 Ks (-112): The Philadelphia Phillies lefty missed all of April with back soreness following a career year in 2024. But he threw exceptionally well over four rehab assignments and now has two starts under his belt.

After getting lit up in his season debut against a tough Arizona Diamondbacks lineup, Suarez dominated the Cleveland Guardians his last time out.

He fanned six vs. Arizona and five against Cleveland, throwing 82 pitches both outings.

Assuming Suarez will be allowed to reach the 90-pitch range, this looks like an outing that he can work deep in and amass a good amount of strikeouts against a weak Pittsburgh Pirates lineup.

Pittsburgh has the third-highest K rate in MLB vs. southpaws, ranking 25th in wRC+.

MLB prop picks made at 2:05 p.m. ET on 05/16/2025.

Best MLB prop bets May 16: Back Freddie Freeman, Josh Smith and CJ Abrams

Four players are featured in Friday’s best MLB prop picks.

Today’s MLB props narrative: Freddie Freeman is tearing the cover off the ball and I expect that to continue in a plus matchup vs. the Los Angeles Angels. I have other recommendations on two hot leadoff hitters, as well as one starting pitcher.

My favourite MLB prop bets for May 16 include plays on CJ Abrams, Josh Smith and Ranger Suarez.

MLB prop bets

Best bet: Abrams over 1.5 total bases (+118)

Abrams is an obvious target against the Baltimore Orioles, who are starting left-hander Cade Povich.

The southpaw has been hammered this season and particularly obliterated at his hitter-friendly home park.

5.55 ERA (7.94 at home)
1.54 WHIP
Below-average 18.4 K%
Above-average 1.77 HR/9 rate

As for Abrams, he’s swinging a hot stick as the Washington Nationals’ leadoff man.

The switch-hitter fared better vs. lefties last season for the first time in three years. This season, he’s bashing all pitchers, slugging north of .540 against both left-handers and righties.

Overall, Abrams is batting .317 with a .926 OPS.

Abrams has routinely been topping this line and the former first-round pick appears poised for a breakout in his age-24 season.

Key stat: The shortstop has cleared 1.5 bases in seven of his last eight games, and at the second-highest rate in the National League (per Team Rankings).

Embed: #113859

Best MLB picks

Freeman over 1.5 bases (-107): This price feels like a steal with the way Freeman is swinging it right now.

.440/.474/.780 in May with four home runs.

That comes after an April in which he had a 1.031 OPS. On the season, his 1.132 OPS is second only to Aaron Judge.

Freeman is hitting .389 and slugging .733 vs. right-handers and sees Angels RHP Jack Kochanowicz tonight.

Lefties have tattooed Kochanowicz, hitting .308/.379/.527. Six of the seven homers Kochanowicz has allowed have been to LHBs.

Following Kochanowicz will be an Angels bullpen that has the highest ERA (6.97) in MLB.

Smith over 0.5 runs (-112): The Texas Rangers’ utility man has been batting leadoff for much of the month, and he’s been delivering all season.

Smith is hitting .306 with an .833 OPS, numbers that are elevated against RHPs.

BA: .323
OBP: 394
OPS: .910
All 4 of his HRs

Smith’s Rangers host Lance McCullers Jr. and the division rival Houston Astros. McCullers, who hadn’t pitched since 2022, is making his third start of the season.

He has walked three batters in each start, allowing seven runs his last time out.

McCullers is understandably throwing with diminished velocity and his struggles to find the zone (which has plagued him before) make him hard to trust.

Smith has posted above-average walk rates throughout his four-year career. His ability to get on via his bat and eye sets him up well vs. McCullers.

On top of that, Smith has raked at home: .377/.441/.566.

Friday’s best MLB pitching prop

Suarez over 5.5 Ks (-114): The Philadelphia Phillies lefty missed all of April with back soreness following a career year in 2024. But he threw exceptionally well over four rehab assignments and now has two starts under his belt.

After getting lit up in his season debut against a tough Arizona Diamondbacks lineup, Suarez dominated the Cleveland Guardians his last time out.

He fanned six vs. Arizona and five against Cleveland, throwing 82 pitches both outings.

Assuming Suarez will be allowed to reach the 90-pitch range, this looks like an outing that he can work deep in and amass a good amount of strikeouts against a weak Pittsburgh Pirates lineup.

Pittsburgh has the third-highest K rate in MLB vs. southpaws, ranking 25th in wRC+.

MLB prop picks made at 1 p.m. ET on 05/16/2025.

How to make a parlay bet

A parlay is when you bet on more than one event on a single ticket. Every bet (known as a leg) on that ticket must be successful in order for you to win the parlay. Like a single-event bet, you only wager once but you can add two, three, four, five, or more outcomes to the same bet slip.

If any of them are wrong, however, you will lose the parlay.

-> New to wagering? Sign up at NorthStar Bets to get the latest odds, insights and betting tools throughout the season.

Parlays are attractive because of their payout potential but they are harder bets to win because you need to predict multiple scenarios correctly. We’ll break it all down below.

How to make a parlay bet

You can mix markets on a parlay, so your ticket could have a moneyline play, point spread bet, as well as a player prop. Or it could be three moneyline bets or three over/under plays.

You could even make a parlay bet centred around futures, such as picking the Edmonton Oilers to win the Stanley Cup and Liverpool to win the Premier League.

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The parlay can also be cross-sport, meaning you could combine an NHL and EPL bet on the same ticket, giving you literally thousands of possible combinations on any given day.

Still unsure of what a parlay bet is? Below is an example.

Pick	Odds	Market
Raptors -3.5 vs. Wizards	-110	Point spread
Leafs to beat Bruins	-140	Moneyline
Liverpool vs. Manchester United over 3.5 goals	+105	Total

All three of those events have their own set of odds. You could make single wagers on each game but you could also turn that into a parlay and bet all three on one ticket.

The odds would change once making it a parlay and increase the payout potential because of the greater difficulty in successfully predicting all events.

The odds on this parlay are +569, meaning you would stand to profit $569 on a $100 bet. Here’s how much you would earn if you correctly bet each of those contests individually.

Team	Odds	Wager	Win
Raptors	-110	$100	$90.91
Leafs	-140	$100	$71.43
Blue Jays	+105	$100	$105

As you can see, the ROI on the parlay is significantly more than if you made separate bets for each game. But, again, it’s important to remember that while parlays are enticing, they come with much more risk.

For NFL Sunday, many bettors like to play either moneyline or point spread parlays or some combination of the two. But parlays can be done on any night and they are popular betting options for sports like the NBA and NHL as well.

Same-game parlays and futures

You can also make a same-game parlay wager, which consists of adding multiple events from only one contest to the same ticket. A same-game parlay is also known as an SGP.

-> Build your own same-game parlay when you join NorthStar Bets

So, for example, you could make a Real Madrid-only parlay that combined the moneyline, total and a player prop, such as Kylian Mbappe to score.

These wagers are growing in both availability and popularity and you can make SGP bets right here at NorthStar.

-> Ready to put your knowledge to use ? Sign up for NorthStar Bets to access live odds, props, parlays and exclusive Canadian Insights all season long

Best MLB prop bets May 13: Back Arizona’s Pfaadt and Twins’ Buxton, Lewis

All 30 MLB teams are in action for Tuesday’s busy baseball slate.

Today’s MLB props narrative: The red-hot Minnesota Twins have won eight in a row to move over .500, and I like a pair of their players to deliver against the Baltimore Orioles tonight. I’m rounding out the night with a play on Arizona Diamondbacks starter Brandon Pfaadt.

Check out the best MLB prop bets for May 13, featuring picks on Byron Buxton and Royce Lewis.

MLB prop bets

Best bet: Buxton over 0.5 runs (-106)

This is a great matchup for Twins hitters, particularly their right-handed batters.

Orioles starter Cade Povich has been punished by righty bats, and Rotowire projects Minnesota to stack its lineup exclusively of RHBs and switch-hitters.

Povich could be in for a long night. Righties are hitting .322/.371/.557 off the southpaw. He’s allowed seven homers, all of them to right-handers.

There are several props I’m interested in for this game. This looks like a great option to me, and it’s priced well. I have a longer-shot recommendation, too, but let’s start with Buxton.

Buxton is second in the American League in runs scored (30), trailing only Aaron Judge.

The outfielder has hit leadoff in seven straight contests, which is where he should be again vs. an Orioles team allowing an AL-worst 5.44 runs per game.

Buxton has gotten on base multiple times in seven of 10 May games.

The oft-injured 31-year-old has been hitting for solid power this season, but he’s been especially dynamic against lefties and is an excellent bet to get on base in a plus matchup.

Key stat: Buxton enters the night with a robust .346/.370/.692 mark vs. LHPs.

Best MLB picks

Lewis over 0.5 RBI (+180): Sticking with the Twins, this looks like strong value for the slumping Lewis.

Another injury-plagued Twin, Lewis missed all of April with a hamstring strain before a return in early May.

He proceeded to go hitless in five straight games to start the season before a two-hit game on Sunday.

The former No. 1 overall pick is likely a middle-of-the-order bat when clicking. It’s tough to say where he’ll bat tonight, but he has slotted seventh in four of his six games.

Higher up and directly behind Carlos Correa would be nice (1.119 OPS vs. LHPs), but Lewis should still find himself in run-producing situations if lower in the lineup.

I have little trust in Povich or Baltimore’s bullpen (5.05 ERA), and the right-handed hitting Lewis has well-above average power (career 124 wRC+, .222 ISO).

Pfaadt over 17.5 outs (-143): Pfaadt is off to a strong start, taking a 3.28 ERA and career-low walk rate into tonight’s outing vs. the San Francisco Giants.

The righty is 6-2 vs. this line and cleared it in 19 of 32 starts in last year’s sophomore season.

He runs into a Giants team that’s scuffling at the dish, producing below-average offence with the fifth-highest K rate in baseball over the last two weeks.

Some other reasons I’m bullish on the Arizona starter:

Pfaadt will get the Giants at pitcher-friendly Oracle Park in San Francisco.

Merrill Kelly, Pfaadt’s teammate, twirled seven innings with eight strikeouts vs. the Giants last night.

Kelly was the fourth straight righty to clear this line against San Francisco.

MLB prop picks made at 1:00 p.m. ET on 05/13/2025

Best MLB prop bets May 13: Back Arizona’s Pfaadt and Twins’ Buxton, Lewis

All 30 MLB teams are in action for Tuesday’s busy baseball slate.

Today’s MLB props narrative: The red-hot Minnesota Twins have won eight in a row to move over .500, and I like a pair of their players to deliver against the Baltimore Orioles tonight. I’m rounding out the night with a play on Arizona Diamondbacks starter Brandon Pfaadt.

Check out the best MLB prop bets for May 13, featuring picks on Byron Buxton and Royce Lewis.

MLB prop bets

Best bet: Buxton over 0.5 runs (-112)

This is a great matchup for Twins hitters, particularly their right-handed batters.

Orioles starter Cade Povich has been punished by righty bats, and Rotowire projects Minnesota to stack its lineup exclusively of RHBs and switch-hitters.

Povich could be in for a long night. Righties are hitting .322/.371/.557 off the southpaw. He’s allowed seven homers, all of them to right-handers.

There are several props I’m interested in for this game. This looks like a great option to me, and it’s priced well. I have a longer-shot recommendation, too, but let’s start with Buxton.

Buxton is second in the American League in runs scored (30), trailing only Aaron Judge.

The outfielder has hit leadoff in seven straight contests, which is where he should be again vs. an Orioles team allowing an AL-worst 5.44 runs per game.

Buxton has gotten on base multiple times in seven of 10 May games.

The oft-injured 31-year-old has been hitting for solid power this season, but he’s been especially dynamic against lefties and is an excellent bet to get on base in a plus matchup.

Key stat: Buxton enters the night with a robust .346/.370/.692 mark vs. LHPs.

Embed: #113716

Best MLB picks

Lewis over 0.5 RBI (+175): Sticking with the Twins, this looks like strong value for the slumping Lewis.

Another injury-plagued Twin, Lewis missed all of April with a hamstring strain before a return in early May.

He proceeded to go hitless in five straight games to start the season before a two-hit game on Sunday.

The former No. 1 overall pick is likely a middle-of-the-order bat when clicking. It’s tough to say where he’ll bat tonight, but he has slotted seventh in four of his six games.

Higher up and directly behind Carlos Correa would be nice (1.119 OPS vs. LHPs), but Lewis should still find himself in run-producing situations if lower in the lineup.

I have little trust in Povich or Baltimore’s bullpen (5.05 ERA), and the right-handed hitting Lewis has well-above average power (career 124 wRC+, .222 ISO).

Pfaadt over 17.5 outs (-134): Pfaadt is off to a strong start, taking a 3.28 ERA and career-low walk rate into tonight’s outing vs. the San Francisco Giants.

The righty is 6-2 vs. this line and cleared it in 19 of 32 starts in last year’s sophomore season.

He runs into a Giants team that’s scuffling at the dish, producing below-average offence with the fifth-highest K rate in baseball over the last two weeks.

Some other reasons I’m bullish on the Arizona starter:

Pfaadt will get the Giants at pitcher-friendly Oracle Park in San Francisco.

Merrill Kelly, Pfaadt’s teammate, twirled seven innings with eight strikeouts vs. the Giants last night.

Kelly was the fourth straight righty to clear this line against San Francisco.

MLB prop picks made at 11:40 a.m. ET on 05/13/2025

Timberwolves vs. Warriors prop picks Game 3: Back Anthony Edwards, Julius Randle on combo markets

This Western Conference showdown shifts to San Francisco on Saturday with the series knotted at 1-1.

The pregame narrative: Without Steph Curry, the Golden State Warriors were dismantled in Game 2. Curry remains out, making the Minnesota Timberwolves a road favourite for the first time this postseason.

Check out my Warriors vs. Timberwolves Game 3 prop picks for May 10, featuring plays on Julius Randle, Anthony Edwards and Brandin Podziemski.

Warriors vs. Timberwolves prop picks

Best bet: Randle over 25.5 points/rebounds (-118)

Randle is a no-brainer play for me at this line.

I recommended him on this prop at a 27.5 line in Game 1, but he fell short thanks to his lowest-rebounding performance of the playoffs.

He followed that up with 24 points and seven rebounds in Game 2.

Randle’s 24 points led all scorers, and he was pivotal in helping the Timberwolves build an early lead that led to a 24-point win.

The power forward also had to pick up some slack as Edwards played through an ankle injury and was held under 25 points for the third consecutive game.

Randle’s rebounding is down in the playoffs, but his scoring is up. He has upside on the glass, though, making this a light line for me.

The veteran has shown better rebounding in the past, and he’ll generally be among the tallest players on the court against Golden State’s small-ball lineups.

The 30-year-old averaged 7.1 rebounds in the regular season.

Randle averaged 8.3 RPG in four contests against the Warriors in the regular season.

He averaged at least 9.0 RPG in the five seasons prior.

Key stat: Randle is averaging 22.1 points and 5.1 rebounds in the postseason.

Anthony Edwards Game 3 prop bets

Edwards over 12.5 rebounds/assists (-130): Edwards has been way more active on the glass this postseason, and he’s generally been distributing more.

The Minnesota star averaged 5.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists in the regular season.

He’s been a menace on the boards throughout the playoffs, averaging 9.3 rebounds in seven games

The 23-year-old is adding 5.4 assists, getting him well past this number on a nightly basis.

Edwards is 6-1 vs. this line.

If he’s limited offensively again because of his ankle or the defence being thrown his way, I like his chances of smashing this line once again.

Game 3 prop prediction

Podziemski over 21.5 points/rebounds/assists (-130): If you base this pick solely on Podziemski’s playoff numbers and Minnesota’s defensive stats, you probably aren’t going near it.

But factor in the 22-year-old’s production without Curry, and the outlook looks much rosier.

Podziemski is 3-6 vs. this line in the playoffs, and the Timberwolves rank third in defensive rating after finishing sixth in the regular season.

But Podziemski cleared it in Game 2 — Golden State’s first full game of the postseason without Curry.

The Warriors need more than Jimmy Butler and a streaky Buddy Hield to make this a series, and Podziemski is going to have to be one of the players who delivers.

Sans Curry, he has done just that this season (over 10 games):

14.4 points
6.2 rebounds
4.6 assists

The 6-foot-4 guard should see at least 30 minutes in Game 3, and the 37.8% career 3-point shooter should unleash a handful of shots from deep.

Warriors vs. Timberwolves prop picks made at 2:30 p.m. ET 05/09/2025.

Timberwolves vs. Warriors prop picks Game 3: Back Anthony Edwards, Julius Randle on combo markets

This Western Conference showdown shifts to San Francisco on Saturday with the series knotted at 1-1.

The pregame narrative: Without Steph Curry, the Golden State Warriors were dismantled in Game 2. Curry remains out, making the Minnesota Timberwolves a road favourite for the first time this postseason.

Check out my Warriors vs. Timberwolves Game 3 prop picks for May 10, featuring plays on Julius Randle, Anthony Edwards and Brandin Podziemski.

Warriors vs. Timberwolves prop picks

Best bet: Randle over 24.5 points/rebounds (-125)

Randle is a no-brainer play for me at this line.

I recommended him on this prop at a 27.5 line in Game 1, but he fell short thanks to his lowest-rebounding performance of the playoffs.

He followed that up with 24 points and seven rebounds in Game 2.

Randle’s 24 points led all scorers, and he was pivotal in helping the Timberwolves build an early lead that led to a 24-point win.

The power forward also had to pick up some slack as Edwards played through an ankle injury and was held under 25 points for the third consecutive game.

Randle’s rebounding is down in the playoffs, but his scoring is up. He has upside on the glass, though, making this a light line for me.

The veteran has shown better rebounding in the past, and he’ll generally be among the tallest players on the court against Golden State’s small-ball lineups.

The 30-year-old averaged 7.1 rebounds in the regular season.

Randle averaged 8.3 RPG in four contests against the Warriors in the regular season.

He averaged at least 9.0 RPG in the five seasons prior.

Key stat: Randle is averaging 22.1 points and 5.1 rebounds in the postseason.

Embed: #113608

Anthony Edwards Game 3 prop bets

Edwards over 12.5 rebounds/assists (-120): Edwards has been way more active on the glass this postseason, and he’s generally been distributing more.

The Minnesota star averaged 5.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists in the regular season.

He’s been a menace on the boards throughout the playoffs, averaging 9.3 rebounds in seven games

The 23-year-old is adding 5.4 assists, getting him well past this number on a nightly basis.

Edwards is 6-1 vs. this line.

If he’s limited offensively again because of his ankle or the defence being thrown his way, I like his chances of smashing this line once again.

Edwards to double-double (+225): Sticking with Edwards, he’s not generally a guy you look at to secure a double-double.

He had seven during the regular season, but his newfound rebounding efforts make this a worthy play for me.

Edwards is averaging a double-double over his last four games, notching two of them. He had nine rebounds each time he fell short.

The shooting guard has even flirted with double-digit assists, handing out eight twice and nine once during the Los Angeles Lakers series.

We know the points are a given on this prop. And Edwards should be staring down heavy minutes, providing him with more opportunity to crash the glass.

Edwards has played 40-plus minutes five times in the playoffs.

Game 3 prop prediction

Podziemski over 22.5 points/rebounds/assists (-109): If you base this pick solely on Podziemski’s playoff numbers and Minnesota’s defensive stats, you probably aren’t going near it.

But factor in the 22-year-old’s production without Curry, and the outlook looks much rosier.

Podziemski is 3-6 vs. this line in the playoffs, and the Timberwolves rank third in defensive rating after finishing sixth in the regular season.

But Podziemski cleared it in Game 2 — Golden State’s first full game of the postseason without Curry.

The Warriors need more than Jimmy Butler and a streaky Buddy Hield to make this a series, and Podziemski is going to have to be one of the players who delivers.

Sans Curry, he has done just that this season (over 10 games):

14.4 points
6.2 rebounds
4.6 assists

The 6-foot-4 guard should see at least 30 minutes in Game 3, and the 37.8% career 3-point shooter should unleash a handful of shots from deep.

Warriors vs. Timberwolves prop picks made at 2:30 p.m. ET 05/09/2025.

Best MLB prop bets May 9: Back bats Ryan O’Hearn, Jacob Wilson and Spencer Torkelson

I have prop picks on four players for Friday’s busy slate, which sees all 30 MLB teams in action.

Today’s MLB props narrative: Detroit Tigers slugger Spencer Torkelson is on fire and looks like a terrific bet again tonight against the Texas Rangers. My other three targets all have good matchups, too.

The top MLB prop bets for May 9 feature a best bet on Torkelson and plays on Jacob Wilson, Ryan O’Hearn and Max Meyer.

MLB prop bets

Best bet: Torkelson over 1.5 total bases (+100)

This is excellent value. And will still be playable throughout the day as the price likely moves.

Torkelson is hot, has been obliterating left-handers, and his Tigers face one of the most hittable southpaws in the game: Patrick Corbin.

Let’s start with Torkelson…

His 10 home runs are tied for third in MLB.

Torkelson is top 10 in ISO (.297), and top 20 in slugging (.551) and wRC+ (151).

The Tiger has 21 extra-base hits, trailing only four players.

Torkelson’s numbers are even better vs. lefties: .419 ISO, .698 SLG, 194 wRC+.

He’s a power hitter in a plus matchup and has cleared this line in five of seven games this month.

As for Corbin, his surface stats look good in his debut season with Texas. But he doesn’t miss bats (bottom-15 percentile in K rate) and has an expected ERA of 4.69 (1.40 higher than his actual mark).

He’s also the guy who posted an ERA north of 5.00 in each of the last four seasons and couldn’t keep the ball in the yard.

Corbin is someone I’m looking to fade in some capacity every outing, and backing Torkelson is one way I’m doing it tonight.

Key stat: Torkelson has cleared 1.5 bases in 54.1% of his starts, the fifth-best mark in MLB.

Best MLB picks

Wilson over 0.5 runs (+115): Where Wilson hits will be key here, but I’m good getting in at this price vs. struggling New York Yankees right-hander Will Warren.

Wilson has only hit out of the leadoff spot five times this season. But three of them were this month, and one of them was the Athletics’ last contest. Rotowire projects him to bat leadoff again tonight.

Here’s what to like:

Wilson enters with a .357/.383/.476 batting line. In May, he’s hitting a sizzling .483/.545/.552.

If he hits leadoff, he’ll be in front of Brent Rooker, a dangerous power bat. And Tyler Soderstrom, who stopped hitting homers but has a .913 OPS vs. RHPs (lefties have an .849 OPS vs. Warren).

Sutter Health Park, the Athletics’ home stadium, has been the most hitter-friendly stadium in MLB this season (per Baseball Savant).

Warren has struggled with control and has a 7.07 ERA in four road starts. Wilson is batting .371 with a .926 OPS at home and has the lowest K rate in the American League.

The 23-year-old shortstop is a good bet to get on base tonight.

O’Hearn over 1.5 total bases (+125): The Baltimore Orioles are arguably the most disappointing team in baseball, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t stuff to like.

O’Hearn vs. a righty is one of them.

.308/.386/.603 with all seven of his homers.

O’Hearn’s career OPS is nearly 200 points higher vs. RHPs.

Los Angeles Angels starter Kyle Hendricks has a 5.28 ERA and misses bats at one of the lowest rates in MLB.

Hendricks has been a punching bag for the majority of the past five seasons and has allowed a homer in all but one start this year.

The veteran has the second-highest ERA in baseball since the start of 2024 (minimum 120 innings).

MLB prop bets: Today’s best pitcher prop

Meyer over 5.5 Ks (-143): Meyer’s last two outings might create pause (certainly his last one).

He went five innings and punched out a season-low zero batters, surrendering a season-high 10 hits.

That marked the second straight start he allowed five runs.

Before that, the Miami Marlins right-hander did this: Six scoreless innings in a 14-K performance.

He topped this line in three of four starts ahead of that dominant gem.

Meyer has 80th-percentile K and whiff rates and has been able to go deep, working into the sixth inning in five of seven outings.

All signs point to that happening against the Chicago White Sox. Chicago has the fourth-highest K rate in MLB and is 29th in wRC+.

MLB prop picks made at 1:30 p.m. ET on 05/09/2025

Best MLB prop bets May 9: Back bats Ryan O’Hearn, Jacob Wilson and Spencer Torkelson

I have prop picks on four players for Friday’s busy slate, which sees all 30 MLB teams in action.

Today’s MLB props narrative: Detroit Tigers slugger Spencer Torkelson is on fire and looks like a terrific bet again tonight against the Texas Rangers. My other three targets all have good matchups, too.

The top MLB prop bets for May 9 feature a best bet on Torkelson and plays on Jacob Wilson, Ryan O’Hearn and Max Meyer.

MLB prop bets

Best bet: Torkelson over 1.5 total bases (-103)

This is excellent value. And will still be playable throughout the day as the price likely moves.

Torkelson is hot, has been obliterating left-handers, and his Tigers face one of the most hittable southpaws in the game: Patrick Corbin.

Let’s start with Torkelson…

His 10 home runs are tied for third in MLB.

Torkelson is top 10 in ISO (.297), and top 20 in slugging (.551) and wRC+ (151).

The Tiger has 21 extra-base hits, trailing only four players.

Torkelson’s numbers are even better vs. lefties: .419 ISO, .698 SLG, 194 wRC+.

He’s a power hitter in a plus matchup and has cleared this line in five of seven games this month.

As for Corbin, his surface stats look good in his debut season with Texas. But he doesn’t miss bats (bottom-15 percentile in K rate) and has an expected ERA of 4.69 (1.40 higher than his actual mark).

He’s also the guy who posted an ERA north of 5.00 in each of the last four seasons and couldn’t keep the ball in the yard.

Corbin is someone I’m looking to fade in some capacity every outing, and backing Torkelson is one way I’m doing it tonight.

Key stat: Torkelson has cleared 1.5 bases in 54.1% of his starts, the fifth-best mark in MLB.

Embed: #113600

Best MLB picks

Wilson over 0.5 runs (+100): Where Wilson hits will be key here, but I’m good getting in at this price vs. struggling New York Yankees right-hander Will Warren.

Wilson has only hit out of the leadoff spot five times this season. But three of them were this month, and one of them was the Athletics’ last contest. Rotowire projects him to bat leadoff again tonight.

Here’s what to like:

Wilson enters with a .357/.383/.476 batting line. In May, he’s hitting a sizzling .483/.545/.552.

If he hits leadoff, he’ll be in front of Brent Rooker, a dangerous power bat. And Tyler Soderstrom, who stopped hitting homers but has a .913 OPS vs. RHPs (lefties have an .849 OPS vs. Warren).

Sutter Health Park, the Athletics’ home stadium, has been the most hitter-friendly stadium in MLB this season (per Baseball Savant).

Warren has struggled with control and has a 7.07 ERA in four road starts. Wilson is batting .371 with a .926 OPS at home and has the lowest K rate in the American League.

The 23-year-old shortstop is a good bet to get on base tonight.

O’Hearn over 1.5 total bases (+120): The Baltimore Orioles are arguably the most disappointing team in baseball, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t stuff to like.

O’Hearn vs. a righty is one of them.

.308/.386/.603 with all seven of his homers.

O’Hearn’s career OPS is nearly 200 points higher vs. RHPs.

Los Angeles Angels starter Kyle Hendricks has a 5.28 ERA and misses bats at one of the lowest rates in MLB.

Hendricks has been a punching bag for the majority of the past five seasons and has allowed a homer in all but one start this year.

The veteran has the second-highest ERA in baseball since the start of 2024 (minimum 120 innings).

MLB prop bets: Today’s best pitcher prop

Meyer over 5.5 Ks (-129): Meyer’s last two outings might create pause (certainly his last one).

He went five innings and punched out a season-low zero batters, surrendering a season-high 10 hits.

That marked the second straight start he allowed five runs.

Before that, the Miami Marlins right-hander did this: Six scoreless innings in a 14-K performance.

He topped this line in three of four starts ahead of that dominant gem.

Meyer has 80th-percentile K and whiff rates and has been able to go deep, working into the sixth inning in five of seven outings.

All signs point to that happening against the Chicago White Sox. Chicago has the fourth-highest K rate in MLB and is 29th in wRC+.

MLB prop picks made at 11:15 a.m. ET on 05/09/2025