Tarik Skubal headlines Friday’s MLB prop bets.
The pregame narrative: The reigning AL Cy Young is off to a solid start and draws an A-plus matchup against the downtrodden Los Angeles Angels. I’m banking on Skubal pitching deep into that ballgame, and I also have prop bets on Alex Bregman and Robbie Ray.
Check out the best MLB prop bets for May 2.
MLB prop bets
Best bet: Skubal over 18.5 outs (+137)
Pitching into the seventh inning isn’t commonplace in today’s game, but Skubal has the arsenal and matchup to make it happen tonight.
The fireballing lefty hasn’t missed a beat after an award-winning 2024. Skubal got roughed up by the Los Angeles Dodgers in his first start and has been stellar since.
- 1.52 ERA in five starts
- .223 opponent BA
- 11.71 K/9
Skubal only cleared this line in one of those outings, throwing 7.0 shutout innings against the Milwaukee Brewers. But he had also landed on exactly 18 outs (6.0 IP) twice.
The Angels are one of baseball’s worst offensive teams, and they especially struggle against lefties. Los Angeles is batting .204 (27th) with a 59 wRC+ (29th) against LHP this season.
This seems like a smash spot for one of the game’s great pitchers to have a night.
Key stat: Los Angeles is 1-8 in its last nine games while averaging 2.4 runs.
Best MLB picks
Bregman over 1.5 bases (+110): Bregman has been hitting the cover off the ball for the Boston Red Sox lately. Just look at what he’s done over the last 10 games:
- 16-for-40 (.400 BA)
- 5 doubles, 2 home runs
- 2+ bases in 7 of 10 games
The veteran righty has an extra-base hit in three straight games (one double, two HR) and now gets the benefit of facing a pitcher he’s dominated.
Bregman is 6-for-13 against Minnesota Twins righty Joe Ryan three doubles and two home runs. None of those at-bats ended in strikeouts, either, so the ball has consistently been put in play.
Ray over 7.5 strikeouts (-134): Ray has been erratic this season, but like Skubal, he has an opportunity to do damage against an awful team.
The southpaw starts at home against the Colorado Rockies, who are simply awful.
- Colorado is 6-25 (on pace for 31 wins).
- It has the highest K rate overall (28.1%) and against LHP (29.2%)
Ray doesn’t have a huge sample size against Colorado’s lineup, but the results are staggeringly strong. He has 13 strikeouts in 23 at-bats (54.2% K rate) while giving up just three hits.
The San Francisco Giants’ starter has cleared this line in two of his last three starts
MLB prop picks made at 2:10 p.m. ET on 05/02/2025.
Avery joined NorthStar Gaming as an intern in 2022 before stepping into a full-time role soon after. He loves betting on and analyzing golf — mainly because it’s easier than actually playing — but is a fan of all sports, from the NFL to the UFC.