Two pitchers and one hitter make up today’s MLB prop bets.
The pregame narrative: It’s officially Paul Skenes bump day and I have a pick on one of his pitching props. Elsewhere I’m backing the over on Shota Imanaga’s strikeout total and am predicting Ketel Marte will score a run in a prime matchup.
Check out these MLB prop bets for Sept. 16.
MLB prop bets
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Best bet: Skenes over 6.5 strikeouts (-120)
Skenes has been one of the best pitchers in the majors this season.
The rookie is boasting a ridiculous 2.10 ERA and 0.99 WHIP through 120 innings pitched this season. That includes a 12.0 K/9.
He’s pitched twice against St. Louis this season, throwing a total of 14.2 innings and giving up two runs. He worked at least six innings in both starts giving me confidence he can work late into the game tonight.
If that’s the case, Skenes should have no problem tallying up the Ks. Against this current Cardinals lineup, the 2023 No. 1 pick has a 30.2% K rate.
Key stat: Skenes finished with eight strikeouts in each of his starts against St. Louis this season.
Quick picks
Imanaga over 6.5 strikeouts (-113): Another pitcher I don’t mind backing at a lofty total is Chicago Cubs’ ace Imanaga.
He’s finished two of his last three starts with seven-plus Ks. Imanaga boasts a very respectable 8.93 K/9 stat and has a prime matchup to be successful.
Oakland strikes out the fourth most in the majors (9.26/game) which includes a 26.5% K rate against left-handed pitching.
Imanaga has pitched six or more innings in four straight starts, giving me confidence that he will get deep into tonight’s game providing more opportunity to record strikeouts.
Marte over 0.5 runs (-127): To close out the picks, I want to grab a Marte prop at Coors Field.
The Arizona Diamondbacks lead MLB in runs scored (5.5/game) and Colorado provides the most hitter-friendly ballpark.
Marte also hits leadoff for Arizona, amplifying his opportunities to score.
Antonio Senzatela makes his first start of the season for the Rockies. His stats even when healthy are concerning. In his last full season, Senzatela had a 5.07 ERA.
Marte is 11-for-31 (.355) off of Colorado’s starter while Christian Walker — who hits behind Marte — is 14-of-27 in his career vs. Senzatela (.519).
The D-backs’ lineup overall is hitting .318 off of the righty so if Marte gets on base, I’m expecting his teammates to drive him home.
Picks made at 11:35 a.m. ET on 09/16/2024.
Spencer is a true sports junkie. A graduate of the Sports Journalism program at Centennial College, he first joined NorthStar Gaming as an intern in 2023. He is now a contributing writer. He loves finding the edge to bet on in all sports but has a deep passion for the NBA and UFC. Previous stops include Sportsnet.