We're set to keep the train rolling this evening with two players who have been trending in opposite directions, and each have totally opposite outlooks tonight. Who are they? How are we betting? Those answers lie below, so let's dive into our top player props of the slate.
Our Action Labs Props Tool grades each prop on a scale from 1-10, and I'll be sure to include the grade for each of my betting recommendations in my discussions below.
Juan Soto Over 0.5 Hits (-160)
| Braves @ Nationals | |
| First Pitch | 7:05 p.m. ET |
| Best Line: | DraftKings |
Juan Soto has finally caught fire over his last seven games. He's hitting .440 over that span and tonight will have have most of his at-bats against the Braves' Ian Anderson.
Anderson has historically been a pitcher who's had great success against left-handed hitters like Soto because of his tremendous changeup. However, his changeup has been far less effective this season, as his xBA is up 26 points from last year.
The Braves righty has also given up a great deal of hard contact. He ranks in the bottom 45 percent of all qualified pitchers in average exit velocity and hard-hit rate.
Soto has recorded a hit in 63 percent of his games this season, giving him implied odds of -171. However, during his recent hot streak, he's recorded a hit in eight of his last 10 games, including each of his previous five.
In addition, his xBA is still 40 points higher than his current average, so there are no signs of him slowing down tonight.
Pick: Over 0.5 Hits -160
Action Labs Grade: 8/10
Jared Walsh Under 0.5 Hits (-105)
| Dodgers @ Angels | |
| First Pitch | 9:38 p.m. ET |
| Best Line | DraftKings |
Clayton Kershaw will get the ball against the crosstown rival Angels, and that is bad news for Jared Walsh. The first baseman has been ice-cold over his last seven games as he's hitting just .120 in that span.
On top of his struggles, he gets to face Kershaw, who's been deadly against lefties in his career. They have only managed to hit .197 off him in 2,080 at-bats. Walsh also has not hit lefties well at all in his young career. In 298 at-bats, he's hitting just .211.
Aside from all the splits and the recent struggles, Walsh has just not made enough contact to be consistently successful this year. As a result, his strikeout rate is among the bottom ten percent of all major league hitters.
If Kershaw goes deep into this ballgame, expect a very quiet night for Walsh.
Pick: Under 0.5 hits -105
Action Labs Grade: 10/10
