It's Friday in the Major League Baseball and there's another great slate on tap. Two iconic franchises will square off when when St. Louis takes on the New York Yankees.
The Toronto Blue Jays and Minnesota Twins continue their four-game series and possible playoff preview in Minnesota as well. And speaking of the postseason, the game of the night pits the Los Angeles Dodgers against the new-look San Diego Padres.
With a great lineup of games on the docket, that also means there's plenty of value and money to be made on player props. So, let's dive in.
Kyle Schwarber — Over 1.5 Total Bases (+110)
| Nationals @ Phillies | |
| First Pitch | 7:06 p.m. ET |
| Best Line | DraftKings |
Kyle Schwarber began the 2021 season with the Washington Nationals before being traded to the Boston Red Sox. Perhaps he did not like his time in D.C., because Schwarber has made it a point to punish his old team all season. In nine games against the Nationals, Schwarber is hitting .355 with six home runs and eight RBIs, along with a 1.455 OPS. He's only hitting .203 for the season.
Tonight, Schwarber faces right-hander Josiah Gray, who has allowed 24 home runs in 102 innings pitched. Schwarber is 4 for 8 with two home runs against him. He has hit 25 of his 33 homers off right-handed pitchers this year. He also has a .863 OPS against RHP this season, compared to .685 against lefties.
If Schwarber homers again, he will also clear his total bases line. He has recorded 30 total bases against the Nationals for an average of 3.3 per game. That said, I like him to record at least two total bases in this spot. You can take him to hit a home run at +220 odds via FanDuel as well.
Pick: Kyle Schwarber — Over 1.5 Total Bases (+110)
Action Labs Grade: 10/10
Corey Kluber — Over 4.5 Strikeouts (-150)
| Rays @ Tigers | |
| First Pitch | 7:10 p.m. ET |
| Best Line | DraftKings |
Corey Kluber is coming off a start against the Cleveland Guardians, where he recorded 10 strikeouts in six innings. While pitching for Cleveland, Kluber saw a lot of the Tigers in the AL Central. Kluber is 13-7 with a 3.31 ERA and 191 strikeouts in 177 innings. This Detroit lineup is not as formidable as many of the teams Kluber faced.
Back on May 16, Kluber had eight strikeouts in six innings against the Tigers. Kluber is averaging 4.8 strikeouts over his last 10 starts. Meanwhile, Detroit has a 26.2% strikeout percentage over the last 30 days against right-handed pitchers.
In their series against Minnesota, the Tigers struck at least eight times in the first five innings against Twins righties Aaron Sanchez, Chris Archer and Joe Ryan. Archer only needed 4 1/3 innings to record eight strikeouts, while Ryan had nine strikeouts in five innings.
Kluber should go five or six innings in this game, so he should have the opportunity to pile up the strikeouts against the Tigers. Kluber's line for over 4.5 strikeouts via DraftKings sits at -150 odds. Oddsmakers at FanDuel set the line at 5.5 strikeouts at +124 odds.
However, if you want to get more ambitious, you can take Kluber's total on FanDuel up to nine strikeouts. There's a good chance he gets at least eight (+520) against Detroit again.
Pick: Corey Kluber — Over 4.5 Strikeouts (-150)
Paul Goldschmidt — Over 1.5 Total Bases (+105)
| Yankees @ Cardinals | |
| First Pitch | 8:16 p.m. ET |
| Best Line | FanDuel |
We start in St. Louis where Paul Goldschmidt has been on a tear. The Cardinals first baseman has recorded a hit in nine of his last 10 games while hitting .357 during that span. He recorded two total bases in seven of those games.
The fastest way for him to go over his total bases line would be if he hits a home run. Goldschmidt has homered in six of his last 10 games, totalling seven home runs to go along with 15 runs batted in and a 1.257 OPS. He will face Nestor Cortes, who has allowed 13 home runs in 106 2/3 innings. Of those 13 home runs, 12 were against right-handed hitters.
Goldschmidt has feasted on left-handed pitching all season. He's hitting .471 with six home runs, 18 RBIs and a 1.426 OPS in 70 at-bats against lefties this season. Goldschmidt also loves hitting at home, where he's hitting .368 and has 18 of his 26 homers.
I love this spot for Goldschmidt to record two total bases. The best line is on FanDuel where you can get plus money at +105 odds.
Pick: Paul Goldschmidt — Over 1.5 Total Bases (+105)
Action Labs Grade: 8/10
