Chris Sale's disappointing start in Game 1 creates an interesting opportunity for Boston's Game 2 starter.
Meanwhile, there's a position player prop in the opening game of the NLCS that both provides value while adding an extra sweat to the card.
Read on for our best player props for Saturday's playoff action.
MLB Player Props & Picks
Nathan Eovaldi Over 4.5 Strikeouts (+114)
| Red Sox vs. Astros | Red Sox (+100) |
| Time | 4:20 p.m. ET |
| Best Line | FanDuel |
It's always tough fading the Astros' offense, which is by far the most disciplined in baseball. However, Eovaldi has been hot recently, and the Red Sox need him to have a huge outing.
Boston had to use eight pitchers in Friday's loss, so I'm expecting Eovaldi to have a long leash. He's a workhorse who pitched the fourth-most innings in the regular season this year (182 1/3), so he can handle it.
He's struck out six or more batters in 11 of his last 12 starts, and our Action Labs Player Props tool has him projected at six again today.
Between Eovaldi's ability to provide length and miss bats, I think he easily goes over this number today. The plus-money price is just a bonus.
Action Labs Grade: 10/10
Justin Turner Over 1.5 Total Bases (+130)
| Dodgers vs. Braves | Dodgers (-130) |
| Time | 8:07 p.m. ET |
| Best Line | DraftKings |
The Braves will be starting Max Fried for Game 1 of the NLCS. Fried has been dealing lately, but this provides a good opportunity for Turner.
On the road and vs. LHPs this season, Turner is slugging over .500. While Fried is a four-seam heavy pitcher (38.9%), Turner has posted a .531 xSLG and a +7 run value against the pitch this season.
Lifetime against Fried, Turner is 7-for-16 with a double and two home runs. Plus, he's only whiffed 13% of the time in those ABs while posting a 93.7 mph average exit velocity.
Turner makes a lot of contact against Fried, and it's frequently hard contact. I think he does the same thing tonight. Additionally, if Turner doesn't cash this prop against Fried, he'll have a good chance against a questionable Braves bullpen.
