Today’s MLB Prop Picks & Best Bets: Is There Value on Cardinals as Home ‘Dogs?

After a quiet day onFriday, Major League Baseball ramps back up with all 30 teams in action on ajampacked Saturday. Read on for our top MLB prop picks and best bets forSaturday based on the best MLB odds.

The pitch clock and bigger bases were two of the biggest rulechanges in Major League Baseball entering this season, and both have hadimmediate impacts. On Opening Day, games were more than 40 minutes shorter onaverage than on Opening Day last year, and there were more stolen bases (21) in15 games on Thursday than there were in the first full three days of the seasonin 2022.

The latter is worth monitoring as the season progresses from a player prop perspective.

Hereare our top MLB prop picks and best bets for Saturday (odds via DraftKings,FanDuel, and Caesars; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

Saturday’s MLB schedule and odds

(odds via DraftKings)

• Chicago White Sox (+110) vs. Houston Astros (-130)
• Toronto Blue Jays (-130) vs. St. Louis Cardinals (+110)
• Milwaukee Brewers (-125) vs. Chicago Cubs (+105)
• Atlanta Braves (-250) vs. Washington Nationals (+210)
• Philadelphia Phillies (-130) vs. Texas Rangers (+110)
• San Francisco Giants (+120) vs. New York Yankees (-140)
• Los Angeles Angels (-165) vs. Oakland Athletics (+140)
• Baltimore Orioles (+140) vs. Boston Red Sox (-165)
• Detroit Tigers (+155) vs. Tampa Bay Rays (-180)
• Minnesota Twins (-165) vs. Kansas City Royals (+140)
• New York Mets (-130) vs. Miami Marlins (+110)
• Pittsburgh Pirates (+125) vs. Cincinnati Reds (-145)
• Colorado Rockies (+195) vs. San Diego Padres (-230)
• Arizona Diamondbacks (+215) vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (-255)
• Cleveland Guardians (+115) vs. Seattle Mariners (-135)

Saturday’s MLB best bets

• Player prop: Nico Hoerner Over 1.5 total bases vs. Brewers (+140 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐
• Player prop: Jose Urena Under 3.5 strikeouts vs. Padres (-120 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Player prop: Mookie Betts Over 1.5 total bases vs. Diamondbacks (-110 via Caesars) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Upset: Cardinals vs. Blue Jays (+122 via Caesars) ⭐⭐⭐

Saturday’s MLB prop picks

Player prop: Nico Hoerner Over 1.5 total bases vs. Brewers (+140 viaDraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐

Muchis expected of Hoerner this year, as the Cubs second baseman batted leadoff onOpening Day after just 9% of his plate appearances last year came inthe top third of the batting order. Hoerner is coming off a year in which he setcareer highs in launch angle and maximum exit velocity, and many believe his firstAll-Star game nomination is not far off.

Weare getting a reasonable price with this prop, as Hoerner is just 1-for-13 withthree strikeouts in his career against Brewers starter Brandon Woodruff.However, Woodruff also allowed career highs last season in exit velocity andhard-hit percentage (37.5%), and his .282 wOBA was his worst in the previousfour seasons. And though Woodruff ranked in the 89th percentile in K% last year,that is mitigated by Hoerner’s above-average 11% strikeout rate from a seasonago.

Itmay be more tempting to take advantage of FanDuel’s +220 offer for Hoerner torecord two-plus hits, but we will instead stick with this wager, as Hoerner can cashin with a double or better in just one at-bat.

Player prop: Jose Urena Under 3.5 strikeouts vs. Padres (-120 viaDraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Afterjoining the Rockies in July last year, Urena made two starts against the Padresand struck out four combined hitters over 10 innings. Urena has walked 13current Padres hitters in 67 career at-bats and allowed a .358/.460/.537 slashline. That suggests his pitch count should rise early, and he will not bearound long in this start.

Surprisingly, Juan Soto is the only player in SanDiego’s Opening Day lineup with a whiff percentage greater than 26.7% againstUrena. Still, he has also walked in 40% of his plate appearances, which meanshe is patient against the righty. And though Urena’s barrel percentage hasdecreased each of the last three seasons, last year was the first season of hiscareer when he didn't generate at least a 30% whiff percentage on any of hisfour main pitches.

DraftKingsoffers the best value on this prop, as the Under 3.5 is juiced -141 or higherat Caesars and FanDuel.

Player prop: Mookie Betts Over 1.5 total bases vs. Diamondbacks (-110via Caesars) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Ofall players with a minimum of 10 at-bats against the pitcher they are facingtoday, only one has a higher OPS than Mookie Betts’ career 1.145 OPS againstMadison Bumgarner. Bumgarner was durable last season, making 30 starts for thesecond time since 2017. However, that also coincided with his worstsingle-season WAR (minus-0.7), largely because his 43.2% hard-hit percentage allowedwas the second-worst of his career, and his 30.3% fly-ball rate was thehighest.

Bumgarnerranked in the 11th percentile in barrel rate and the 13th percentile inhard-hit contact allowed last year. However, his numbers suggest furtherregression is expected, as his 4.88 ERA bested his 5.53 xERA.

Thisis a confident four-star play, as Betts tied for fourth with Aaron Judgewith a 174 wRC+ against southpaws last year (min. 100 plate appearances).

Saturday’s MLB game picks

Upset: Cardinals ML vs. Blue Jays (+122 via Caesars) ⭐⭐⭐

St.Louis was one of four National League teams to win 53-plus games at home last year,so any time we can get it as a home ‘dog, we are jumping at the opportunity.

Cardinalsstarting pitcher Jack Flaherty is a bit of an unknown entering his first start of the season,given that he has made nine or fewer starts in two of the previous threeseasons. However, he typically gets off to fast starts, as his career .778winning percentage in March/April is his second-highest of any month. And heloves pitching at home, as he has posted a 2.84 ERA and 0.959 WHIP in 49 careerhome appearances (46 starts).

Though Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman is coming off a career-best 1.4 BB/9 rate, hewill be challenged by a Cardinals lineup that ranked fifth in wOBA last season.In addition, three of St. Louis’ biggest bats (Nolan Arenado, Wilson Contreras,Paul Goldschmidt) have combined for four home runs in 28 at-bats off Gausman,while just four current Blue Jays have ever faced Flaherty.

Thisis a three-star play, as the Cardinals were a profitable 13-12 as homeunderdogs last season. Caesars offers the best value, with the best price atother sportsbooks being at +114.

MLB best bets made 4/1/2023 at 7:42a.m. ET.

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