This article is part of our MLB Picks series.
MLB Best Bets Today: Free MLB Picks and Player Props for Monday, May 22
Los Angeles Dodgers (+130) at Atlanta Braves (-150)
Los Angeles Dodgers OVER 4 Team Runs (-128 FanDuel)
I really thought this would be 4.5 considering the Dodgers are fourth in baseball with 255 runs this season (5.43 runs per game). Charlie Morton has struggled against Freddie Freeman (1.600 OPS in 15 plate appearances), Mookie Betts (.923 OPS in 40 plate appearances) and David Peralta (1.357 OPS in 16 plate appearances). Morton's 2.85 ERA doesn't really match up with his 1.37 WHIP suggesting he's been a bit lucky this season (as does his 81 percent LOB average). Morton's 4.34 ERA from a season ago suggests there's some regression for the current 2.85 ERA coming as well.
Best Team Props For Los Angeles Dodgers at Atlanta Braves
- Los Angeles Dodgers OVER 4 Team Runs (-128 FanDuel)
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Arizona Diamondbacks (+194) at Philadelphia Phillies (-225)
Alec Bohm 1+ RBI (+150 DraftKings)
I'd guess it would surprise some that it's Bohm and not Kyle Schwarber or Nick Castellanos who leads the Phillies in RBI this season with 32 (185 plate appearances). Bohm had a .398 wOBA last season against left-handed pitching and will face southpaw Tommy Henry tonight at home. This is an excellent matchup for Bohm considering Henry has had home run issues in the minors and in his more recent start allowed four earned runs (4.2 innings) to Oakland. In 27 innings this season Henry has a 5.00 ERA and a 1.48 WHIP which is pretty close to his 5.36 ERA and 1.45 WHIP from a season ago.
Best Player Props for Arizona Diamondbacks at Philadelphia Phillies
- Alec Bohm 1+ RBI (+150 DraftKings)
Houston Astros (-110) at Milwaukee Brewers (-102)
Cristian Javier OVER 6.5 Strikeouts (-112 FanDuel)
This line didn't get put up until overnight and I think it'll move between now and the first pitch tonight. Javier has gone over this number in three of his last five games and facing the Brewers on the road is a solid matchup. The expected lineup for Milwaukee has gone 2-for-11 against Javier and five of the expected hitters have never faced him (a matchup that typically favors the pitcher). Starting with this season and going back two years, Javier has also had a weird road split where he has better strikeout numbers on the road than at home (11.5 K/9, 12.1 K/9, 11.8 K/9). Milwaukee also strikes out 23.9 percent of the time against right-handed pitching, 11th-worst in the league. Again, keep an eye on the different sites to see if this line moves; it may move in our favor considering he only had five strikeouts in his last outing.
Best Player Props for Houston Astros at Milwaukee Brewers
- Cristian Javier OVER 6.5 Strikeouts (-112 FanDuel)
Oakland Athletics (+270) at Seattle Mariners (-300)
Seattle Mariners -1.5 Runs (-135 DraftKings)
This line is -152 on other sites so it's worth it to shop it around. The Athletics have been awful this season with a 10-38 record including going 5-18 on the road. In fact, the Athletics have lost by two or more runs in 11 of their last 16 games. Making this wager even more enticing is that Luis Castillo will be on the mound for the Mariners and he has a 2.52 ERA at home this season. Kyle Muller will toe the rubber for Oakland and he brings a 7.71 ERA and a 1.95 WHIP along with him. Look for this to be an easy win for Seattle with them winning by multiple runs.
Best Bets For Oakland Athletics at Seattle Mariners
- Seattle Mariners -1.5 Runs (-135 DraftKings)
Miami Marlins (-115) at Colorado Rockies (+102)
Garrett Hampson Anytime HR (+1200 Caesars)
Do you believe in the revenge factor? Well, that will be only one of the factors working in Hampson's favor tonight in Coors. This, as usual, is expected to be a high-scoring game and I was surprised to see odds like this for Hampson (it's +800 on FanDuel). Hampson never seemed completely healthy last season and the previous season he had seven home runs in 248 plate appearances in Coors, where he's always hit markedly better. Those plate appearances occurred over 69 games that season suggesting Hampson could have had one per game. However, that would mean Hampson averaged 3.59 plate appearances per game (likely be used as a pinch hitter at times) and he should get a full four plate appearances tonight. Don't go crazy here but I like his chances of going deep at some point in the series, if not tonight.
Best Player Props for Miami Marlins at Colorado Rockies
- Garrett Hampson Anytime HR (+1200 Caesars)
Best MLB Bets Today Recap
- Los Angeles Dodgers OVER 4 Team Runs (-128 FanDuel)
- Seattle Mariners -1.5 Runs (-135 DraftKings)
- Alec Bohm 1+ RBI (+150 DraftKings)
- Cristian Javier OVER 6.5 Strikeouts (-112 FanDuel)
- Garrett Hampson Anytime HR (+1200 Caesars)
