Best MLB Prop Bets This Weekend | MLB Player Props September 9-10

Wins and losses are everything to MLB teams as the season winds down, as so much of the league is still in postseason contention. But to baseball bettors, prop bets can be just as valuable as wins for their favorite teams at this stage of the year. These three MLB props are especially worth taking going into Friday night’s games.

Cleveland Guardians vs Los Angeles Angels

My Pick: Brandon Drury Over 0.5 Home Runs (+255 at Caesars Sportsbook)

This may seem like a longshot bet, but it may be the best one of the weekend. Brandon Drury (.264 BA, 20 HR, 67 RBI) has dealt with injuries throughout his career but has become a solid power hitter. Drury broke out with the Reds in 2022 but faded away after being traded to the Padres. While his season numbers aren’t great, he has been one of the more consistent bats in the lineup. 

The 31-year-old has been hitting the ball hard lately, posting two doubles, a triple, and a home run over his last five games. He can be a streaky hitter, so now is the time to cash in, as his odds are too good to pass up. However, Drury isn’t the main reason we love this bet.

Lucas Giolito (7-12, 4.88 ERA) set a record in 2023 by becoming the first pitcher to allow eight or more earned runs in a start for three teams in one season. While the 29-year-old was solid for the White Sox, things fell apart for him in July. Not only is he allowing a lot of home runs, but he is also giving up a TON of long balls. Giolito has given up eight home runs over his last 20 ⅔ innings. We aren’t sure what happened to the former All-Star, but we will capitalize on it.

Oakland Athletics vs Texas Rangers

My Pick: Nathan Eovaldi Over 5.5 Strikeouts (-110 at PointsBet Sportsbook)

Nathan Eovaldi (11-4, 2.95 ERA) has been one of the biggest surprises of the 2023 season. He stepped up to become the team’s ace after Jacob deGrom’s season ended. Eovaldi’s comeback campaign was put on pause in the second half of the season, with the veteran missing a month and a half with an injury. He came back to start against the Astros on Tuesday, but he was pulled after 1 ⅓ innings, surrendering four runs. It was terrible, but he will have a prime chance to bounce back against the A’s.

Eovaldi has faced the A’s once the season, holding them scoreless on three hits over 8 ⅔ innings. He struck out 12 batters in the process, and it's hard to see that A’s faring much better this time, even with Eovaldi coming off an injury.

There isn’t much to say about the A’s, as their 43-97 record speaks for itself. They are dead last in the league in batting average and runs, and they have the eighth most strikeouts. Expect Eovaldi to step up in what is suddenly an essential game for Texas, striking out plenty of A’s in the process. 

St. Louis Cardinals vs Cincinnati Reds

My Pick: Zack Thompson Over Strikeouts (+110 at FanDuel Sportsbook)

While the Cardinals have had a forgettable season, they have developed a nice young pitcher in Zack Thompson (4-5, 3.91 ERA). He has a 3.30 ERA since August 1, when he joined the Cardinals’ rotation. He has only allowed more than two earned runs once since then, but that came in a win where he went seven innings, qualifying as a quality start.

Thompson has seen his strikeout rates improve as a starter, and he is averaging 5.33 strikeouts per game. He had six strikeouts on Tuesday, and we see him posting another solid total tonight against the Reds.

Another reason we like this bet is that the Reds have the fifth-highest strikeout total in the league. The team has a great group of budding stars, but the offense has been inconsistent in the second half of the season. Considering the Reds have not faced Thomspson, we like his chances to register some strikeouts before Cincinnati figures him out.