MLB Player Props & Expert Picks for Saturday: Will Hicks Face Challenges in St. Louis Homecoming?
This weekend is filled with exciting Major League Baseball games, and we’re sharing our top MLB prop picks and best bets for Saturday using the most favorable MLB odds available.
Jordan Hicks, a former Cardinals right-handed pitcher, is set to make his return to St. Louis as a member of the San Francisco Giants. While he should receive a warm welcome from Cardinals fans, there are concerns about how he will perform in his first game back. The Giants-Cardinals matchup is scheduled for an early start at 2:15 p.m. ET at Busch Stadium.
In another location, we analyze the highly anticipated showdown between the Atlanta Braves and New York Yankees, two teams favored to win the World Series. We highlight our top batter prop for the game, featuring a player who has dominated Braves pitcher Charlie Morton throughout his career.
Check out our MLB player props and expert picks for Saturday.
Saturday’s MLB expert picks
Our MLB picks are determined by odds from top MLB betting sites, with pick confidence rated on a scale of 1 to 5 stars.
- Jordan Hicks is expected to have less than 4.5 strikeouts, with odds of -154 on FanDuel. This bet is rated 4 stars.
- Bet365 has Zack Wheeler as the favorite to win with odds of -125, earning a four-star rating.
- JJ Bleday to score at least one run (+145 odds on bet365) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- There is a +350 odds for Juan Soto hitting a home run on FanDuel, with a three-star rating.
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MLB player props
Jordan Hicks to have fewer than 4.5 strikeouts ⭐⭐⭐⭐
| DraftKings | FanDuel | BetMGM | Caesars | bet365 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Odds | -165 | -154 | -160 | -169 | -165 |
Information on the game between San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals: Moneyline odds are even (Pick’em) via bet365, Total is 8.5 via bet365, Game starts at 2:15 p.m. ET.
During his time with the Cardinals, Hicks consistently maintained a K/9 rate of 9.0 or higher, except for one instance. Despite primarily serving as a reliever during his four-and-a-half-year tenure, he has transitioned to a full-time starter with the Giants and adjusted his pitching style to prioritize longevity over velocity. Consequently, his current K/9 rate of 8.0 is on track to be his lowest ever, while his hard-hit rate has increased for the fourth year in a row, with this season’s rate of 42.4% also heading towards being his highest.
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Since May began, Hicks has had four or fewer strikeouts in five out of nine starts. St. Louis ranks eighth in strikeout rate against right-handed pitching this season at 23.8%, but their batters are well-acquainted with Hicks’ pitching style. This is considered a four-star play because the Giants had a day off yesterday, making it more likely that manager Bob Melvin will utilize his well-rested bullpen.
FanDuel has the best odds at -154.
Zack Wheeler is poised to secure a victory. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
| DraftKings | FanDuel | BetMGM | Caesars | bet365 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Odds | -130 | N/A | N/A | -131 | -125 |
Information for the game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Philadelphia Phillies: Phillies are favored with a moneyline of -240 from bet365. The total is set at 9, also from bet365. The game will start at 4:15 p.m. ET.
In the lead up to Wheeler’s last start against the Baltimore Orioles, he had an impressive record of winning four out of five games and eight out of ten. One of his no-decisions during that time was in a stellar six-scoreless inning performance with only two hits allowed against the Giants. Unfortunately, the game against the Orioles was one he would rather forget, as he gave up a career-high four home runs and only managed to strike out four batters (tied for his second-lowest of the season). However, it is worth noting that the Orioles lineup had recently scored 17 runs against the New York Yankees, and they were able to score seven runs and eight hits off Luis Gil, resulting in the shortest outing of his career.
Wheeler is expected to have a strong performance against the Diamondbacks, who have a middle-of-the-road lineup in terms of home runs and ISO. The Phillies are heavy favorites with a strong home record, making Wheeler a good bet to win at favorable odds. We recommend placing a bet on Wheeler to win at odds up to -140.
Top odds: -125 offered by bet365
JJ Bleday is expected to score over 0.5 runs with a four-star rating.
| DraftKings | FanDuel | BetMGM | Caesars | bet365 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Odds | +135 | +100 | +135 | +129 | +145 |
Information for the game between the Minnesota Twins and the Oakland Athletics: Moneyline odds have the Twins favored at -165 according to bet365, with the total score set at 8. The game is scheduled to start at 4:07 p.m. Eastern Time.
Bleday, the Athletics’ centerfielder, has scored 34 runs and has a 2.4 WAR, leading the team. In the last seven days, he has been slashing .409/.519/.727, with a 1.246 OPS which led the team. Bleday hits before Miguel Andujar and Brent Rooker, who together had six RBIs in that time frame. Andujar had an OPS of .792, while Rooker had an OPS of .778.
In five of his last nine games, Bleday has crossed the plate at least once, scoring multiple runs three times. He is expected to score again against Minnesota Twins right-hander Bailey Ober, who has a .610 slugging percentage allowed on his four-seam fastball. Ober ranks in the 19th percentile for barrels and the seventh percentile for ground ball rate.
Top odds: +145 as per bet365
Juan Soto is expected to hit a three-star home run.
| DraftKings | FanDuel | BetMGM | Caesars | bet365 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Odds | +310 | +350 | +325 | +305 | +320 |
Information for the game between the Atlanta Braves and the New York Yankees: Moneyline odds favor the Yankees (-140 on bet365) with a total of 9 points also set by bet365. The game is scheduled to start at 7:15 p.m. Eastern Time.
Soto has had a remarkable career success against Braves righty Charlie Morton, hitting .636 with three home runs in 11 at-bats, boasting a slash line of .750/.1.455.
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Soto currently boasts a 20-game on-base streak, making it the fourth-longest active streak in the majors. His impressive .417 on-base percentage since last season leads all players. Despite not hitting a home run in his last five games, Soto’s statistics show that he performs better at home, with eight of his 18 home runs coming in significantly fewer at-bats compared to on the road. This trend makes him a valuable player to watch, especially against a pitcher like Morton, who had a career-worst 3.9% home run percentage just two seasons ago.
Top odds: +350 at FanDuel
Player props for MLB were created on Saturday at 7:33 a.m. ET.
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