MLB To Hit a Home Run Player Prop Picks & Predictions: Friday (5/12)

by Trenton Pruitt |
May 12, 2023

We have an exciting weekend of baseball on the horizon featuring several big-time matchups on the docket. A few of them include the Rays taking on the Yankees, the Braves heading to Ontario to face the Blue Jays, and the Padres squaring off against the Dodgers.

With tonight's 15-game slate comes a ton of sports betting options. I'm taking it to the prop sheet for tonight's action where I'm locking in these three players to hit home runs.

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Today's Best To Hit A Home Run Prop Bets

Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook

Austin Riley (+550)

The Braves hit the road for six games, where they'll make stops in Toronto and Texas for a trio of games at each location. Tonight's matchup with the Blue Jays features a pitching matchup between Spencer Strider and Chris Bassitt. First pitch is scheduled for 7:07 p.m. ET from Rogers Centre in Toronto, ON.

Bassitt is putting together a respectable debut campaign with the Blue Jays this season, as he's 4-2 with a 4.28 ERA and 1.23 WHIP over seven starts. Most recently, the right-hander faced the Pirates and blanked them over 7.0 innings. He allowed just four hits and four walks while earning the win.

The 34-year-old hurler will take on one of the best offenses in baseball tonight, and he doesn't have a great track record against them. The Braves are slashing .365/.441/.538 with two home runs and three doubles over 52 at-bats against Bassitt. One player that sticks out is Austin Riley, who's 3-7 (.429) with a home run. The slugging third baseman is hitting .246 this season with six home runs and five doubles. Let's lock in Riley to go yard tonight at the Centre.

Justin Turner (+550)

The Cardinals continue their road trip, and the next stop is in Massachusetts, where they'll take on the Red Sox for three games. Tonight's pitching matchup sees Adam Wainwright take the ball for St. Louis while Boston opts for James Paxton. First pitch is slated for 7:10 p.m. ET from Fenway Park in Boston, MA.

Wainwright wasn't sharp in his season debut outing against the Tigers on Saturday. The veteran right-hander surrendered four earned runs on eight hits over 5.0 innings against the lowly Detroit squad. It was a no-decision effort in a 6-5 loss in 10 innings. That all translates to a 7.20 ERA and 1.60 WHIP to start the year.

It won't get any easier for Waino tonight as he gets set to face a Red Sox lineup that's fourth overall in team batting average (.269) and third in OPS (.788). The current Boston lineup is slashing .273/.314/.485 against him over 33 at-bats with four extra-base hits. Specifically, Justin Turner has seen him well at 4-14 (.286) with a home run and two doubles. Turner's off to a solid start this year with a .277 average and three long balls. I'll take a flier on him to hit his fourth tonight.

Kyle Tucker (+370)

The disappointing White Sox return home tonight, where they'll open up a series with the Astros. J.P. France gets the nod for Houston, while Chicago counters with Michael Kopech. This American League showdown is scheduled for 8:10 p.m. ET from Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago, IL.

Similar to the team as a whole, Kopech has underperformed out of the gate in 2023. The right-handed flamethrower is just 1-3 with a 5.97 ERA and 1.57 WHIP over seven starts. Kopech faced the Reds last time out and gave up four earned runs on eight hits and a walk. Despite the mediocre outing, he earned the win in the 6.0-inning outing as the Sox crushed Cincinnati 17-4.

Kopech will be running into an Astros team that's slashing .371/.378/.600 against him with two homers and two doubles over 35 at-bats. Kyle Tucker has been excellent against the righty, going 4-9 (.444) with a big fly and a two-bagger. The outfielder is hitting .264 this season with a .789 OPS and six round-trippers. I think there's a good chance he goes deep tonight on the Southside.

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MLB To Hit a Home Run Player Prop Picks & Predictions: Friday (5/12)

Today's Best To Hit A Home Run Prop Bets

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