Ricky Dimon
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We have a small seven-game slate in Major League Baseball on Monday, as a whole bunch of teams are hitting the road to begin new series elsewhere following their weekend activities. There were initially supposed to be eight games today, but the Minnesota Twins’ road date with the Oakland Athletics was postponed because of Minnesota’s Covid-19 issues. Nonetheless, there is more than enough on offer to find value in some enticing player prop bets. Let’s take a look at the best such options for Monday’s schedule.
Bryce Harper Over 0.5 runs scored (-118)
Harper is off to a solid start to the 2021 campaign, batting .289 with three homers, seven RBIs, and nine runs scored. He has crossed the plate in each of the last two Philadelphia Phillies’ games. Don’t be surprised if he does so at least once against the San Francisco Giants on Monday. This is a favorable matchup for Harper, who is facing right-hander Kevin Gausman. San Francisco’s veteran starter is coming off a mediocre effort against the Reds, who scored five runs off him in 6.0 innings. Harper is 5-for-12 in his career vs. Gausman and there are plenty of Philly bats behind the star outfielder who can bring him home.
Dustin May to record a win (+141)
The Los Angeles Dodgers lost to San Diego on Sunday, but they had previously won eight in a row. With May on the mound against the Seattle Mariners on Monday night, the defending World Series champions should be able to get back on track. May has allowed only two earned runs across 10.1 innngs in a pair of starts this year. Justus Sheffield is taking the mound for Seattle with a 4.91 ERA so far in 2021. Sheffield does not have a lot of versatility in terms of his pitches, which is bad news when facing a potent L.A. lineup. The Dodgers rank first in OBP, second in slugging percentage, and second in total runs scored. May should be able to work the required 5.0 innings and leave with his team well out in front.
Joe Musgrove Under 7.5 strikeouts (+112)
Musgrove threw a no-hitter against Texas on April 9, throwing 112 pitches. Unsurprisingly, the San Diego Padres limited his pitch count to 81 in his next start against Pittsburgh. They are not going to do anything crazy with Musgrove any time soon. Assuming the 28-year-old does not approach the 100-pitch mark on Monday, there is a good chance he stays under the eighth strikeout mark. Musgrove was a strikeout pitcher in 2020 and so far that has been the case this season, but those sample sizes are small. He had previously averaged well less than a strikeout per inning throughout his career. On the Milwaukee Brewers, the only prime strikeout candidates are Jackie Bradley Jr. and Keston Hiura. Look for Milwaukee to put a decent amount of bats on the ball, so Under 7.5 on Musgrove’s Ks has good value.
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