Best MLB Player Props to Target for Monday (June 5)
By Chris Amberley in MLB Baseball
Updated: June 15, 2023 at 5:58 pm EDTPublished:
- Player props are live for Monday’s eight-game MLB slate (June 5)
- Alek Manoah has failed to make it out of the 5th inning in four of his past five starts
- Check out Monday’s best MLB player props to bet, below
Monday’s MLB slate features only eight games, but that’s still more than enough options to fill out a player props betting card.
Our first target comes to us from Toronto, where the Blue Jays take on the reigning World Series champion Astros. Online sportsbooks have listed Toronto as the favorite in the MLB odds, ignoring the terrible recent form of starter Alek Manoah.
MLB Player Props – Monday, June 5th
| Prop | Odds |
|---|---|
| Alek Manoah Under 4.5 Strikeouts | -115 |
| Blake Snell Over 6.5 Strikeouts | -145 |
| Luis Arraez Over 1.5 Total Bases | +100 |
We’ve been fading Manoah all season with positive results, as the former AL Cy Young odds candidate has gone from staff ace to American League punching bag.
Houston’s lineup is one of the least desirable for an opposing pitcher to face, and we should expect Manoah’s underwhelming strikeout numbers to continue.
Odds as of June 5 at DraftKings. Claim a DraftKings promo code to bet on MLB player props on Monday.
MLB Player Prop #1: Alek Manoah Under 4.5 Strikeouts
For starters, Manoah hasn’t been sticking around long enough in starts to accumulate big K totals. He’s failed to make it out of the 5th inning in four of his past five starts, lasting 4.0 innings or less in three of his past four outings.
He’s also been a walk machine, issuing 20 free passes in his last five starts, and at least four walks seven times since early April. As a result, he’s failed to eclipse four strikeouts in four of his past six outings.
Well Alek Manoah is off to a shaky start again https://t.co/hTaT0wB8ra
— Barstool Baseball (@StoolBaseball) May 31, 2023
As for the Astros regulars in the MLB starting lineups, they boast one of the six lowest K totals in baseball, whiffing at just a 23% rate.
The Astros are also tearing the cover off the ball lately, slashing .273/.352/.528 over the past seven days, making it even more likely they chase Manoah early.
Pick: Alek Manoah Under 4.5 Strikeouts (-115)
MLB Player Prop #2: Blake Snell Over 6.5 Strikeouts
While we’re down on Manoah’s strikeout prospects, we’re bullish on those of Blake Snell. The Padres lefty appears to be rounding into form after a tough start, surrendering only a single run over his past 11 innings.
Snell has whiffed 13 batters over that stretch, and has posted six or more K’s in four of his last six starts. He’s made easy work of the Marlins and Nationals over the last 10 days, two of the NL’s five lowest scoring teams, and now he gets to face another struggling offense.
Blake Snell Last Two Starts
| H | R | HR | BB | K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 |
| 4 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 6 |
That would be the Cubs, who enter play batting .177 over the last week, while averaging only 2.1 runs per game. Chicago strikes out at baseball’s seventh highest rate, and have fanned 33 times already during their current three-game set with San Diego.
Pick: Blake Snell Over 6.5 Strikeouts (-144)
MLB Player Prop #3:Â Luis Arraez Over 1.5 Total Bases
Last, but not least, let’s target the red-hot Luis Arraez, as his Marlins take on the Royals. KC is using an opener for this matchup, which means Arraez and Co. will get to tee off on one of MLB’s worst bullpens.
KC relievers rank 28th in ERA and 24th in strand rate. No bullpen has yielded a higher batting average on balls in play, which should help Arraez’s quest to reach a .400 batting average.
Luis Arraez with a career day by going 5-5 with 5 RBIs, and here is every hit for your enjoyment. pic.twitter.com/Jg6uqgzmSm
— Daniel (@Drodyyy) June 3, 2023
He’s currently batting .392 after going 7-for-9 his weekend against the A’s. Arraez has posted 24 multi-hit games already this season, and is .56 points clear of the next closest competitor in the batting title race.
He’s a career .325 hitter against the current cast of Royals pitchers, registering two hits (including a double) in four at-bats against KC’s opener Carlos Hernandez.
Pick: Luis Arraez Over 1.5 Total Bases (+100)
Sports Writer
As SBD's resident Swiss Army Knife, Chris covers virtually every sport including NFL, PGA, NBA, MLB, NCAAB, NCAAF and the Olympics. A true grinder, he'd rather pick off small edges in the player props market than swing for the fences with a 5-leg parlay.
