MLB Player Prop Bets Today: 8-26

We're starting off the week with our best MLB player prop bets, with a look at an AL East showdown between the Toronto Blue Jays and Boston Red Sox.

Andrew Brennan

Last Updated: August 26, 2024 10:31 AM EDT • 4 minute read

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Nick Pivetta and second baseman David Hamilton react after a play against the Houston Astros. Photo by Troy Taormina via USA TODAY Sports.

We're kicking off the week with some tasty plus-money MLB player prop bets in hopes to close out August on a high note.

Before that, though, we need to acknowledge that history will be made on Monday. No, it doesn't have anything to do with Shohei Ohtani's record-breaking 40/40 campaign, or Aaron Judge's march to 63 homers. This is far cooler.

Boston Red Sox catcher Danny Jansen will become the first player in MLB history to play for both teams in the same game when his former club, the Toronto Blue Jays, and his new one resume their contest from June 26.

Additionally, Jansen was at the plate for the Jays when the action was called, so the Blue Jays will send a pinch-hitter out for him and he will now catch his own at-bat. Did you get all that?

Now, we can't bet on that game at our best sports betting sites since it's already underway, but we do have a player prop from the Blue Jays vs. Red Sox evening showdown, with Nick Pivetta's strikeout Over looking mighty enticing.

Mike Spector provided a deeper look at the game with his Blue Jays vs. Red Sox prediction.

Today’s MLB player props

MLB picks based on odds via our best MLB betting sites; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale.

Jameson Taillon Under 4.5 strikeouts (+105 via bet365) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Nick Pivetta Over 5.5 strikeouts (+112 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

MLB prop bets for Monday

Prediction: Jameson Taillon Under 4.5 strikeouts ⭐⭐⭐⭐

	DraftKings	FanDuel	BetMGM	Caesars	bet365
Odds	-120	-106	-110	-117	+105

Best odds: +105 via bet365 | Implied probability: 48.78%

Chicago Cubs righty Taillon has bounced back nicely this season from a rough 2023 campaign. His 3.77 ERA represents the best he's managed since 2018, and he's done well to limit walks and hard contact.

However, Taillon's 7.18 strikeouts per nine are a career low, and his 19.2% K rate is just better than his career-worst 19% from 2019.

Taillon has gone Over this strikeout total in two straight, but he failed to do so in the five games before that.

His projection on Monday is 4.36. Based on that projection, we're getting roughly 15% positive expected value on this bet.

Meanwhile, Pinnacle - which features one of the most respected trading teams in the sports betting industry - opened Taillon's Under 4.5 at +116, and it's since moved to -145.

Game info:

Cubs vs. Pirates
Venue: PNC Park, Pittsburgh
First pitch: 6:40 p.m. ET
Moneyline: Pirates (-115 via bet365)
Total: 8.5 via bet365

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Prediction: Nick Pivetta Over 5.5 strikeouts ⭐⭐⭐⭐

	DraftKings	FanDuel	BetMGM	Caesars	bet365
Odds	+100	+112	+100	-103	+105

Best odds: +112 via FanDuel | Implied probability: 47.17%

It'll likely be Connor Wong behind the plate for Pivetta rather than Jansen, but it doesn't matter who his catcher is, because the right-hander is poised to mow down the Blue Jays on Monday.

Pivetta is projected to rack up 6.84 punchouts, which would represent a major bounce-back after he managed only two in his last start against the Houston Astros.

For the season, the big righty is striking out 10.68 batters per nine, and his 28.9% K rate is his career high as a full-time starter.

We're getting a whopping 44% +EV on this bet through these +112 odds at FanDuel, and Pinnacle is pricing the Over at -107 after opening at +121.

Game info:

Blue Jays vs. Red Sox
Venue: Fenway Park, Boston
First pitch: 7:10 p.m. ET
Moneyline: Red Sox (-160 via bet365)
Total: 9 via bet365

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Written by:
Andrew Brennan

Andrew Brennan is a publishing editor for Sportsbook Review. He also heads the website’s MLB coverage, from the various futures markets to daily picks. Andrew believes a math-based approach is the best way to enjoy long-term success in sports betting, and he’s spent the better part of the last year fine-tuning his own process for MLB, NBA, and NFL picks. Andrew uses eight different sportsbooks to find the best odds available and various projection models to gather as much information as he can. His most used sportsbooks are bet365, FanDuel, and theScore Bet. When it comes to daily projection models, he regularly references NumberFire across all sports, as it’s one of the best free tools available. In terms of which daily markets Andrew attacks, he almost exclusively bets on pitcher strikeouts for baseball. When the winter rolls around, you’ll see him providing more variety when it comes to the NBA (points, assists, rebounds) and NFL (almost any offensive-based player prop). He used these tools to go +150 units in 2023 while building his NFL experience. Andrew is also a passionate fantasy sports player. He’s played fantasy football, fantasy Premier League, and fantasy baseball for the last decade. He graduated from Durham College with his diploma in journalism after earning his degree in law from Carleton University. He’s worked in sports media since early 2017, first contributing at FanSided before moving to theScore. He joined SBR in 2022.