MLB Player Prop Bets Today July 29: Three Picks for Tuesday

We break down the twisting and confusing season of Justin Verlander in this edition of our MLB Best Player Prop Bets.

We have three betting picks for you, each of them a prop on a popular MLB player performing tonight.

(Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

Verlander and his teammates are hosting the lowly Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday evening at Oracle Park in San Francisco. Odds for this game show the G-Men at -157, according to DraftKings Sportsbook.

Our odds tonight are from both DraftKings and FanDuel. We make choices for PIT at SFG, LAD at CIN, and ATL at KCR.

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Justin Verlander to Record 6+ Strikeouts vs Pirates: +150

Last week, Justin Verlander, a surefire future Hall of Famer, recorded his first victory of the season. It couldn't have come soon enough for JV, who made 16 starts for the Giants without gaining a win. That was an ignominious franchise record.

Usually Verlander is setting records that bring accolades

The big right-hander has more than 3,000 K's, more than 260 wins, and he's the only player to win the MVP, Cy Young, League Championship Series MVP, and Rookie of the Year.

He also has not one, not two, but three no-hitters to his credit. Once he decides to tear the toe plate off his cleats, Verlander will take his place among the elite pitchers in the history of the game.

Giants fans really don't care about Verlander's trophy case

They want to see results. So far, the Giants are 5-12 in Verlander's starts, which means he's been far from a losing streak "stopper."

Now that Verlander has his first win as a Giant, I like his chances to string together good starts. Even with his poor record this season, the three-time Cy Young Award winner has recorded some good starts.

He has six quality starts and nine starts where he's allowed two earned runs or less. Unlucky is one way to categorize his stint thus far with the San Frans.

Verlander has nine starts with 5+ strikeouts, and a 7-K game just a few weeks ago.

He still has a very good slider, when he has command

The Pirates strike out a lot (only the Rockies fan more among NL teams). That means we should see lots of swings and misses against JV's best pitches.

WAGER: $100 on Verlander to record 6 strikeouts or more, at +150. I love those odds, and if I win, I take in $150 in winnings.

Elly De La Cruz to Steal a Base vs Dodgers: +198

Cincinnati's dynamic shortstop is 6-for-6 on stolen base attempts in July. The All-Star is a perfect 5-for-5 in steal attempts against Will Smith of the Dodgers.

Whomever is pitching may have something to say about De La Cruz's chances to swipe a bag: but I see the "Daring Dominican" getting at least on steal tonight against LA at home.

WAGER: Go all in for a $100 wager on Elly De La Cruz to swipe at least one bag. If you are correct, your wager will be worth a handsome payout of $198.

Matt Olson to Record 2+ Runs: +500

Atlanta first baseman plays every stinkin' day. Which means he scores oodles of runs: 127 in 2023, and 101 in 2021. He's on pace for 89 runs. But more importantly than that, he's warming up.

It may not look like it in the boxscores, but Olson is hitting the ball hard

His hard-hit percentage the last 10 games ranks in the top 12 in MLB. He's 10-for-38 (.263) over his last 10G, but has scored nine runs.

Olson is reaching base a lot: 20 times in his last 10 games (10 hits, 10 walks). His on-base percentage is .425 over that span. But I see even more than that coming, because Olson is smacking the baseball very hard. Expect more extra-base hits soon.

He doubled on Monday, and I suspect he will have more extra-base oomph going on tonight.

WAGER: $50 on Matt Olson to score at least two runs (+500 from FanDuel). A winning $50 wager will win $250.