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Best MLB Player Props Today: Predictions for Yordan Alvarez, Lane Thomas on Thursday

Yordan Alvarez and Lane Thomas haven't quite found the spotlight so far this season, but this stat shows why they should be targeted today.

By Gage Bridgford

Yordan Alvarez hits a single
Yordan Alvarez hits a single / Robert Edwards-USA TODAY Sports
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We’re sticking with the theme from yesterday with a pairing of one big-name player to go with one that’s a bit of a lesser-known commodity. Our first target is going to be Houston Astros’ slugger Yordan Alvarez with the second nod going in the direction of the Washington Nationals and Lane Thomas.

After getting swept on Tuesday, we bounced back with a split yesterday. The Los Angeles Dodgers had 16 hits, and Mookie Betts didn’t tally a single one on the day.

Meanwhile, Josh Smith didn’t make it easy on us as he got two strikes on him in all four of his plate appearances, but he still got the job done to get us in the green.

Best Player Props Record to Date

  • 2024 year record: 51-42-1 (+18.55 units)

Find Gage Bridgford's Best Bets betting record here.

MLB Best Player Props Today

  • Yordan Alvarez O0.5 RBIs (+160) - .75 Units Bet365
  • Lane Thomas 3+ Total Bases (+250) - .50 Units FanDuel

Yordan Alvarez O0.5 RBIs (+160) Bet365

After leaving the RBI market for a day, we’re back to it with Alvarez today. Along with the rest of the Astros’ roster, Yordan has taken a small step back in terms of his levels of production, but it appears that he’s been starting to turn the corner as of late.

After batting just .263 across March and April, he’s kicked that up to .286 for the month of May, including a .348 mark over the last week. The trouble for him has been the guys in front of him, as he has just one RBI over that stretch.

Enter Logan Gilbert. Gilbert, along with the rest of the Seattle Mariners’ staff has been very strong this season, but this is a great get-right spot for Houston. Including Chas McCormick in the nine spot, the trio of batters in front of Alvarez have a batting average of .288 against Gilbert.

Jose Altuve has especially hit him well with a .370 batting average against him with six of his 10 hits going for extra bases. Gilbert shut down the Astros earlier this season, but I like Alvarez to get a run across today.

Lane Thomas 3+ Total Bases (+250) FanDuel

We’re 1-for-2 on these alternate base markets, and I’m going back to the well today for Thomas. Thomas had one of the best games of his major league career yesterday with a 3-of-4 outing at the plate as he finished a triple short of the cycle.

After missing more than a month with a knee injury, Thomas has hit the ground running since he returned. In three games back, he’s batting .385 with an OPS of 1.275. Of his five hits, four of them have gone for extra bases, and he has continued his traditional splits against lefties compared to righties with an average of .294 vs. .167.

Thomas’ matchup for today will be Ray Kerr of the Atlanta Braves. Kerr is making his second career start for Atlanta, and he’s hoping to bounce back after a rough first outing. In four innings, Kerr gave up seven hits and five earned runs.

On the year, Kerr has gotten knocked around hard by RHB. Righties are batting .308 with a .856 OPS while lefties are batting just .250 with a .607 OPS. Thomas hits near the top of the lineup, and his speed means he just needs one or two hits to take this one home.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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