We are officially entering the best time of year for sports fans. The college football and NFL seasons are in full swing, the NHL and NBA are just around the corner, and today, the MLB playoffs begin with the Wild Card round.
Four games are taking place today for teams to get a leg up on their journey to the ALDS and NLDS, respectively, making for lots of excitement for baseball fans.
We’ve compiled our favorite player props from Underdog ahead of these contests, hoping to start the playoffs with a sweep of our picks. Without further ado, let’s get into it!
A line of 7.5 strikeouts might seem like a lot for any pitcher, but this is Tarik Skubal we’re talking about. Skubal had the second-highest strikeout totals of any pitcher in baseball this year, and considering how well he’s played against the Cleveland Guardians, there’s no way we’re betting against him.
He’s faced the Guardians four times this season, having 13, 10, 9, and 8 strikeouts in those matchups. If there was ever a time to ride the wave, it would be with Skubal in this one, so we’re sticking with the Detroit Tigers’ ace until further notice.
Kyle Tucker missed most of September with injuries, but he was able to play in the final regular season series of the season, helping the Chicago Cubs sweep the St. Louis Cardinals to guarantee home-field advantage in the Wild Card round.
Tucker didn’t necessarily have a great series, racking up just one hit and two runs in 11 at-bats, but that’s to be expected for someone who has been out for several weeks.
Now that he has that experience under his belt, look for Tucker to mash against the San Diego Padres, starting with today’s game against starting pitcher Nick Pivetta. He should provide a much-needed spark to the Cubs’ offense, achieving at least two combined hits, runs, and RBI.
Garrett Crochet has been one of the best pitcher stories in MLB this year. He has come alive for the Boston Red Sox, a big reason they made it to the postseason in the first place and has a great matchup against the New York Yankees today.
The Yankees are one of the worst teams in baseball when it comes to strikeouts per game, the perfect opportunity for Crochet to mow them down in impressive fashion.
Not only was he the league leader in strikeouts, but his last two appearances against the Yankees yielded double-digit Ks, giving us confidence that he can make it happen again today.