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Three For Thursday – STLCards’ MLB Props Picks & Predictions (8/4/22)

Justin Van Zuiden Thu 8/4 9:55am PT
San Diego Padres odds today - Manny Machado player props picks.
(Image Credit: Imagn)

Greetings, SAO readers! Each Thursday, I am going to bring you three of my favorite bets for the day in a quick, easy to read article that we’ll call “Three For Thursday.” 

We are going to shift this article to have more of a prop-based focus going forward. Let’s see what this Thursday slate has to offer!

Free MLB Player Props Picks For Today

Noah Syndergaard Over 4.5 Strikeouts

I am surprised that we can still get this number at plus odds, so I will jump on it while we can. Syndergaard will obviously look to impress in his first start for a new team, and he should be rejuvenated now that he is on a playoff contender. The Nationals aren’t a high strikeout offense, but the loss of Juan Soto’s plate discipline will hurt.

This is simply a bad lineup, and Syndergaard can definitely pitch deep into this game. With that, achieving five strikeouts is not a tall ask. We have him projected at around 5.1 strikeouts, making this an easy +EV bet given the odds.

Johnny Cueto Under 18.5 pitching outs

Texas may not have the best lineup in baseball, but there’s a big difference with this number at 17.5 vs. 18.5. This line is expecting Cueto to pitch into the seventh inning, which is a tall ask. He has done that in just five of his 14 starts this year, yet we are getting this at around even money. Take the under.

Manny Machado To Hit A Home Run

We have this at projected true odds of +235, so take the mammoth value and run to get it. Machado should thrive in the newly beefed up San Diego lineup, and he responded with a home run on Thursday night. Kyle Freeland is a low strikeout left-handed pitcher, so we know that the ball will be put in play. Machado has solid splits against lefties and is my favorite home run pick today.