Friday’s action on the diamond features some premier matchups and tons of betting opportunities at online sportsbooks.
Below are our favorite June 2 MLB picks including Shohei Ohtani props, an Aaron Judge bet, plus links to our best MLB promos from some of the industry's best sites:Â
MLB player prop picks: Bet Harper, Ohtani, and Judge props on June 2
Shohei Ohtani props: Over 7.5 Strikeouts (-105 or better)
We’re looking for dominance over length in this spot — though the two aren’t mutually exclusive. Generally speaking, however, Ohtani is capped at six frames in his big strikeout performances.
Ohtani finished with 44 punch-outs in 31 innings in the month of May, so he’s missing bats with high frequency.
He whiffed eight-plus in three of five starts and has multiple instances of carving through a challenging Astros lineup dating back to the 2022 campaign.
Even though the Astros do a relatively good job of putting the bat on the ball, Ohtani’s 2023 form is especially impressive. His 12.46 strikeouts-per-nine and 33.3 percent called-plus-swinging-strike rate are the best of his career.
Aaron Judge props: Over 1.5 total bases (+115 or better)
Judge looks very much like an MVP front-runner, especially after a dominant May that included a 1.352 OPS and 12 bombs. Though, for the record, Ohtani tops AL MVP odds boards for now.
The Yankees will continue to lean heavily on his hot bat as the other key members of the lineup come and go, and that’s especially true tonight against future Hall of Fame lefty Clayton Kershaw.
Judge is struggling against southpaws in 28 at-bats this season, but don’t let that small sample size deter you. He owns good numbers against them overall, and even victimized Kershaw with a homer in three at-bats against him.
And we don’t need a homer from him in this spot. The big man has multiple bases in four of his last six games, and we think he keeps rolling on Friday in Hollywood.
Bryce Harper props: Over 1.5 Total Bases (-120 or better)
Same bet, different star. Harper reached base in 8 of his last 10, a span which also includes three multi-hit performances. He’s gradually rounding into form after returning to action at the beginning of May.
He’s crushing right-handed pitching with a .389 batting average and 1.100 OPS. He has individual success against Nationals starter Josiah Gray as well, tallying two hits, including a homer, in five at-bats against the 25-year-old righty.
June 2 MLB moneyline picks: Diamondbacks (+105 or better) vs. Braves
The Braves are scuffling a bit as they’re in the midst of a west coast road trip — they dropped two of three against the Athletics and are 4-6 over their last 10.
Arizona, on the other hand, is riding a five-game winning streak with the second-most runs scored in the National League.
The Diamondbacks are sending Merrill Kelly to the hill against Atlanta’s Charlie Morton. Kelly is in a nice groove on the hill, finishing May with a 2.59 ERA and 0.83 WHIP across 31.1 frames.
Morton, meanwhile, has been on the opposite end of the spectrum in some respects.
His tendency to flirt with fire is represented by his 1.55 WHIP in May. With the way Kelly is dealing, Morton’s margin for error is too slim for the way he’s been performing of late.
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Craig Williams is a Charlotte-based sports writer, researcher, and observer, who focuses on betting content and analysis. He draws from his professional experience that spans the gaming, fantasy, and sports business industries. Craig is an avid fan of basketball, baseball, football, and soccer, though don’t try to pin him down on a favorite — the No. 1 spot is rented, not owned.
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