5 Best MLB Bets, Player Props, and Home Run Picks for Saturday 5/24/25

In a given MLB slate, you've got tons of markets to dig through, from totals to home runs and strikeout props.

Which bets stand out for today's games?

Below, I'm going to run through my favorite bets in FanDuel Sportsbook's MLB betting odds. You can get additional insights from our daily MLB player prop projections.

Note: Lines are subject to change throughout the day after this article is published. All stats come from FanGraphs and Baseball Savant unless noted otherwise.

Today's Best MLB Bets, Player Props, and Home Run Picks

San Diego Padres at Atlanta Braves

Michael King Over 5.5 Strikeouts (+100)

Against righties, the Atlanta Braves are Schrödinger's matchup.

While we feel terrified of individual bats, they have a proven track record of being average -- if not gettable for quality arms. Their 102 wRC+ and 21.5 K% in the split this season are just okay. In last night's 2-1 win for the San Diego Padres, Nick Pivetta twirled 6.0 beautiful innings with seven punchouts, and Michael King can replicate that result tonight.

King's 2.59 ERA is well-supported by xERA (2.99) and skill-interactive ERA (3.28 SIERA), and he's been a whiff threat all season with a 28.4 K%.

It surprising to see this number so friendly after Pivetta's outing. Our MLB player prop projections expect 5.89 median strikeouts from King in Saturday's game, implying closer to -116 odds for this line if correct.

Chicago Cubs at Cincinnati Reds

Reds Over 4.5 Runs (+102)

Colin Rea has faced the Pittsburgh Pirates, Miami Marlins, and Chicago White Sox in three of his last four outings. His 2.38 ERA is largely a fib.

Both his xERA and SIERA are north of 4.10, and he's not an overly dominant pitcher to generate a swing-and-miss on just 8.9% of his pitches.

Further, Rea's excellent HR/9 (0.86) is also lucky when his homer-to-flyball ratio (8.0% HR:FB) is well below the league average (11.5%).

MLB's fourth-friendliest park for hitters might help balance the universe tonight, but a Cincinnati Reds team with a .735 team OPS against righties at home doesn't hurt. Rea has allowed a .996 career OPS in 65 at-bats (ABs) against active Reds, as well.

Of course, the Chicago Cubs' 27th-ranked reliever SIERA (3.97) could also help the Reds' team total late.

Austin Hays to Record 2+ Total Bases (+105)

A primary contributor to the damage could be Cincinnati outfielder Austin Hays.

This is a match made in heaven for Hays to put wood on ball. Hays' 5.9 BB% rate against right-handers is tiny, and Rea's 80.9% contact rate -- during a seventh straight season north of 78.0% -- is massive. Seeking extra bases, the righty also induces fewer groundballs against same-handed bats (32.8%) than lefties (41.3%).

Hays has topped this mark in four of his last eight, which isn't a bad success rate at plus money in a positive matchup. FanDuel Research has got him forecasted for 1.89 total median bases, which would imply closer to -129 odds on this prop via the projections.

Miami Marlins at Los Angeles Angels

Angels -1.5 (+116)

Betting baseball is occasionally having the fortitude to bet ridiculous chalk and keep doing it when it, miraculously, fails.

The Los Angeles Angels have won eight in a row yet come at solid plus money to defeat the Miami Marlins, wielding their worst arm, by multiple runs. Sure thing.

That arm is Cal Quantrill, who has amassed a 5.88 xERA with a middling 16.4 K% across nine starts. He's allowed 1.32 HR/9 this year, and we'll check his contact splits in a moment. Remember, the Marlins' bullpen also has the league's worst SIERA (4.21) when he departs.

Meanwhile, Jose Soriano is a much more reliable commodity, per a 4.16 xERA and 63.7% groundball rate. The sinkerballer should have a field day with a Miami team whose groundball rate in this split (43.6%) is already 10th-worst in baseball.

I'll back the Halos to keep rolling, especially when the Marlins 'pen can snatch defeat from the jaws of victory in an instant.

Jorge Soler to Hit a Home Run (+430)

Why don't we close the night with our projections' favorite homer bet of the day, too?

Jorge Soler has made an imprint on his new ball club. Across 147 ABs against righties, Soler has posted a .761 OPS, .197 ISO, 42.2% flyball rate, and 82.4% medium-to-hard contact rate, including a home run last night.

Quantrill's hefty rate of home runs allowed is no accident when he's 30th percentile or worse in hard-hit rate (44.7%) and barrel rate (10.6%) while also allowing a 38.9% flyball rate.

Soler has a career 17.8% HR:FB against right-handers. It's just 16.3% this year. I think he's due for a bit more luck in that regard soon, and baseball's fourth-best park for dingers could help.

FDR has Soler projected for 0.29 home runs on Saturday, so we'd have expected to see this number closer to +297 for a bomb.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.