5 Best MLB Bets, Player Props, and Home Run Picks for Sunday 8/10/25

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

Houston Astros at New York Yankees

Yankees -1.5 (-108)

This feels like a classic Sunday romp in the Bronx.

The New York Yankees are sending out Max Fried as they aim to win the series, and all season, Fried's 3.41 xERA and 23.3% strikeout rate have worked well in a "stopper" sort of role. It'll aid him that the Houston Astros have a .732 OPS (17th in MLB) against lefties since July 1st. They're not the outlier matchup they were earlier this season.

On offense, New York has a fairly plain matchup with Jason Alexander (4.32 xERA) -- other than whatever weird voodoo comes from a start in the halls that Costanza's namesake used to roam. Houston's 4.26 bullpen xFIP (seventh-worst in MLB) is also an issue when Alexander departs.

With an edge on both sides of the dish, I'll back the Yanks to win by two-plus.

Los Angeles Angels at Detroit Tigers

Angels Over 3.5 Runs (-132)

Casey Mize's 3.50 ERA has been living on borrowed time all season. The Los Angeles Angels might be the unlikely source from which it balloons.

I'm not sure Mize's 2025 classifies as a "breakout". He's got a 4.08 skill-interactive ERA (SIERA) behind that mark without a ton of swing-and-miss upside (20.5 K%). It's started to unravel a bit as he's given up at least three earned runs in three of his last four starts already.

Plus, the Detroit Tigers' bullpen (4.86 xFIP) has been the worst in baseball besides the Colorado Rockies over the past month.

L.A.'s .724 OPS against righties since July 1st is more "average" than you'd likely guess. They're doing fine in the split for such a paltry total against Mize, which has to be aided by a pitcher-friendly park and suboptimal winds for bombs.

Taylor Ward to Hit a Home Run (+460)

Park and wind be darned. I'm taking Taylor Ward for a nuke in this matchup.

Part of Mize's issues in today's matchup are that his performance actually drops against same-handed bats. He's allowed 1.79 HR/9 to right-handed batters like Ward.

At a baseline, the righty hurler's contact issues are already troublesome. He's 35th percentile or worse in hard-hit rate (42.7%), barrel rate (10.0%), and average exit velocity (90.3 mph). Again, just because the balls have been finding gloves (.299 BABIP) doesn't mean the pitching has been effective.

FanDuel Research's MLB player prop projections expect 0.34 median home runs from Ward in this matchup, implying closer to +247 odds for a bomb.

Washington Nationals at San Francisco Giants

Nationals Moneyline in First 5 Innings (+104)

Has Justin Verlander found the "fountain of youth" -- or a bit of good fortune?

JV enters allowing just one earned runs over his last 15.0 innings, but he's had a 4.66 SIERA in this same time when adjusting for level of competition and a mediocre rate of strikeouts (22.2%).

The exact opposite has happened to Mackenzie Gore. Gore has been dismantled for a 13.29 ERA in his last four starts, but a 6.09 SIERA shows a lot of these blowup starts featured bad luck. Overall this year, Gore's 3.59 SIERA and 27.6% strikeout rate are dominant.

It's frightening to back a pitcher like Gore off these blowups, but the San Francisco Giants have a pitiful .594 team OPS against lefties since July 1st. Even the Washington Nationals have fared better against righties (.629).

You won't ever catch me trusting the Washington bullpen -- especially after the deadline. However, I think Gore gets back on track today.

Mackenzie Gore Over 5.5 Strikeouts (-113)

That's why I'm adding his Ks, as well.

In this period of ineptitude by the Giants, they've also had a 25.2% strikeout rate (ninth-highest in MLB). Their right-hand-dominant order won't be an issue when Mackenzie still has a 26.3% strikeout rate against right-handed sticks. Facing San Francisco in their pitcher-friendly venue doesn't hurt, either.

Gore's velocity is completely normal, and his fastball-to-breaking ball usage hasn't really changed from the peak of his effectiveness. Bad luck just kind of happens. The Giants are a great team to face trying to end it.

Our projections expect 5.84 Ks in 5.53 innings on Sunday. If he's dealing, he could truly smash this line with extended length.

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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.