MLB Betting Picks and Player Props to Target for Saturday 5/18/24

Baseball has you covered if you want a large inventory of options to bet.

From moneylines to run totals to first-five-inning wagers, we have plenty of ways to bet the long, arduous MLB schedule daily. Outlooks can be vastly different due to starting pitchers, and a wealth of advanced stats can let us know if an individual pitcher, a bullpen, or a team is due for positive -- or negative -- regression.

Using numberFire's projections as a guide, which MLB odds from FanDuel Sportsbook are most appealing today?

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. Please check here to make sure you're seeing the most updated projections.

MLB Betting Picks

Milwaukee Brewers at Houston Astros

Houston Astros Over 4.5 Runs (-102)

In a home matchup against right-hander Bryse Wilson, Houston's surging offense have an ideal spot to surpass their team total after averaging six runs per game during their current winning streak.

There are several reasons to believe the Astros can get the job done on Saturday evening when observing Wilson's below-average metrics as a starter this season (5.38 xFIP, 4.71 FIP) and throughout his career (4.93 xFIP, 16.1% K-rate), serious regression concerns when evaluating his unsustainable .207 batting average on balls in play (career .284), and 90.9% left on-base percentage, and Houston's prime opportunity to exploit Wilson's top weakness (.369 wOBA, 5.35 xFIP) with four left-handed bats.

When considering all the negative indicators surrounding Milwaukee's starter, there is plenty of value in betting on Houston's offense to score at least five runs and put a healthy dent in Wilson's fluky 2.65 ERA.

Oakland Athletics at Kansas City Royals

Salvador Perez to Record 2+ Bases (-145)

Riding a recent hot streak with a .296 expected average and six extra base hits in his last 46 plate appearances, Kansas City's catcher has another opportunity to record at least two bases against veteran Ross Stripling.

While Stripling has slightly outperformed his 4.98 ERA this season, Perez should have plenty of opportunities to record hard contact against Stripling's unique reverse splits (.329 wOBA, 4.08 xFIP) and his glaring inability to miss bats with a career-low 14.4% K-rate.

Look for Perez to generate some offense especially in an extremely favorable environment ranked second in park factors for right-handed bats during night games.

Los Angeles Angels at Texas Rangers

Los Angeles Angels Over 3.5 Runs (-132)

Willie Calhoun to Record 2+ Bases (+100)

After scoring an eye-popping 27 runs in their last four games, the Halos have a great spot to sustain their run production with a meaty 5.20 projected team total.

Taking the hill for the Rangers, Jose Urena remains as a prime target to bet against despite recording a 3.62 ERA this season especially when analyzing his metrics in a starting role this season including a 4.61 xFIP and a laughable 10.0% K-rate.

With all signs flashing trouble is looming in this American League West matchup, we can feel great about not only targeting the Angels' offense as a whole but also their left-handed hitters versus Urena's 5.39 career xFIP in this split with a primary interest in Willie Calhoun's imposing form in May including a .367 expected average and nine extra base hits in his last 55 plate appearances.

Looking for more MLB betting opportunities? Check out all of the MLB odds at FanDuel Sportsbook.

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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.