The MLB championship series are in full swing as Game 3 and 4 of the NLCS and ALCS are on the schedule for Thursday, Oct. 19. The Braves and Diamondbacks will start things off today at 5:07 p.m. ET on TBS. The first pitch of the ALCS between the Rangers and Astros is set for 8:03 p.m. ET on FS1.
Arizona is looking to avoid a 0-3 hole, and the Astros are looking to knot up the series after a 0-2 start. The pressure is starting to build on both series, which sets up player props to be one of the best betting options on the market. With the first game quickly approaching, we’re taking a look at the best MLB player props for Thursday’s games and the best bonus offers from the top online sportsbooks on the market.
Best Sportsbook Bonuses for Thursday’s Playoff games
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MLB Playoffs Props for Thursday, Oct. 19
Bryce Harper over 0.5 RBIs (+139 on Caesars Sportsbook)
Bryce Harper is one of the hottest hitters on the planet. In the postseason, he has hit four home runs and has a slash line of .385/.543/.846. His teammate Trea Turner is somehow even hotter, registering three home runs and a slash line of .500/.559/.967 in postseason play, which includes a hit in every game so far.
Tonight, they’ll face Diamondbacks’ rookie pitcher Brandon Pfaadt, who had a 5.72 ERA this season and allowed a home run in all but eight of his 21 starts this year. That doesn’t bode well for keeping Turner and Harper off the bags in tonight’s must-win game for the Diamondbacks. Additionally, Pfaadt hasn’t made it to the sixth inning of a game in over a month. If the Phillies get to him early, the game could get pretty ugly, pretty fast.
After a 10-0 victory in Game 2, it’s clearly possible.
Yordan Alvarez to hit a home run (+290 on BetMGM Sportsbook)
Yordan Alvarez is a threat to go deep every time he steps to the plate. He has hit six home runs this postseason, and he had one robbed in Game 3 last night that would have made seven. He’ll square off against Andrew Heaney tonight, who he hasn’t taken deep yet. However, the Astros have had success against him, especially on the road at Globe Life Stadium.
The last time the Astros saw Heaney, it resulted in a 13-6 thrashing of the Rangers at home. Heaney’s primary pitches are the four-seamer and slider, which Alavarez hits at .267 and .303, respectively this season. If he doesn’t get to Heaney for a deep ball, there is a good chance he gets to the relief pitcher, which he has done quite often in the postseason.
The Astros as a team have a batting average of .263 against Heaney and have hit nine home runs against him as well. If he doesn’t get past five innings, the flood gates could open, and Alvarez is very likely to be one of Houston players to take advantage. Home run props are a challenge to get right, but no is better to take a chance on than Alavarez is during October baseball.
Jose Urquidy over 3.5 strikeouts (-104 on FanDuel Sportsbook)
Jose Urquidy has been in and out of the rotation for the Astros this season, leading to an up-and-down season. However, he has been nails in his last three outings, registering 10 strikeouts and only allowing two runs. In his last start of the postseason, he compiled six strikeouts against Minnesota.
The Rangers’ lineup has much more firepower, but Urquidy does have a tool under his belt that seems to be pretty effective against Texas’ hitters — the sweeper. Urquidy uses the sweeper at a nearly 20% clip, and five of the Rangers batters hit the pitch at .214 or less. That should go a long way in helping him cover this low strikeout total.
