Holding onto the third AL wild card by only half a game, the Blue Jays enter this weekend's three-game road trip in Cincinnati desperate for a series victory. Toronto turns to Jose Berrios (9-8, 3.53 ERA, 4.18 xFIP) to get help John Schneider's bunch get back in the win column, toeing the rubber opposite Brett Kennedy (1-0, 5.14 ERA, 5.08 xFIP) for Cincinnati in Friday's opener.
Per usual, we compiled our favorite SuperDraft player props for tonight's action in the big leagues, but for our Canadian audience, we're highlighting our favorite over/under bets for Friday night's Blue Jays-Reds tilt. Users who sign up for SuperDraft can pick their favorite over/unders via SuperDraft's Fantasy Props feature, bringing them closer to the action while having a chance to win cash prizes.
SuperDraft users can win 3X the amount wagered if their two-legged player prop parlay hits. Consequently, the more legs you add to your player prop parlay, the larger your potential payout becomes, but as the long odds indicate, completing a clean sweep is challenging.
Below, we'll break down four of our favorite SuperDraft player props for Friday night's Blue Jays-Reds matchup. Users don't necessarily have to parlay all four picks together, though. Instead, you could make separate two-legged parlays to increase your win probability or attempt to hit it big if all three picks come through.
Best Blue Jays-Reds prop bets today: SuperDraft player prop picks for Friday 8/18
*10x potential payout if users parlay all four correct picks
1. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 1B, Blue Jays — OVER 1.5 bases
Although Kennedy's logged just seven innings this season, his low strikeout rate (13.8 percent) puts Guerrero Jr. in a prime spot to put the ball in play en route to totaling two-plus bases via hits. While Vladdy's fared better against lefthanders this season, his .770 OPS against righties suggests he can record an extra-base hit inside the hitter-friendly Great American Ball Park. For some reason, Guerrero Jr.'s posted better overall numbers away from Rogers Centre this season, slashing .294/.356/.506 over 245 at-bats on the road compared to a .232/.327/.438 slash line in 211 home at-bats.
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2. Elly De La Cruz, SS, Reds — OVER 6 fantasy points
While De La Cruz has hit a rookie wall over the past month, slashing just .190/.252/.380, he has a chance to have a sound night at the plate in Friday's opener. He's felt much more comfortable facing righties in the lefthanded batter's box, slashing .266/.325/.503 over 177 at-bats. Add in near-perfect hitting conditions with winds blowing out to right field, and De La Cruz is set up to go OVER 6 fantasy points.
3. Jose Berrios, SP, Blue Jays — OVER 6 strikeouts
Berrios draws a plus matchup against a Reds offense posting the sixth-highest strikeout rate over the past month (26.1 percent), which we think will lead to the righthander punching out seven-plus hitters tonight. Berrios looks to bounce back after arguably his worst start last Friday against the Cubs (4.1 IP, 9 H, 4 ER, 2 HR, 3 K, 0 BB), but he gets to face a Reds offense ranking four percent below the league average in wRC+ the past month.
If Berrios can complete six innings, he'll be in a prime spot to go OVER six Ks. In the five outings in which he's gotten at least 18 outs, he's gone OVER six Ks in three of them, with Berrios posting six Ks in the other two starts. While we're not aiming for a push, there's always a chance he meets expectations and ends his night with six Ks.
4. Matt McLain, SS, Reds — UNDER 0.5 singles
While McLain's done nothing but hit in his rookie season (.298 average), Berrios has had righthanders' numbers, holding them to a .218 opponent average with a .612 OPS this season. It's a contrarian play, but we expect Berrios to hold McLain to UNDER 0.5 singles, helping the Blue Jays get back in the win column. If McLain does notch a hit against Berrios, it could be of the extra-base variety, as he sports a respectable .514 slugging percentage.
