Best MLB Bets Today: Can Shohei Ohtani, Zack Wheeler Deliver on Saturday, May 17th?
It's another good MLB slate for rivalry weekend. One of the best pitchers in baseball faces a weak offense with Zack Wheeler on the bump for the Phillies, and the defending MVP, Shohei Ohtani, is on fire. Adam Ronis provides the best way to profit off these stars for Saturday, May 17th.
Adam Ronis - May 17, 2025, 5:25 PM EDT
5 minBest MLB Bets Today: Can Shohei Ohtani, Zack Wheeler Deliver on Saturday, May 17th?
The MLB slate on Saturday is a good one on rivalry weekend. There are several afternoon games and more at night. Cy Young award contender Zack Wheeler is on the mound and the Dodgers are coming off a rare home loss to the Angels. What props should you bet in these games?
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Best MLB Bets Today: Saturday, May 17th
Zack Wheeler Over 18.5 Outs (+116) Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds
Wheeler tends to go deep in games and does it efficiently. Wheeler has recorded at least 20 outs in his last three starts and reached 100 pitches once in those starts. The Phillies right-hander has gone at least six innings in six consecutive starts.
In nine starts this season, Wheeler has gone over this line five times and gone at least six innings eight times. The matchup against the Pirates is one of the best. The Pirates have scored 26 runs over their last 12 games. On the season, Pittsburgh has a .274 wOBA, rank 28th in wRC+ and 24th in on-base percentage.. Against right-handed pitching, the Pirates rank 29th in wOBA (.286) and 29th in batting average (.218).
Wheeler is 4-1 with a 2.95 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 33.2% strikeout rate and a 4.9% walk rate. He is in the 93rd percentile of strikeout percentage, 89th percentile in walk rate and 84th percentile in whiff rate. Over his last five starts, Wheeler has been dominant with a 2.14 ERA and a 46:5 K:BB ratio. Wheeler has made three home starts and recorded 21, 21 and 20 outs against the Rockies, Marlins and Nationals.
Shohei Ohtani Over 1.5 Total Bases (-125) Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds
It’s not often you can get Ohtani’s total bases at this price. Ohtani is facing left-hander Tyler Anderson, who has pitched well for the Angels this season. He has a 2.58 ERA and 1.06 WHIP with a 21% strikeout rate and 9.1% walk rate. Does it matter when it comes to Ohtani? The Dodgers designated hitter has homered four times in the last three games with multiple hits in each game.
Ohtani has a 66.9% hard hit rate, a 25.8% barrel rate and a 1.106 OPS. Against left-handers over 54 at-bats, Ohtani is slashing .352/.386/.630 with eight runs, two home runs and six RBIs. Ohtani has at least two total bases in 11 of the last 13 games.
Ohtani is batting .316 with 49 runs, 16 home runs, 29 RBIs and 10 stolen bases. Against Anderson, Ohatni is 4-for-7 with three triples, a homer, three RBIs, one walk and two strikeouts. Even if Anderson has success against Ohtani, the Angels bullpen has a 6.91 ERA, which is the worst in baseball.
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