MLB prop bets today [August 22, 2025]

The Pittsburgh Pirates kick off Friday’s slate of games with a matchup against the Colorado Rockies.

With the Colorado Rockies severely underwhelming on offense, the Pittsburgh Pirates rotational pitcher Braxton Ashcraft is in a position to thrive as he excels at avoiding contact. His back end also helps reduce the amount of contact variance in his starts with their coverage which helps increase his chances of keeping the Rockies out of scoring position.

With fifteen games taking place on Friday night, there are plenty of markets to groom through which you can read a detailed breakdown of them below.

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Colorado Rockies vs Pittsburgh Pirates (6:40pm, EST)

Colorado Rockies First Five Innings Team Total Under 1.5: (-110) at BetMGM Sportsbook

It has been an abysmal 2025 campaign for the Colorado Rockies as they are currently 37-91 while possessing a run differential of -322. Their low level of play on offense has played a major role in their struggles this season as the Rockies lineup currently ranks below league average in Team Total Hits, RBIs, Total Runs Scored, On Base Percentage, and in Slugger Percentage.

Unfortunately for the Rockies, their struggles on offense are poised to persist as they face off against the Pittsburgh Pirates Braxton Ashcraft who excels at avoiding contact. In his 19 appearances, Ashcraft is averaging a FIP of 2.66 and less than one Hit Allowed per Inning Pitched. Expect Ashcraft to continue to keep the Rockies out of scoring position and hold them under their team total in the first five innings.

Braxton Ashcraft Over 14.5 Outs: (-175) at Caesars Sportsbook

With the Rockies projected to struggle on offense, Ashcraft is in a favorable position to go the full length of his start. Especially with his back end excelling in coverage as the Pirates defense ranks near the top of the board in Defensive Efficiency and in Fielding Percentage. Should the total on Ashcraft’s Outs prop cross through the key number of 15, then pass on this market.

Cleveland Guardians vs Texas Rangers (8:05pm, EST)

Nathan Eovaldi Over 5.5 Strikeouts: (+105) at FanDuel Sportsbook

Since returning from injury, Luis Gil has struggled to find his footing as the New York Yankees pitcher is averaging an ERA of 5.14 and a WHIP of 1.643. While Gil has been able to generate Strikeouts at a competitive rate, his aggression has left him prone to underwhelming outings as he also averages more than one Hit Against per Inning Pitched.

In a favorable matchup against Cleveland, expect Eovaldi to generate a higher rate of Strikeouts as he faces off against a Guardians offense who ranks dead last in Contact Rate and 19th in Bases on Walks. For some more exposure, escalator bet Eovaldi’s Strikeouts prop by placing smaller wagers on his alternate unders at the best available odds across multiple sportsbooks.

Bo Naylor Under 0.5 Hit: (+100) at Caesars Sportsbook

Not only has Eovaldi shown he is in full control of his command, but he is also surrounded by a very productive back end as the Blue Jays defense ranks top-15 in Defensive Efficiency. This hurts Bo Naylor’s chances of generating a Hit, especially when the Guardians batter has struggled with making contact as he heads into the contest averaging less than one Hit per game, a .179 Batting Average, and .633 OPS.

San Francisco Giants vs Milwaukee Brewers (8:10pm, EST)

Milwaukee Brewers First Five Innings Run Line -1.5: (+145) at BetMGM Sportsbook

With the San Francisco Giants dealing with an abundance of injuries, Carson Whisenhunt has been slotted back into the rotation and is expected to get the start on Friday night. In his three starts, Whisenhunt has struggled to find his footing as the Giants pitcher is averaging an ERA of 5.02 and a FIP of 7.44.

Heading into Friday, Whisenhunt’s struggles on the mound are poised to persist as he faces off against a Milwaukee offense who ranks above league average in Contact Rate and in On Base Percentage. To make matters worse for Whisenhunt, his back end has also failed to mask his low level of play on the mound as the Giants defense ranks in the bottom ten in Defensive Efficiency and in Fielding Percentage.

About the author

Kody Malstrom

Kody Malstrom is a professional sports bettor and sports betting journalist with six years of experience covering a vast majority of sports. He covers football, basketball, hockey, baseball, and the UFC in written and video form.

Born and raised in Michigan, Kody is a Detroit sports fan who spends all of his Sundays in the fall rooting for the Detroit Lions and Saturdays watching as much College Football as possible. In the winter, he shifts his focus to the Detroit Red Wings and Pistons while simultaneously rooting for his North Carolina Tar Heels.

When he is not staring at betting markets, you can find Kody at the beach or snowboarding down a mountain, depending on the time of the year.

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