The most fun MLB bettors can possibly have is when they take a long shot on a player to hit a home run and said player gets a hold of one. The packed 15-game MLB slate for Saturday offers gamblers a chance to find many valuable home run picks across the board. This article is going to feature three players with favorable matchups (including Bryce Harper at Coors Field), but bettors looking for more EV on home run bets can check out OddsShopper Premium‘s full list of high-value MLB player props.
Best MLB Home Run Picks Today: Bryce Harper Heating Up at the Right Time (May 13)
Bryce Harper +330 at DraftKings Sportsbook | Philadelphia Phillies vs. Colorado Rockies
Harper attacked his rehab to somehow make a quick return after undergoing Tommy John surgery in the offseason. What’s even more incredible is that the power-hitting lefty is back to mashing baseballs like he never even missed time. Harper is slashing .344/.417/.500 since making his return to the Phillies lineup. He has back-to-back games with two hits, including a near-home run on a go-ahead double against the Rockies Friday night.
All Phillies hitters will have the luxury of hitting in the altitude at Coors Field, but Harper also provides value thanks to a matchup against right-handed starter Ryan Feltner. The Rockies pitcher carries a 5.08 ERA into his start against the potent Phillies lineup, including a 6.23 ERA in his two starts in May. Harper is seeing the ball great since his return and should get plenty of pitches to hit on Saturday night.
Ezequiel Duran +630 at FanDuel Sportsbook | Texas Rangers vs. Oakland Athletics
It would feel wrong to do an MLB home run picks piece without picking on the A’s pitching staff. Oakland has been historically awful to start the season, notching just nine wins through the first month and a half. However, they were able to come away with a walk-off win over the Rangers on Friday night. This just means that the Rangers’ offense is going to come out with a vengeance on Saturday, and A’s starter J.P. Sears may be in for a long afternoon.
Sears is a Southpaw, which makes Rangers righties Marcus Semien, Josh Jung, Adolis Garcia, etc. pretty juicy plays. But we are going to take a little bit more value on the lesser-known Ezequiel Duran. The 23-year-old shortstop got off to a slow start to the season but is starting to show his potential. After a strong past couple of weeks, Duran is now slashing .298/.330/.471 and is barreling up the ball consistently.
Although Duran has just four home runs on the season, he has shown some pop throughout his minor league career and serves as a high-value play against an A’s left-hander.
Mookie Betts +510 at BetRivers | San Diego Padres vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
We’ll go back to another former MVP and household name for our last MLB home run pick for Saturday. Mookie Betts is always a threat to go deep and the Dodgers will be going up against a struggling Joe Musgrove on Saturday night. Betts is hitting an uncharacteristic .248 on the young season, but the power has been there (eight home runs).
Moreover, Betts has a good track record against Musgrove. In 12 plate appearances, Betts is 4-10 off Musgrove with two doubles and two walks. Although he has yet to take the veteran deep, tonight serves as a good opportunity for Betts to do so. Musgrove has already allowed four home runs in just three starts and Betts just got a look at him when the Padres and Dodgers faced off last weekend.
These three MLB home run picks today should provide some value on Saturday’s slate, but bettors looking for the best MLB bets all season long should be sure to check out OddsShopper models!
