Best betting promos and sportsbooks for MLB prop bets [May 7, 2026]

May 7, 2026 - 09:45

Seth Lugo and the Kansas City Royals face off against the Cleveland Guardians on Thursday.

With the Cleveland Guardians still struggling to play at a competitive level on offense, they have fallen into a slump, losing six out of their last ten games.

Unfortunately for the Guardians, their struggles on offense are poised to persist against the Kansas City Royals as they face off against Seth Lugo who excels at keeping opposing runners off the bases by avoiding contact.

With ten games taking place on Thursday, there are plenty of prop bets and markets to groom through which you can read a detailed breakdown of them below.

Best betting promos and sportsbooks for MLB prop bets

Find the best promos and sportsbooks to use for today’s MLB prop bets.

Cleveland Guardians vs Kansas City Royals (2:10pm, EST)

Seth Lugo Under 5.5 Hits Allowed (-115) at BetMGM Sportsbook

After going 4-6 in their last ten games, the Cleveland Guardians lead for first in the AL Central has diminished, now sitting just one game ahead of Detroit for first as of writing.

Their lack of production on offense holds them back from being a well rounded contender, fielding a lineup who ranks below league average in Hit Rate, RBIs, Runs Scored, On Base Percentage, and in OPS.

Heading into Thursday’s divisional matchup against the Kansas City Royals, expect the Guardians struggles on offense to be on full display as they battle it out against Seth Lugo who is currently averaging an ERA of 2.68 and a FIP of 2.64.

Especially with Lugo’s back end drastically lessening the amount of negative variance in his starts, surrounding him with a group who ranks in the top-5 in Defensive Efficiency and in Fielding Percentage.

Seth Lugo Over 17.5 Total Outs (-155) at BetMGM Sportsbook

With the Guardians incapable of stringing together their Hits to advance their runners into scoring position, the length of Lugo’s leash will grow, increasing his chances of remaining on the mound for the full duration of his start to clear the over on his Total Outs prop.

If the total on Lugo’s Outs prop crosses through the key number of 17.5, then reduce the size of your wager.

Cincinnati Reds vs Chicago Cubs (2:20pm, EST)

Shota Imanaga Over 5.5 Strikeouts (-123) at FanDuel Sportsbook

Since the start of the regular season, Shota Imanaga’s odds of winning the NL Cy Young award have steadily grown, kicking off his 2026 campaign with an ERA of 2.40, a WHIP of 0.847, and a FIP of 2.73.

Imanaga’s hot start to the year can be attributed to his current Whiff Rate, generating more than one Strikeout per Inning Pitched in seven starts.

In a favorable matchup against the Cincinnati Reds, expect Imanaga to continue to create Whiffs at a high rate by taking advantage of an underwhelming offense who ranks dead last in Hit Rate and 25th in Strikeout Rate.

For some more exposure, escalator bet Imanaga’s Strikeout prop by placing smaller wagers on his alternate overs at the best available odds across multiple sportsbooks.

Ke’Bryan Hayes Under 0.5 Total Hits (+105) at BetMGM Sportsbook

Ke’Bryan Hayes regression has played a major role in the Reds recent cold stretch of play, generating less than one Hit per game, a .121 Batting Average, and a .404 OPS.

With Imanaga capable of attacking the plate without making contact as previously mentioned, expect Hayes to continue to struggle to barrel up the ball and be held without a Hit against the Cubs pitcher.

Pittsburgh Pirates vs Arizona Diamondbacks (3:40pm, EST)

Arizona Diamondbacks Team Total Under 4.5 (-145) at BetMGM Sportsbook

While Paul Skenes hogs the spotlight, Mitch Keller has quietly been more productive than his teammate this season, averaging an ERA of 2.85 and a FIP of 2.90.

Even though Keller struggles to create Whiffs, he masks it by putting opposing batters in low quality contact scenarios, generating less than one Hit Against per inning.

Fortunately for Keller, he will be able to continue to keep a clean sheet against the Arizona Diamondbacks by exploiting an offense who ranks below league average in Contact Rate and in On Base Percentage.

Especially with his back end narrowing the width of the Diamondbacks gaps in the outfield with their suffocating coverage, surrounding Keller with a group who resides in the top half of the board in Defensive Efficiency.

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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