Best betting promos and sportsbooks for MLB prop bets [May 22, 2026]

May 22, 2026 - 10:00

The Houston Astros and their high powered offense faces off against the Chicago Cubs Jameson Taillon who struggles with avoiding contact.

After losing their last five games in a row, the Chicago Cubs have relinquished their lead in the NL Central, now sitting 1.5 games back from the Milwaukee Brewers for first.

Unfortunately for the Cubs, their struggles are poised to persist against the Houston Astros as Jameson Taillon faces off against a lineup who excels at getting into scoring position by stringing together their Hits.

With fifteen games taking place on Friday, there are a wide range of prop bets and markets to wager on 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.

Houston Astros vs Chicago Cubs (2:20pm, EST)

Jameson Taillon Over 2.5 Earned Runs (+115) at BetMGM Sportsbook

It has been a turbulent start to the year for the Houston Astros as they are currently 20-31 and in fourth place in the AL West division standings.

Even during their cold stretch of play, the Astros have still been able to play at a high level on offense, fielding a lineup who resides in the top half of the board in Contact Rate, On Base Percentage, and in OPS.

Heading into Friday, expect the Astros to build on their momentum as they face off against the Chicago Cubs Jameson Taillon who is averaging an ERA of 4.97, a WHIP of 1.204, and a FIP of 6.68.

The Cubs back end will also widen the width of the Astros gaps in the outfield with their underwhelming coverage, surrounding Taillon with a group who ranks below league average in Fielding Percentage.

Jameson Taillon Under 17.5 Total Outs (+126) at Caesars Sportsbook

With the Astros consistently advancing their runners into scoring position by making contact at a high rate, the length of Taillon’s leash will drastically shrink, leading to an early exit which will keep the Cubs pitcher under the total on his Outs prop.

If you want to diversify your risk, then place a smaller wager on Taillon to clear the over of 5.5 on his Hits Allowed prop as well.

Chicago White Sox vs San Francisco Giants (10:15pm, EST)

San Francisco Giants Team Total Under 3.5 (-115) at BetMGM Sportsbook

After failing to play at a competitive level last year, the San Francisco Giants struggles on offense have bled into this season, ranking near dead last across the board in Runs Scored, RBIs, and in On Base Percentage.

Their lack of production on offense makes them vulnerable to falling into prolonged scoring lulls, plummeting their chances of winning.

With Davis Martin on the mound, expect the Giants struggles on offense to be on full display as they face off against an arm who is averaging a WHIP of 0.982 while generating less than one Hit Against per inning.

Especially with the White Sox outfield reducing the amount of variance in Martin’s starts with their coverage, ranking well above league average in Defensive Efficiency.

Cleveland Guardians vs Philadelphia Phillies (6:40pm, EST)

Cristopher Sanchez Over 6.5 Strikeouts (-130) at BetMGM Sportsbook

Since the start of the regular season, Cristopher Sanchez’s odds of winning the NL Cy Young award have steadily grown, kicking off his year averaging an ERA of 1.82 and a FIP of 1.93.

His dominance on the mound stems from his power and elite command of the ball, generating less than one Hit Against and more than one Strikeout per Inning Pitched.

In a favorable matchup against the Cleveland Guardians, expect Sanchez to continue to generate Strikeouts at a high rate, battling it out against an offense who ranks in the bottom ten in Contact Rate.

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

Rhys Hoskins Under 0.5 Total Hit (+100) at BetMGM Sportsbook

Rhys Hoskins’ regression has played a major role in the Guardians struggles on offense, averaging just 0.5 Hit per game and a .189 Batting Average in 40 starts.

With Sanchez forcing opposing batters to get more aggressive with their swings while attacking the plate, expect Hoskins to continue to struggle to barrel up the ball and be held without a Hit against the Philadelphia Phillies pitcher.

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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