3 Best MLB Strikeout Player Prop Bets for Opening Day

Within a given MLB slate, there are tons of strikeout props to sort through as there are lines posted for most of the day's starting pitchers.

Across today's action, which seem to present the best value in FanDuel Sportsbook's MLB betting odds?

We're going to dig into that today, laying out my favorite strikeout props across all the action. You can also do some research of your own by digging into our MLB player prop projections.

Please note lines and MLB projections are subject to change throughout the day after this article is published. All MLB odds come from FanDuel Sportsbook. All stats come from FanGraphs and Baseball Savant unless noted otherwise.

Today's Best MLB Strikeout Props

Sandy Alcantara Under 4.5 Strikeouts (+128)

As a baseball fan, I'm rooting for Sandy Alcantara today. It's his first start after Tommy John Surgery, and he had a stretch of elite play before the injury that I'd love to see him unlock again.

I'm just not sure he'll get there via strikeouts from the get-go.

That's mostly due to pitch count. He maxed out at 57 pitches this spring, leading to Alcantara's having the lowest pitch count projection of the entire slate for me.

He'll be facing a Pittsburgh Pirates active roster that was roughly average in terms of strikeouts last year (22.7% against righties, among players currently on the team). When you pair that with a low pitch count, I have Alcantara projected for just 4.02 strikeouts.

He could blow past that pitch count right away, but given what we saw this spring, I'm still fine riding with the under.

Zach Eflin Over 3.5 Strikeouts (+124)

Pitch count won't be a concern for Zach Eflin, who threw 85 pitches on March 16th. His prop is low due to the matchup. I think it's low enough for us to buy into the over.

Eflin gets to tangle with the Toronto Blue Jays, who are very much a low-strikeout team. Their active roster had an 18.0% mark last year, second best in the bigs.

Eflin, though, made some interesting tweaks after joining the Baltimore Orioles last year. He threw more cutters and fewer curves in those nine starts, leading to a 21.0% strikeout rate in that span (up from his full-season mark of 19.6%).

With this game being on the road against a low-strikeout team, I'm still not overly high on Eflin. My projections have him at 3.84 strikeouts, second fewest of the day. But players projected in roughly that range for me have gone over 3.5 strikeouts 56.7% of the time, allowing me to take the plus money here.

Nathan Eovaldi Under 5.5 Strikeouts (-106)

What better way to open the season than with a lil Nathan Eovaldi revenge game?

It'll be a new-look Eovaldi facing his old team in the Boston Red Sox as Eovaldi is unveiling a new two-seam fastball this season. Eovaldi's strikeout rates have -- for his entire career -- been lower than you'd expect based on the gas he throws. While the two-seamer could help him suppress hard contact, I'm not totally convinced it'll suddenly turn him into a massive strikeout guy.

For Eovaldi, that's a fair tradeoff. He let up a 42.6% hard-hit rate last year, according to Baseball Savant, a number he'll want to trim down. But while tinkering with the new pitch this spring, Eovaldi's strikeout rate was just 16.4%.

I'm projecting Eovaldi closer to last year's mark of 23.9%. Even with that, I've still got him projected at 5.29 strikeouts. That's low enough where I see value in the under at just -106.

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Which strikeout props stand out to you today? Check out FanDuel Sportsbook's MLB betting odds to see the full menu of options.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.