3 Best MLB Strikeout Prop Bets for Friday 5/2/25

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 K Props

Max Fried Over 5.5 Strikeouts (-118)

We just saw this matchup on April 20th, and Max Fried finished with only two strikeouts. That result may be dragging the market down because I'm seeing value in the over tonight.

That mark was clearly an outlier for Fried. He had 6, 11, and 7 in the 3 starts before, though he did wind up with just 3 last time out, as well.

The larger sample is positive. Fried has thrown fewer changeups his past 14 starts, and in that time, his strikeout rate is 23.2%. That changeup has just a 17.2% whiff rate, according to Baseball Savant, so forgoing it in favor of more sweepers is a positive.

Thanks to his pitch counts and how efficient he is with his pitches, I have Fried projected a good a bit above this mark, allowing me to lay the -118 on the over.

Tarik Skubal Under 7.5 Strikeouts (-113)

Even in a decent matchup, this is simply too big of a number for me on Tarik Skubal.

The Los Angeles Angels are without Mike Trout after placing him on the IL Thursday with a bone bruise. It means we should give Skubal a boost.

That doesn't necessarily mean more strikeouts, though. Trout actually has the highest strikeout rate against lefties on the active roster since the start of last year. That's a small-sample fluke, but it means their team-wide mark of 22.0% -- slightly better than average -- shouldn't get worse without him.

Skubal's coming off an 11-strikeout game, so there's a good chance he makes this look silly. I've got him projected for 6.83 strikeouts, though, so it's a risk I'm willing to take.

Robbie Ray Under 7.5 Strikeouts (-110)

We survived an under against the Colorado Rockies last night, so let's press our luck and go back to the well.

In this instance, the shakiness in Robbie Ray's form is what pushes me here. Through six starts, Ray's strikeout rate is 24.6% with a 13.0% swinging-strike rate. In a vacuum, those are fine marks. They're just tougher to swallow when they are paired with his walk and hard-contact issues.

The Rockies are putrid against lefties, rocking a 27.2% strikeout rate against them since the start of last year. That's actually up to 29.3% in a small sample this year. There's a reason the market loves Ray tonight.

I just can't get quite as hyped. I've got him projected for 6.95 strikeouts, which is a respectable number but not high enough to sniff the over on this prop.

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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.