3 Best MLB Strikeout Prop Bets for Friday 8/1/25

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 MLB player props 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 Prop Picks

Hunter Brown Under 6.5 Strikeouts (-130)

While Hunter Brown is having a special season, his K numbers have dropped of late, and the Boston Red Sox are a meh matchup for punchouts.

For the season, Brown owns a 30.8% strikeout rate. That's an excellent number, but it's probably a little higher than it should be given Brown's good-not-great 11.9% swinging-strike rate. In five July starts, his K rate dropped to 27.0%, and it's 25.6% over his last four outings -- with an elevated 4.16 xFIP in that time. Across his last seven starts, he's averaging 6.3 Ks per start.

The Red Sox are showing a middle-of-the-pack 21.8% strikeout rate over the last 30 days, and Fenway is the seventh-best park for offense in 2025, per Savant park factors.

Brown is trending in the wrong direction heading into the stretch run of the regular season, and a road matchup against Boston is a tough spot.

Clayton Kershaw Under 3.5 Strikeouts (+126)

Clayton Kershaw has a lot working against him today, which puts me on the under for his K prop.

The future Hall of Famer is facing the Tampa Bay Rays at the Rays' hitter-friendly temporary home -- a venue which ranks as the third-most homer-friendly park this season. For righty bats, it's the fourth-best offensive park overall and the second-best park for taters.

Tampa Bay is right around the league average in K rate against LHP (23.5%), and the Rays' offense has thoroughly enjoyed playing at George M. Steinbrenner Field, sitting 10th in home wOBA (.330).

None of this would be too scary for prime Kershaw; it's a big deal for 37-year-old Kershaw, who is running out of gas en route to a 4.61 SIERA and 15.7% strikeout rate. He's gone under 3.5 Ks in each of his past four starts despite completing six frames in half of those appearances.

Andrew Heaney 5+ Strikeouts (+200)

Andrew Heaney in Coors; what could go wrong? This one isn't for the feint of heart.

In spite of the difficult environment, Heaney can have some success today in the K department, and I like the idea of rolling the dice on him in the alternate market.

Heaney, at times, still has solid strikeout upside. He's recorded at least five strikeouts in three of his last eight starts, and he's averaging 5.7 Ks over the last four outings in which he's completed five innings. Of course, it's far from a given Heaney will finish five frames today at Coors, but the Rockies' offense is a lovely matchup.

Colorado has the third-highest K rate against LHP (25.8%) for the season, and they're just 24th in wOBA (.286) in the split. They boast the third-highest home strikeout rate (24.5%), too, and they have the eighth-highest strikeout rate (24.8%) over the last 14 days.

Last time out, the Rox let southpaw Kolby Allard amass five punchouts in just 3 1/3 innings, so Heaney can push for five strikeouts as long as he's able to avoid disaster early. I think the market is underrating Heaney a bit today, so while I like Heaney over 3.5 Ks at -125 odds, I'm willing to take a shot on Heaney to record 5+ Ks.

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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.