3 Best MLB Strikeout Prop Bets for Monday 4/21/25

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

Quinn Priester Over 3.5 Strikeouts (+108)

The Milwaukee Brewers gave up a non-negligible amount to bring in Quinn Priester, so they'd better hope the juice is worth the squeeze. There have at least been some positives in his first few starts, and I think we can like his over here.

Priester spent a lot of last year experimenting with his pitch mix, throwing five different pitches at least 10% of the time. This year, he's leaning more on his sinker and cutter as his primaries with his slider (against righties) and changeup (against lefties) as the off-speed offerings. His curveball -- which let up a .377 wOBA last year -- has been de-emphasized.

That pitch got whiffs, so this may not be a great thing for a K prop, but both the slider and changeup have picked up the slack this year. The velo differential between his sinker and changeup has increased to 5.5 miles per hour after it was 4.6 last year.

It's a bunch of small shifts, but this is a guy who was at one point a top prospect and is still just 24 years old. Sometimes, a change of scenery can be exactly what a player like that needs to unlock their old potential.

While Priester is unlikely to suddenly become an ace, I do think he can top this strikeout number. Against the San Francisco Giants, I have Priester projected for 4.14 strikeouts. That puts him as more likely to go over than under, allowing us to take the plus money and hope Priester's turnaround continues.

Kevin Gausman Under 4.5 Strikeouts (+116)

Kevin Gausman is one of the tougher pitchers in the league to project with his output varying wildly from one start to the next. In this situation, I'm riding with the under more due to circumstances than anything with Gausman himself, and we can do so at a nice price.

Here, Gausman is on the road against a low-strikeout team. The Houston Astros' active roster has a 19.7% strikeout rate against righties since the start of last year (though it is elevated at 23.1% in a small sample this year).

Because of how tough Gausman is to pin down, I prefer to take a zoomed-out view of his profile. Since the start of last year, his overall strikeout rate is 21.5%. If you put that up against a team like this on the road, you're likely to get a middling projection. That's where I settle in with him, as well.

Gausman could get 10 strikeouts tonight; he could get 0. In spots like that, I don't mind betting on the variance and taking the plus money on the under.

Clarke Schmidt Over 4.5 Strikeouts (-102)

Assuming Clarke Schmidt's pitch count rises in his second start off the IL, I think there's value in him to go over this mark despite a non-elite situation.

In his return last week, Schmidt was yanked after 73 pitches and just 2 strikeouts. He was efficient, though, as those 73 pitches got him through 5 2/3 innings. With his pitch counts in his two rehab starts at 50 and 61, I'm bumping Schmidt to 85 tonight.

Schmidt also continued a trend he started last year by leaning more on his sweeper than he did to open 2024. That pitch had a 29.7% whiff rate, according to Baseball Savant, and it was at 33.3% last week.

Tonight, Schmidt will face the Cleveland Guardians on the road. They're a below-average team for strikeouts, so it's not a perfect situation. Still, with more sweepers in the mix and an increased pitch count, I have Schmidt projected at 5.01 strikeouts. Pitchers in that range for me have gone over 4.5 strikeouts 55.1% of the time, implying that -102 is a fine number at which to bet this.

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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.