3 Strikeout Prop Bets to Target for 2024 Opening Day

The lengthy MLB season extending from late March until late October offers a wide array of bets at FanDuel Sportsbook. Daily MLB odds have plenty of options for games all season long.

Strikeout props are among the popular lines offered. These bets can focus on the over/under of a starting pitcher's strikeout total or alternate lines can be utilized for more intriguing odds.

In this piece, we will dive into the stats to back our favorite strikeout props of the day across the MLB's slate. Which pitchers taking the mound could rack up K's or stumble? We have plenty of tools available that can help circle the top picks, including numberFire's daily fantasy baseball projections, Baseball Savant's advanced stats, and FanGraph's Depth Chart stats.

Here are some of the most enticing strikeout props at FanDuel Sportsbook for Thursday's games.

Please note lines are subject to change throughout the day after this article is published.

MLB Strikeout Prop Bets

Zack Wheeler Under 6.5 Strikeouts (-162)

After finishing sixth in Cy Young voting last season, Zack Wheeler was rewarded with a massive three-year, $126 million extension in the offseason. Wheeler has a tall task on Opening Day against the Philadelphia Phillies' bitter rival -- the Atlanta Braves.

Wheeler faced Atlanta on four occasions last season, totaling an average of 7.8 K's. This would suggest the over for his 6.5 total on Thursday. However, Wheeler failed to reach 6 strikeouts in two meetings last season while totaling 12 and 10 K's in the other two contests.

So which side will it be? Will Wheeler dominate with double-digit strikeouts or have under 6.5 batters fanned?

I'm going with the latter. Simply looking at Wheeler's most common pitches could give the answer. About 43.4% of his pitches last season were four-seam fastballs, and 18.1% of his pitches were sinkers. The Braves, who led baseball in expected on-base percentage (xOBA) and wins above replacement (WAR) in 2023, have a daunting batting order that smashed velocity all season. Atlanta topped the MLB in fastball runs above average and sinker runs above average.

The Braves pretty much have the same lineup for 2024. This is the same team that had the fifth-best strikeout percentage.

Wheeler was excellent in the spring, logging a 1.26 earned run average (ERA) in four starts. However, his strikeouts per inning pitched was slightly down at 1.0 strikeouts per inning compared to 1.10 from last season.

Wheeler has been implementing a splitter into his toolbox throughout the spring. This is something to keep an eye on; could it trip up Atlanta's batters, leading to more strikeouts?

Nasty weather that could cause some delays provides further support for the under.

Framber Valdez Over 5.5 Strikeouts (-125)

The New York Yankees against the Houston Astros should be one of the best matchups of Opening Day.

Framber Valdez, who was an All-Star for his second consecutive season in 2023, will take the mound for Houston. This should be a solid opportunity for Valdez to start the season with an impressive strikeout total.

The Yankees totaled the 11th-most strikeouts per game last season and finished with the 10th-worst mark in strikeout percentage. New York added some much-needed plate discipline with the acquisition of Juan Soto. He led the league with 132 walks last season while ranking in the 99th percentile in chase percentage, per Baseball Savant.

Still, the Yanks' order has some bats that like to chase. For example, Anthony Rizzo was in the bottom 18% in chase percentage last season while Giancarlo Stanton was in the bottom 7% in whiff percentage.

New York should improve in the strikeout category with multiple additions, which also includes Alex Verdugo (85th percentile in chase rate last season). But Valdez still has a chance to stack K's on Opening Day. The Astros' ace averaged 6.5 strikeouts per game in 2023 while ranking in the top half of strikeout percentage.

Last season, the Yankees had the fourth-worst mark in the MLB in sinker runs above average (-35.0), according to FanGraphs. What is Valdez's most used pitch? You probably guessed it, as 46.9% of his pitches last season were sinkers.

Logan Webb 6+ Strikeouts (+142)

The offseason leading up to the 2024 season wasn't exactly kind to the San Diego Padres. They lost several pitchers, including Blake Snell, Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha, and Josh Hader. The batting order didn't take quite as many hits, but the one loss was a huge one as Soto was shipped to the Yankees.

As previously mentioned, Soto has elite plate discipline with his ability to consistently draw walks. With good reason, we could expect San Diego to strike out more often with a major bat leaving the lineup.

The San Francisco Giants' Logan Webb totaled a career-high 194 strikeouts in 2023, which was good for about 5.9 strikeouts per game. It was not a good spring for Webb (10.97 ERA in six appearances). His strikeout rate was solid at least with about 1.04 strikeouts per inning (0.90 last season).

In Webb's sole matchup against the Padres last season, he tallied seven K's. San Diego's strikeout rate -- which was the seventh-best mark in baseball last season -- could rise, and considering Webb's success against the lineup in 2023, targeting 6+ strikeouts could be a big winner.

Webb showcased his strikeout potential in 2023, ranking in the 86th percentile in chase rate. He could give San Diego a heavy dose of sinkers on Opening Day, for the Padres had the 11th-worst mark in sinker runs above average last season.

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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.