3 Strikeout Prop Bets to Target for Friday 4/19/24

Riley Thomas•_riley8

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The lengthy MLB season offers a wide array of bets via the MLB odds at FanDuel Sportsbook.

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 Ks or which may stumble? We have plenty of tools available that can help us zero in on the top picks, and we'll use stats from numberFire's daily fantasy baseball projections, Baseball Savant, and FanGraphs.

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

Please note lines are subject to change throughout the day after this article is published. All MLB odds come from FanDuel Sportsbook.

Strikeout Props

Brayan Bello 6+ Strikeouts (+132)

The Boston Red Sox's Brayan Bello has pitched well through four starts, carrying a 3.61 skill-interactive ERA (SIERA) -- which would be good for a career-high. Bello has been up and down when it comes to strikeouts, though. He totaled only two and three Ks over two starts while reaching six and eight strikeouts in his other two appearances. Which Bello will show up against the Pittsburgh Pirates?

Facing a cold team certainly helps Bello's case for more Ks. Remember when the Pirates started the season with a 9-2 record? Since, Pittsburgh has gone 2-6 and is carrying an 11-8 record overall. The Pirates have especially struggled with strikeouts over the last five games, averaging 11.0 Ks per contest during the span.

The Pirates are now tied for the seventh-highest strike percentage (K%) in baseball. This mark feels more on brand compared to Pittsburgh's K% earlier in the season. They had the ninth-highest K% last year.

Bello can take advantage of this batting order. He's increased his pitch count in every start this season, reaching 107 in his most recent outing. Pittsburgh is tied for the ninth-highest ground ball percentage while Bello ranks in the 65th percentile of the category. Frequent ground balls typically spells success, which once again suggests a potential deep start for Bello.

The Pirates are striking out often, and Bello has the stuff to make them pay. Give me Boston's pitcher to reach at least six strikeouts.

MacKenzie Gore Under 5.5 Strikeouts (-140)

The 2024 season has been a nightmare for the Houston Astros, who have a 6-14 record. They rank as numberFire's 12th-worst team. Despite going 2-7 over their last nine games, the Astros have managed to still excel in one category: avoiding strikeouts.

In the 2023 season, Houston had the third-lowest K% while totaling the third-fewest strikeouts per game. The Astros have gotten even better in the category, boasting the lowest K% in baseball at 17.1%.

Friday's opponent is the Washington Nationals' MacKenzie Gore. Perhaps a left-handed pitcher could give Houston more trouble than usual. Think again, the Astros have a 14.9 K% against southpaws (lowest mark in the MLB).

Gore is currently in the 89th percentile of whiff percentage. Houston has the answer yet again, carrying the eighth-lowest swinging-strike percentage.

I'm expecting it to be a tough day at the office for Gore, especially in the strikeout department.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto Over 5.5 Strikeouts (-122)

Taking a side for Yoshinobu Yamamoto's strikeout total could be difficult for tonight's matchup between the New York Mets and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Yamamoto ranks in the 87th percentile of K% and 74th percentile of whiff rate. However, the Mets are tied for the fourth-lowest K% and are knotted for the sixth-lowest swinging-strike percentage. Each side is exceptional in the strikeout category, but something has to give. Will Yamamoto go over or under 5.5 Ks?

The Dodgers' exceptional rookie looks in store for a deep start. Of course, the longer Yamamoto pitches, the more likely that the over hits. Let's dive into the evidence.

First off, New York has been drawing plenty of walks as they have the eighth-highest walk rate (BB%). Yamamoto rarely walks batters, ranking in the 75th percentile of the category.

Hard hits have plagued Yamamoto at times. He sits in the bottom 6% in barrel percentage and bottom 3% in hard-hit percentage. However, the Mets currently have the second-lowest hard-hit percentage in baseball.

Yamamoto could continue limiting walks, and New York currently lacks the slugging to expose perhaps his greatest weakness. He's gone over 5.5 strikeouts in back-to-back starts. I'm taking Yamamoto to go over on Friday.

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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.