Daily Strikeout Leader: MacKenzie Gore Is Interesting at Long Odds

Each day on FanDuel Sportsbook, there is no shortage of MLB odds to sift through, and you're likely familiar with a lot of them. That includes strikeout props, which are entertaining because they add importance to each pitch.

FanDuel Sportsbook has cranked that up a few notches with its daily strikeout leader market. Not only do you need your hurler to rack up Ks -- you need them to get more punchouts than any of the day's other starting pitchers.

Here are today's odds in that market. We'll also reference our MLB projections, which are powered by numberFire.

MLB Daily Strikeout Leader

The Hunters

There are just two hurlers with odds shorter than +1000 today -- Hunter Brown (+430) and Hunter Greene (+470).

With weather a potential concern for Greene, I side with Brown between these two.

Brown is at home versus the Colorado Rockies. It's a pretty great matchup. Colorado owns the fourth-highest K rate against righties (25.5%), and they carry the fifth-worst road wOBA (.288).

Brown's surface stats -- including a 4.72 ERA -- aren't all that pretty, but his underlying numbers look much better as he's sporting a 3.64 SIERA and 25.5% strikeout rate.

While Brown is a solid option tonight, I prefer to throw some darts at others today.

Best of the Rest

Tarik Skubal is a pretty appealing option at +1000 odds.

Skubal comes in at longer odds due to a date with a stout Philadelphia Phillies offense. While Philly is an elite lineup, they have some swing and miss in them, particularly against southpaws, with the ninth-highest K rate in the split (22.9%).

Skubal has been as good as any pitcher in 2024. Through 15 starts, he's put up a 2.91 SIERA and 29.2% strikeout rate. He's punched out at least nine in four different starts this season, so he's shown top-tier single-game strikeout upside. He can deliver despite Philly's potent offense.

At +1900 odds, MacKenzie Gore might be my favorite play in this market.

The owner of a 28.2% strikeout rate and 13.0% swinging-strike rate, Gore brings elite K upside to the table. The issue is a matchup with a San Diego Padres offense that has the fourth-lowest strikeout rate against southpaws (18.1%). But Fernando Tatis Jr. is out, which helps, and I'm willing to roll the dice on Gore at these long odds.

One Really Long Shot

Mitch Spence (+9500) is an extreme long shot for a reason, but he's at least on my radar.

Spence gets a nice matchup versus the Los Angeles Angels, a team with a 23.2% strikeout rate this year against righties (13th-highest).

A rookie, Spence has been pretty good thus far, producing a 3.83 SIERA and 10.9% swinging-strike rate through his first 63 MLB innings. He's coming off a career-best seven-K game against a quality Kansas City Royals offense last time out.

I'm not sure Spence can get to double-digit punchouts, which is usually what it takes to challenge for the crown in this market, but +9500 feels a touch too long for him.

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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.