Daily Strikeout Leader: Which Elite Ace Is the Best Bet?

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 guys 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.

A Trio in Their Own Tier

There are three clear favorites today -- Blake Snell (+380), Spencer Strider (+400) and Luis Castillo (+650). Outside of that trio of aces, no one else is shorter than +2000 to lead the day in strikeouts.

Snell (vs. Colorado Rockies) and Castillo (at Oakland Athletics) have superb matchups while Strider is Strider. This might be the first time this season that Strider has pitched on a day this market has been offered and he hasn't been the favorite.

Snell is the favorite for a reason. He's got elite strikeout numbers, including a 31.4% K rate and a 15.0% swinging-strike rate. He's fanned at least eight in five straight starts, and a home matchup with the Rockies is a great spot for him to go off. On the road, Colorado is next to last in wOBA (.286) with the highest strikeout rate (27.4%).

Castillo has an outstanding matchup, too, as Oakland is tied for the highest K rate (28.6%) over the last 30 days with the fifth-lowest wOBA (.300) in that time. The owner of a 27.2% strikeout rate and 14.8% swinging-strike rate, Castillo clearly has the stuff to deliver in this spot, and given that he's got the longest odds of this trio, he's my favorite bet of the bunch.

Strider is up against the Philadelphia Phillies. Philly is second in wOBA (.367) over the last 30 days with roughly a league-average K rate (22.6%) in that stretch. Strider has the best swing-and-miss numbers in the game, posting a 37.6% strikeout rate and 19.3% swinging-strike rate. He's capable of dealing despite the difficult matchup and has punched out exactly nine in three previous 2023 meetings with the Phils.

Two Appealing Longshots

With the way the odds are in this market, FanDuel is daring you to bet on a longshot, especially when they put a pitcher of Zac Gallen's quality at a number as big as +2000.

Dare accepted.

Gallen is taking on the San Francisco Giants. Versus righties this year, San Fran sports the eighth-highest strikeout rate (24.1%), so the matchup is there. Gallen's 25.7% strikeout rate and 11.2% swinging-strike rate aren't as gaudy as the numbers of the three aforementioned pitchers, but his +2000 odds more than account for that. He's struck out at least nine in two of his last five outings, with one being an 11-strikeout performance. I'm fully down to throw a dart at this inflated number.

I'm also somewhat interested in Kenta Maeda (+3400). Pitching at Great American Ball Park isn't ideal, but Maeda can rack up strikeouts. For the year, he's amassed a 26.1% strikeout rate and a 12.6% swinging-strike rate. He fanned eight in a seven-inning gem last time out, and the Cincinnati Reds have the fifth-highest K rate (25.9%) in the second half.

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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.