There are 12 MLB games on the docket for this fine Thursday. That means there are up to 24 strikeout props to choose from. I am on a solid 17-6 run with MLB props, and I have 2 in mind for today’s action. I will share those here this morning, but before I do so, be sure to check out our MLB picks and previews for all of the games today. You can also follow me on Twitter for any added plays.
Let’s have ourselves a winning Thursday!
Yu Darvish under 6.5 strikeouts (-132)
Line available at FanDuel at time of publishing
What has happened to Yu Darvish? Since the beginning of July, Darvish is 1-8 with a 6.79 ERA through 12 starts. That poor stretch of pitching has played a big hand in San Diego’s shocking fall from playoff contention. Darvish has reached 7 or more strikeouts in 5 of those 12 outings, and he has never done it in back-to-back starts during that stretch. He punched out 9 Cardinal hitters in his last outing, but today he gets the NL West-leading Giants. The Giants are not known as a strikeout-prone team, and they had no trouble generating contact against Darvish the last time they saw him.
10 days ago on September 13, San Francisco managed 6 hits and 8 earned runs in just 4.0 innings against Darvish. They also only struck out 3 times. Darvish tends to be more comfortable in his own ballpark, but he has been far too inconsistent to back in the second half of the season. This is a relatively high number, and all things considered, he could still have a decent day while staying under this total.
Be sure to check out our full game preview for San Francisco Giants vs San Diego Padres
Madison Bumgarner over 4.5 strikeouts (-115)
Line available at DraftKings at time of publishing
The last time Madison Bumgarner faced the Atlanta Braves he threw a 7-inning no-hitter. He struck out 7 in that game, and the Braves have been very strikeout prone as of late. Atlanta has struck out a total of 31 times through the first 3 games of this series, and only 2 teams have struck out more than the Braves over the last 7 days. They have struck out 60 times in 220 at-bats over that span. That is a strikeout rate of 27.3%. Not exactly ideal.
Bumgarner is no longer the pitcher he once was, but he has seen his strikeout rate jump from 15.8 last season to 20.2 so far this season. He’s also been throwing deep into games. The veteran left-hander has thrown 6.0 innings or more in 9 of his last 10 starts. He’s reached 5+ strikeouts in 6 of those outings. Bumgarner does not have overpowering stuff, but he seems to be in a favorable spot here at home.
Be sure to check out our full game preview for Atlanta Braves vs Arizona Diamondbacks
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