Over Under 2/2 – Seattle Mariners/Chicago White Sox
Wade LeBlanc was roughed up a bit by the Boston Red Sox in his first matchup, and he only recorded one strikeout in that game. He gets a significantly easier matchup against the Chicago White Sox today, though, as they lead the slate in strikeouts per at-bat. LeBlanc isn’t an overly dominant pitcher, but since missing the 2015 season, he has posted a 7.1 K/9. He has the ability to pitch relatively deep into this game, and the matchup is ideal for strikeouts. Ivan Nova is another pitcher that has struggled with strikeouts through his career, boasting a 6.6 K/9 over 10 years in the MLB. He also gets a terrible matchup, as the Seattle Mariners rank seven last on the slate in strikeouts per at-bat. The lack of potential strikeouts could lead to an explosion from the Seattle offense, leading to a short day for Nova. This is simply a play based on matchups and relatively low strikeout totals.
Play $50 on Wade LeBlanc OVER 5.5 strikeouts and Ivan Nova UNDER 4.5 strikeouts to win $124 (2.48x)
Over Under 2/2 – Oakland A’s/Houston Astros
Brad Peacock has seen his strikeout rate rise from a 7.9 K/9 over his first “five” seasons to an 11.7 K/9 over his last two seasons. He threw quite a few games out of the bullpen, which certainly helped, but the Houston Astros are known as a team that maximizes strikeout potential. Peacock threw 86 pitches in his first game, going 6.2 innings, and he could find similar time in this game. While the Oakland A’s aren’t a team that is known for striking out a lot, Peacock’s total is set a bit too low for his recent form. Throughout his career, Mike Fiers has flashed strikeout potential, recording an 8.2 K/9 over 913 innings. With that being said, he has yet to find more than three strikeouts in any of his three games this season, including two games with six innings. He gets a matchup against Houston, who ranks last on the slate in strikeout per at-bats, and it’s unlikely Fiers will simply find a ton of strikeouts in this game. It’s significantly more likely that he gets rocked and has an early exit, which would limit his strikeouts potential.
Play $50 on Brad Peacock OVER 6.5 strikeouts and Mike Fiers UNDER 4.5 strikeouts to win $115 (2.3x)
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NOTE: Props, players, and contests are subject to change throughout the day. Make sure to get these plays in as soon as possible.
