MLB Strikeout Props: Three Best Bets for Monday’s Slate

There are only six games scheduled in the MLB tonight, but there are still a variety of betting lines worth your wagering consideration. Take a look at some of the best MLB strikeout prop bets for Monday, June 26. 

Tuesday’s action: MLB Strikeout Prop Picks for Tuesday, June 27

Among Monday’s MLB strikeout props, we’re going with an aging but all-time great right-hander who is up against a struggling lineup. In our other two plays, we’re fading the pitchers and leaning on the offenses to prevail.

More MLB Betting: Odds to win 2023 World Series | MLB game betting lines

Tonight’s MLB Betting Lines

Here are odds on Monday night’s baseball games we have a strikeout prop bet on.  While these lines are from BetMGM Sportsbook, we always advise you to shop around several of the best sports betting apps to find the most favorable odds for your bets.

MLB Strikeout Prop Bets (6/26/23)

There aren’t many aces in action on the mound tonight, so look for big performances from some of the better offenses in the league against mostly struggling starters.  

Sonny Gray Under 4.5 Strikeouts (+130 on FanDuel)

Sonny Gray is getting the start for the Minnesota Twins in their matchup with the Atlanta Braves tonight. On paper, Gray is having a solid season. His 2.56 ERA is good for fifth best in the league, and his 84 strikeouts are tied for 38th. However, while he started the season hot, his numbers have slowly been descending as the season has progressed. 

Since June 3, teams have been making a lot more contact when he takes the mound. Through four games this month, he has surrendered 24 hits and nine runs, and thrown only 15 strikeouts. In two of the four games he started, he failed to reach the four-strikeout mark. He has also failed to make it past the fifth inning in his last three starts.

Meanwhile, the Braves are one of the hottest-hitting teams in baseball. They have the second-best batting average in the league and are also near the bottom in strikeouts at the plate. Considering Gray is struggling to make it through five innings, he may not be in the game long enough to accumulate the strikeouts needed to get Over this strikeout total. 

Matthew Boyd Under 5.5 Strikeouts (-130 on FanDuel)

Matthew Boyd has been lights-out in the strikeout category as of late. In his last four outings, he has racked up 27 Ks. In all but one of the games during that stretch, he has had at least seven strikeouts. The one game he didn’t was against the Arizona Diamondbacks, who tagged him for five runs. Currently, the Diamondbacks are among the best in the league at avoiding strikeouts. With just 595 total on the year, they are third best in the category. 

The Rangers, who Boyd’s Tigers face Monday, are middle of the pack when it comes to avoiding strikeouts (689 on the season). However, they have the best batting average in MLB. Their offense struggled in their last series against the Yankees, but they have two things going in their favor in this one. One, they’ll be home where they are nearly three percentage points better at the plate. Second, they are two percentage points better at the plate against lefties. 

Considering Boyd has thrived against lesser lineups to dominate this month, we don’t like his chance to ring up too many Ks against the Rangers, especially with so much going their way on paper in this matchup. 

Justin Verlander Over 6.5 Strikeouts (+100 on DraftKings)

Justin Verlander hasn’t appeared to be anywhere near the pitcher he was last year. However, he is up against the perfect team to find his rhythm. The Milwaukee Brewers are near the top of the league in strikeouts, compiling 728 to this point of the season. Ten of the seven batters on the roster who have been to the plate at least 100 times have strikeout rates of .230 or higher. 

At this stage of his career, Verlander is a ground ball pitcher, but in June, he compiled 22 strikeouts in just four games. That includes eight against the Blue Jays, six against the Yankees, and five against the Astros. Against a struggling lineup like that of the Brewers, the sure-fire Hall of Famer should be able to get them to chase a few pitches in the dirt and cover this wager.