September is just days away, and the playoff chase is as tight as ever. Multiple games on the schedule tonight impact postseason standings, and our MLB strikeout props picks for Wednesday, Aug. 30 are from some of the most entertaining matchups on the schedule.
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Today’s Betting Lines
Below are the game lines from the top sports betting apps for the contests we pulled MLB strikeout props from for Wednesday. Check out our MLB odds page for lines on Wednesday’s full card. You can also review the best sports betting promos on the market to get in on the action with hundreds of dollars in bonus bets.
MLB Strikeout props (8/30/23)
Here are our best MLB strikeout props for Wednesday, Aug. 30.
Christopher Sanchez Strikeouts Over
Christopher Sanchez has tossed a minimum of five strikeouts in each of his four starts in August for the Phillies. That includes games against the Cardinals and Nationals. Tonight, he is up against the Angels, who based on their multitude of releases just yesterday, are calling it a season. Los Angeles is sixth in MLB in strikeouts and has a chase percentage above league average.
That should go a long way in helping Sanchez get Over his strikeout total tonight, especially given the potency of his secondary pitch. Sanchez uses the changeup at a 31% clip, and it draws a chase percentage 13 points above league average, a strike percentage three points above league average, and a batting average of just .161. The Angels have 15 players with more than 150 plate appearances this season, and seven of them hit the changeup below .250.
Sanchez’s third most used pitch in the slider, which he uses at a 22% clip. Los Angeles also struggles to make contact with this pitch as a team. At least eight of their 15 batters with a minimum of 150 plate appearances hit the pitch below .250. Given the Angels’ struggles against Sanchez’s pitch selection and their overall season-long strikeout problems, we like Sanchez to go Over tonight.
Sonny Gray Strikeouts Over
Sonny Gray makes his sixth start of the month for the Twins. Through five games in August, he is posting his season-best in ERA, runs, strikeouts, and hits. He recorded at least seven strikeouts in all but one game this month and appears to be locked in as Minnesota looks to pull away from the Guardians in the standings.
Tonight, he has a chance to support the cause by helping secure a series win against the Guardians. At this point, Cleveland still holds the top spot at avoiding strikeouts in the league by just a narrow margin. They have also stopped both of Gray’s teammates from hitting the six-strikeout mark in the first two matchups, but neither of them is having the type of month Gray is in August.
This is the third matchup between the two this season. Gray hit the six-strikeout mark the first time around but registered only two in the second matchup. However, the second time they met was during one of the worst months of the season for Gray. Now that he is locked in, he should be able to be more effective with his secondary pitches and cover this line. Gray uses the slider and curveball at 19% and 18% clips, respectively. They both draw chase percentages well over league average.
Cleveland has 11 batters with more than 150 plate appearances – six of them hit the slider below .250, and seven of them hit the curveball below .250. That sets up Gray well to go Over tonight.
Chris Bassitt Under 4.5 Strikeouts (+120 on FanDuel)
Chris Bassitt has tallied at least five strikeouts in nine of his last 10 games, including matchups with the Guardians and Diamondbacks, both of whom are two of the best at avoiding strikeouts. However, is up against the Nationals tonight, who are second-best in the category this season.
One of the biggest reasons we like the Nationals to keep Bassitt Under is that the Blue Jays are in a tight race for the final wild-card spot in the AL. They are three-and-a-half games behind the Astros, who currently own the final spot, which means Bassitt’s leash may be short. He has a 4.00 ERA and has allowed at least four runs twice in four starts this month. The Nationals are top 10 in batting average and have been putting runs on the board lately.
Also, the matchup doesn’t support a big night for Bassitt on paper. His top three pitches are the sinker (39%), cutter (15%), and the slider (14%). The Nationals have only nine players with 150 or more plate appearances. Only two hit the sinker below .250, three hit the cutter below .250, and five hit the slider below .250. That means Bassitt’s third most-used pitch would have to do most of the damage, and given how well the Nationals make contact outside the zone, Bassitt must be flawless with his placement to cover this line. We like the Nationals to cool him down tonight.
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