There are people out there who long for the olden days of baseball, where hitters put the ball in play more often and everyone bunted every other at-bat. Not this guy. I like seeing a never-ending conveyor belt of the nastiest pitchers imaginable. I like strikeouts. I like strikeout props.
With that in mind, here are my top three strikeout bets on DraftKings Sportsbook for tonight’s MLB slate.
Top Strikeout Props on DraftKings Sportsbook
Spencer Strider 9+ Strikeouts (+125)
I’m more than willing to take my chances with Strider on Thursday — even with a prop this large. The big thing to know with the right-hander is that his fastball velocity has been up in his past five outings, which has translated into a 32.2% strikeout rate. Now, Strider’s only once reached or exceeded nine strikeouts in a single contest in that span, though he twice finished with eight. What’s going to get him over the hump? How about a matchup with an Athletics squad that leads MLB in strikeout rate (26.7%) over the past two weeks? The A’s also own the league’s highest swinging strike rate (13.8%) in that same stretch of time.
Miles Mikolas Under 3.5 Strikeouts (-125)
When I think of Miles Mikolas, I do not think of a strikeout pitcher. I don’t think the 36-year-old would disagree with that sentiment, either. Through 17 starts in 2025, Mikolas sports a second percentile whiff rate (16.9%) and a ninth percentile strikeout rate (16.0%). Mikolas’ 7.0% swinging strike rate is also the fifth-lowest mark in baseball among all pitchers who have thrown at least 80 innings this season. As it pertains to this specific prop, Thursday’s matchup is not helping Mikolas’ cause, either. The Nationals have the NL’s lowest strikeout rate (18.1%) and MLB’s fifth-highest contact rate (79.8%) across the past 14 days. This is not a lineup that swings and misses often.
JP Sears 5+ Strikeouts (+130)
Much like the aforementioned Mikolas, Sears isn’t exactly Nolan Ryan. However, the left-hander has managed to exceed this prop in three of his past five starts. I’m burying the lede, though. The real selling point of this spot is Sears’ matchup. The Braves strikeout all the time. When talking about the past two weeks specifically, Atlanta ranks second in MLB in strikeout rate (24.8%) and swinging strike rate (13.2%). In fact, this is the best possible matchup that Sears could draw, as the club that sits first in both categories is his own. The Braves have underwhelmed throughout 2025 against LHPs, as well, batting only .225 with an 83 wRC+ within the split. That means Sears will likely work deep into this contest.
