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MLB Picks: Best Strikeout Prop Bets for Wednesday 7/8/26

MLB Picks: Best Strikeout Prop Bets for Wednesday 7/8/26

Houston Astros Sports Betting Picks MLB MLB Picks

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By: Sam Connon

There are a handful of aces taking the mound Wednesday, from Rays All-Star Shane McClanahan to breakout contributors like Astros righty Spencer Arrighetti and Mets righty Chrstian Scott. How will McClanahan look against the Yankees? Will Arrighetti continue to put his spotty June in the rear-view mirror? Can Scott continue to rack up strikeouts in spite of his home run woes? Here is our full breakdown of where we think each starting pitcher will wind up in the strikeout column.

Best MLB Strikeout Prop Bets Today (July 8, 2026)

  • Tampa Bay Rays vs. New York Yankees: Rays LHP Shane McClanahan 6+ strikeouts: While McClanahan has come in under 5.5 K in three straight starts, the last two Tampa Bay starters have racked up 12 and 10 against this Yankees lineup.
  • Washington Nationals vs. Houston Astros: Astros RHP Spencer Arrighetti 5+ strikeouts: Arrighetti had tossed 5+ K in four straight and seven of his last nine starts before his most recent outing, when he still notched four punchouts against MLB’s most strikeout-averse lineup.
  • New York Mets vs. Kansas City Royals: Mets RHP Christian Scott 6+ strikeouts: Even getting pulled after 4.0 IP didn’t stop Scott from recording 7 K in his most recent start, bringing him to 6+ K in three straight and four of his last five appearances.

MLB Strikeout Prop Bets Breakdown

Shane McClanahan 6+ K (-112), Tampa Bay Rays vs. New York Yankees

Over his last seven starts, McClanahan has come in under 5.5 strikeouts in five of them. The under on Wednesday’s line has also hit in three straight. And yet, Wednesday’s matchup against this Yankees lineup is just too juicy to overlook. New York strikes out the fifth-most times per game in MLB this season, for one. McClanahan’s predecessors in the Rays’ rotation – Griffin Jax and Ian Seymour – have posted 10 strikeouts in 5.0 innings and 12 strikeouts in 5.1 innings to open the ongoing divisional series, not to mention the nine strikeouts Joe Ryan had against the Yankees to close out their previous set. McClanahan ranks above league average in K %, Whiff % and Chase %, which he could use to make Jazz Chisholm Jr., Ryan McMahon, Ben Rice, Austin Wells, Anthony Volpe and company look lost at the plate.

Spencer Arrighetti 5+ K (-135), Washington Nationals vs. Houston Astros

Before falling short of five-plus strikeouts in his most recent outing, Arrighetti had hit seven-plus in four straight and seven of his last nine. And even this most recent failure was a four-strikeout performance against the Rays, who average the fewest strikeouts per game in MLB. On Wednesday, Arrighetti is going against a Nationals lineup that averages the 14th-most strikeouts per game. Arrighetti averages 9.1 strikeouts per nine innings, but he made it up to seven when he got shelled for eight runs in a mere 3.0 innings on June 26. The righty ranks in the 61st percentile in both K % and Whiff %, per Baseball Savant, as well.

Christian Scott 6+ K (-143), New York Mets vs. Kansas City Royals

Scott tossed seven strikeouts in his last appearance, despite only completing 4.0 innings. He hasn’t tossed 5.0 or more innings in any of his last three outings, and yet he has still gone for six-plus punchouts in all three of them. He has achieved the feat in four of his last five, as well as six of his last 10 starts. The 27-year-old, who missed all of last season due to injury, is now averaging 11.0 strikeouts per nine innings with a 28.0% strikeout rate that ranks in MLB’s 84th percentile. Although Kansas City averages the eighth-fewest strikeouts per game this season, they did strike out six times through 5.0 innings on Tuesday. Their strikeout rate is also 1.0% higher against righties, like Scott, than lefties. Scott, meanwhile, still managed to notch seven and eight strikeouts against the teams that sandwich the Royals in the strikeouts per game rankings – the Braves and Marlins. He has five-plus strikeouts in four straight home starts and six-plus in three straight.

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Sam Connon
Sam joined DraftKings in 2025 following five years with Sports Illustrated’s “On SI” network. He has covered the UCLA Bruins, New England Patriots, Tampa Bay Rays, MLB, MiLB and NBA, on top of earning awards from the Society of Professional Journalists and College Media Association during his time as a student at UCLA.
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