Best MLB Prop Bets Today | MLB Player Props April 4

Yu Darvish Over 5.5 Strikeouts (-110 on DraftKings Sportsbook)

Yu Darvish will make his first start of the season for the Padres, and we’re expecting a tremendous performance. Darvish will face the Diamondbacks, who have been competitive early in the season. However, they have struggled against strong pitchers, and Darvish fits this description. 

Last season, Darvish went 16-8 with a 3.10 and 0.95 WHIP. His ability to keep runners off base is caused by locating early in counts, and this leads to multiple strikeouts. Darvish fanned 197 batters last season, which was 13th in baseball. The Diamondbacks are 13th in MLB in strikeouts thus far in 2023, so they’re not the most efficient team at the plate. 

Arizona is hitting just .211 with a .229 on-base percentage, so they’re not putting together good at-bats. The Diamondbacks couldn’t be a better team for Darvish to build his confidence against early in the season. Take the over of 5.5 strikeouts for Darvish in his first start. 

Zac Gallen Under 6.5 Strikeouts (-140 on FanDuel Sportsbook)

Zac Gallen will headline the Diamondbacks rotation for years, but there are reasons to be concerned after his first start. Gallen was obliterated by the Dodgers, allowing five runs in 4.2 innings. He didn’t give up any homers, but his location was shaky, and he left countless pitches up in the zone. This isn’t a good idea against a Padres lineup that is similar to the Dodgers in terms of star power. 

Gallen struck out seven batters in his first start against Los Angeles, but we don’t see that happening today. His total is set at 6.5, so we’re leaning under against a quality Padres order. San Diego has limited their strikeouts this season, with the four least in all of baseball. 

Gallen’s strikeout ability is elite, but 6.5 is a high number, and the Padres seem to be finding their groove at the plate after a slow start. San Diego walked off against Arizona on Monday because of back-to-back homers. There isn’t an easy strikeout in the order, so look for Gallen to struggle to hit the over on Tuesday. 

Max Scherzer Over 5.5 Strikeouts (-130 on DraftKings Sportsbook)

Max Scherzer didn’t have the best start to the season against the Marlins on Opening Day. This was a surprise, but the wing still came through for prop bettors. Scherzer’s strikeout total was listed at 5.5 as it is today, and he hit this number after six innings of work. Scherzer allowed a homer, so his numbers aren’t great from his first start of the season. However, his punch-out ability is some of the best in baseball. 

The Brewers have been horrendous when it comes to strikeouts. They did beat the Mets 10-0 in game one of the series, but they’ve struck out the eighth most in MLB through four games. Milwaukee is averaging over ten strikeouts per game, and Scherzer has the ability to hit 6-7 today on his own before the bullpen goes to work. 

Sandy Alcantara Under 5.5 Strikeouts (-120 on FanDuel Sportsbook)

Sandy Alcantara is the reigning Cy Young winner in the National League, but he didn’t look like this on Opening Day. Alcantara has thrown 5.2 innings, allowing three runs on three hits. The biggest issue for Alcantara was his inability to locate early in counts. He walked four batters over his start, which is a rarity for Alcantara. 

The location issues caused Alcantara to only have two strikeouts on the day. He will face the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday, who is one of the final unbeaten teams remaining in MLB. They’ve won games with big offensive performances and by playing small ball. However, the common theme amongst all their games is that they don’t strike out. The Twins have struck out the third least in baseball this season, so they’re a tough matchup for Alcantara. 

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