Jacob deGrom is the king of K's

Yesterday's prop picks didn't go so well. Thank goodness Max Scherzer was able to outlast a rain delay and come back to deliver on his strikeout prop. A new day brings new opportunity, and our first selection will ride what worked for us yesterday.

Jacob deGrom 10+ Ks (+124 FD)

It's time to take the plunge on Jacob deGrom, who has been absolutely phenomenal since his return to the mound. Through three starts, deGrom's Ks per inning and swinging strike rate both rank in the 100th percentile of the league, meaning no one is dealing quite like the Mets ace. He has 10+ strikeouts in two straight starts, including 12 against Atlanta, who he faces again tonight. The Braves are striking out at the third-highest rate vs RHP in the past month. deGrom fanned 14 Braves in a start against them last July. He's had this team's number and we like him to do it again tonight.

JT Brubaker over 4.5 Ks (-110 DK)

If you're looking for an alt-line parlay piece, Pittsburgh starter JT Brubaker is over this 4.5 total in nine of his last 11 starts, and he finished with four in both of his misses in this stretch. Boston is striking out at the eighth-highest rate vs RHPs in the past month, and while pitchers have been going under lately, we like seeing Brubaker's Ks/inning and swinging strike percentage rank in the 55th percentile or better. Brubaker is averaging 1.03 Ks/inning, so we realistically need just five innings to get to this number. Boston's wRC+ and OBP rank in the bottom-eight against RHP, suggesting that Brubaker should be able to log five-to-six innings tonight. This line is set at 5.5 on FanDuel, so we sure like seeing this 4.5 line on DraftKings at this price. 

Manny Machado 2+ hits (+175 FD)

Machado has 2+ hits in eight straight games, an incredible streak that seems to have merit towards extending later tonight. Machado and the Padres will face Anibal Sanchez of the Nationals. In 19 career plate appearances against the righty, Machado is hitting .471 with three singles, one double and four homers. On the year, Machado is hitting .329 against RHP. It all adds up to us. You could pair Machado to get one hit with another partner, but this is a value bet we're comfortable making.

In other news ...

Deshaun Watson suspension raised to 11 games — According to Adam Schefter, the NFL and NFLPA have reached an agreement to suspend Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson for 11 games. The suspension will include a $5 million fine. As of this writing, Cleveland’s win totals have been removed from books but expect them to reopen at a far lower number than the 8.5 to 9.5 wins we have seen this summer.

Another view into the BMW Championship that starts today — We dove into the BMW Championship a bit yesterday, but resident golf expert Matt Wiesenfeld has had an opportunity to examine the slate and share with us his betting thoughts on the event. Of the highlighted looks, the one that sticks out to us is Cam Young to win at +2800. Young has had a strong year on tour, finishing second four times. Perhaps Zalatoris last week was the first of a string of golfers to "get over the hump." Young fits the bill as a golfer who has been in the mix in big tournaments but hasn't yet found himself alone at the top on Sunday. Perhaps that changes this weekend. Young tees off at 2:50 p.m ET today.

LeBron James signs extension with Lakers, becomes highest-earning player in NBA history — In case there was any doubt, LeBron James is remaining a Laker, inking an extension on Wednesday that includes a player option for his age-40 season. The deal also pushes James past Kevin Durant for the highest-earning player in NBA history. The market is unsure about the Lakers this season, with Los Angeles currently behind eight teams on the board at +1600 to win the NBA Finals.

NFL news and notes, including Baker Mayfield and Matthew Stafford — Reports suggest Baker Mayfield will be confirmed as the starter for Carolina to start the season. This isn't necessarily a surprise development after the Panthers traded for the former top pick, but it's good to see some clarity for the most important position on the field. We don't hate a bet on Carolina making the playoffs at +350; this team has some quality pieces. In other QB news, Matthew Stafford is on track to start Week 1 in the season opener for Los Angeles against Buffalo. Stafford has been dealing with some elbow tendinitis that was causing him discomfort for much of the offseason and training camp. The Rams are +550 to win the NFC this year, the third-best odds.

Today's Bark Bets is written by Griffin Carroll