Let's ride the K-Train with Gerrit Cole

Let's move on from yesterday in baseball; those hit parlays didn't quite go our way. The remedy to that is a jump back into the pitcher market, and we've got just the guys to help us out. While we prefer to look at some lower numbers and parlay them, much of our logic extends to liking these guys at their set over/unders.

Joe Musgrove 4+ Ks, Lance Lynn 6+ Ks & Gerrit Cole 8+ Ks (+122 FD)

We've got ourselves a trio of alternate strikeout props to begin our day's action in baseball. This market, only available on FanDuel, has helped us move standard lines down a number or two to a hit-rate that is easier to feel comfortable with. 

Joe Musgrove is facing a San Francisco Giants team that is striking out at the 10th-highest rate against RHPs this year and this past month. The Giants offense also isn't hitting righties particularly well, which gives us confidence in Musgrove pitching some quality innings. The Padres hurler has registered 4+ Ks in 20 of 22 starts this season and in his three appearances against San Francisco.

Lance Lynn will see the Royals today, a team fanning at the 11th-highest rate vs. RHP. Kansas City also owns the 24th-ranked wRC+, which suggests to us that they are going to have their issues against Lynn. Lynn has recorded 6+ strikeouts in seven of his last eight games and is averaging 6.5 Ks in the two starts he's made against the Royals this year. He's been more consistent pitching at home, and that's where he'll be tonight.

Gerrit Cole finds himself in a prime matchup against the Los Angeles Angels, who are striking out at a 26.8% rate against righties this season, the highest mark in MLB. Cole is one of the league's best strikeout pitchers this year, with his Ks/inning ranking in the 88th percentile and his swinging strike rate in the 84th percentile. He's fresh off an 11-K performance, and has gone for 8+ in six of his past nine starts. He saw the Angels twice last year, finishing with nine and 15 strikeouts in those outings. Cole consistently gives us six-plus innings and over 100 pitches, giving us plenty of opportunities to reach this 8+ K number tonight.

In the news ...

NFL getting closer — We're just as excited as you are for NFL's return, and we've got a few intriguing reads as we gear up for the 2022 season. We've highlighted every team's strength and weakness if you're looking to acclimate yourself to the NFL landscape. If you want another futures bet to consider, we dug into the touchdown totals we like the most prior to the season started. Our personal favorite is Allen Robinson to score over 7.5 at +120. Robert Woods and Odell Beckham Jr. combined for nine last year, and Robinson is likely taking all of their work with neither Woods nor Beckham on the Rams this season.

Justin Verlander heads to IL and shuts down AL Cy Young betting market — The AL-best Houston Astros had a bit of bad news this week with the announcement that AL Cy Young candidate Justin Verlander is being placed on the 15-day IL. According to the team, this is expected to be a relatively short-term issue, so the Astros should be okay as they gear up for another postseason run. The true impact may be on betting the AL Cy Young winner. Last we checked, Verlander was the favorite to win the award, and now the market is closed to bettors on DraftKings and FanDuel. Keep your eyes on the books for if/when this market reopens and what this absence does to Verlander's odds.

Cameron Smith the latest big name to join LIV Golf, tournament this weekend — Ranked No. 2 in the world and the most recent Open Championship winner, Cameron Smith has officially left the PGA Tour to join LIV Golf. While the FedExCup playoffs are finished, LIV Golf has a tournament this week in Boston. Smith is +650 to win the event on DraftKings, just behind Dustin Johnson at +550.

Today's Bark Bets is written by Griffin Carroll