Best MLB strikeout bets: We have faith in Luzardo

We went 1-2 with our strikeout bets to start the week with a +130 winner mixed in, but we're looking for a winning day to steady the ship. Here are our three favorite K props for Tuesday's MLB slate. 

Jesus Luzardo over 6.5 Ks (-106 FanDuel)

Angels vs. Marlins, 6:40 p.m. ET

We were on Luzardo's over in his first start of the season, and he paid us off with eight strikeouts in only five innings of work against the Pittsburgh Pirates. We're going right back to the well in a matchup against a Los Angeles Angels lineup that's struggled to start the season. The Angels are batting just .195 as a team through four games, and they have the second-highest strikeout rate in MLB (30.0 percent). 

Luzardo has a ridiculous 42.3 percent strikeout percentage against this current Angels roster (Baseball Savant), so he may need to get through only four or five innings to hit this over. 

Zach Eflin under 5.5 Ks (-122 FD)

Rays vs. Rangers, 6:50 p.m. ET

Eflin doesn't have much experience pitching against this Texas Rangers lineup, but it hasn't gone well for him so far. In 33 at-bats against Eflin, current Rangers hitters are batting .452 with only a 9.1 percent strikeout rate. Texas has also been on fire to start the season, as the reigning World Series Champs are third in MLB in OPS (.878), fourth in runs per game (7.25) and seventh in strikeout rate (19.5 percent). 

Eflin got shelled for nine hits and five earned runs against the Rangers in the AL Wild Card last year, so we're aiming for a similar result here. 

Kyle Freeland under 3.5 Ks (-128 FD)

Rockies vs. Cubs, 7:40 p.m. ET

Freeland has never been a premier strikeout artist. The Colorado Rockies left-hander has struck out 6.7 batters per nine innings in his career, and he recorded a career-low 5.4 Ks per nine in 2023. In his season debut against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Freeland gave up 10 earned runs and struck out only two batters in 2.1 innings. 

Now he has to face a solid Chicago Cubs team that has the third-lowest strikeout rate in MLB to start the season (16.8 percent). This current Cubs lineup is batting .352 against Freeland with a 6.5 percent K rate, so this is a perfect matchup for an under.