1U Shohei Ohtani (LAA) over 6.5 strikeouts (-130) available at BetMGM sportsbook at time of initial post to Twitter. Scale down unit size once past -140 odds.
Betting on the best player in the world seems like a solid way to start a Monday. Shohei Ohtani is not only an MVP caliber bat, but he is among a short list of pitchers with an argument as the best in the world. Ohtani is continually evolving and improving on the mound, and this season is posting a career-best 33% CSW%. His sweeper usage has skyrocketed to 47.5% this season, and I can't say I blame him, as opponents have just a .224 wOBA and 36.1% whiff rate against it. His 4-seamer is still as lethal as ever, averaging the same 97.3 MPH velocity as last season. Ohtani allows a wOBA of .236 with a 35.6% whiff rate on his 4-seamer. That are absurd marks for a fastball. His splitter and curveball are also used a bit more against left-handed bats and induce otherworldly whiff rates.
Ohtani has cleared this mark in 6 of 8 starts this season, but the 1 miss against Boston was cut short due to rain, and his other miss was a 6-strikeout game against Washington, a team with one of the lowest strikeout rates in baseball. Shohei has gone 6 or more innings in 3 of his last 4 starts while clearing this 6.5 strikeout prop in all 4 games. Even the last 2 starts were against the Cardinals (11 Ks) and Astros (7 Ks), teams with K-averse approaches at the plate. His 36.3% K% ranks 96th percentile this season while he generates whiffs at a 93rd percentile clip. Dating back to last season this 6.5 number is a mark he has cleared in 24/35 non-rain-shortened starts.
Today's matchup against the Orioles may result in 6 left-handed batters in the lineup against Ohtani. That is no issue, however, as Shohei is able to mow down batters from either side of the plate due to his elite stuff and diverse repertoire. He still strikes out 32.8% of LHB since the start of last season, and this year LHB have a lower wOBA and ISO against Ohtani than RHB. The Orioles have a team strikeout rate of only 22.2% against right-handed pitching this season, ranking 10th lowest in MLB. That being said, they have faced a slew of low strikeout rate arms from the right side. When facing the better pitchers in the league, they have been extremely whiff happy. Jacon deGrom had 11 strikeouts in 6 innings of 1-run ball, Spencer Strider had 10 strikeouts in only 5 innings of 2-run ball, and last night Mitch Keller had a career game, posting 13 strikeouts across 7 shut-out innings. Keller recorded 4 strikeouts with his sinker, 6 with his 4-seamer, and 2 with his nasty sweeper. Ohtani has a nastier sweeper while his 4-seamer and sinker are his 2nd and 3rd most used pitches. We don't have umpire information, but with how many whiffs Shohei draws, and how little Baltimore has seen of him (only 4 batters have faced him, only 1 more than 4 times), I am willing to lay this price for 7 Ohtani strikeouts.
*If you are placing this bet at FanDuel, save a step by clicking the link below. It will put Shohei Ohtani O6.5 strikeouts directly into your betslip on the app!*
https://t.co/yf1bO43Six
1U Shohei Ohtani (LAA) over 6.5 strikeouts (-130) available at BetMGM sportsbook at time of initial post to Twitter. Scale down unit size once past -140 odds.
Betting on the best player in the world seems like a solid way to start a Monday. Shohei Ohtani is not only an MVP caliber bat, but he is among a short list of pitchers with an argument as the best in the world. Ohtani is continually evolving and improving on the mound, and this season is posting a career-best 33% CSW%. His sweeper usage has skyrocketed to 47.5% this season, and I can't say I blame him, as opponents have just a .224 wOBA and 36.1% whiff rate against it. His 4-seamer is still as lethal as ever, averaging the same 97.3 MPH velocity as last season. Ohtani allows a wOBA of .236 with a 35.6% whiff rate on his 4-seamer. That are absurd marks for a fastball. His splitter and curveball are also used a bit more against left-handed bats and induce otherworldly whiff rates.
Ohtani has cleared this mark in 6 of 8 starts this season, but the 1 miss against Boston was cut short due to rain, and his other miss was a 6-strikeout game against Washington, a team with one of the lowest strikeout rates in baseball. Shohei has gone 6 or more innings in 3 of his last 4 starts while clearing this 6.5 strikeout prop in all 4 games. Even the last 2 starts were against the Cardinals (11 Ks) and Astros (7 Ks), teams with K-averse approaches at the plate. His 36.3% K% ranks 96th percentile this season while he generates whiffs at a 93rd percentile clip. Dating back to last season this 6.5 number is a mark he has cleared in 24/35 non-rain-shortened starts.
Today's matchup against the Orioles may result in 6 left-handed batters in the lineup against Ohtani. That is no issue, however, as Shohei is able to mow down batters from either side of the plate due to his elite stuff and diverse repertoire. He still strikes out 32.8% of LHB since the start of last season, and this year LHB have a lower wOBA and ISO against Ohtani than RHB. The Orioles have a team strikeout rate of only 22.2% against right-handed pitching this season, ranking 10th lowest in MLB. That being said, they have faced a slew of low strikeout rate arms from the right side. When facing the better pitchers in the league, they have been extremely whiff happy. Jacon deGrom had 11 strikeouts in 6 innings of 1-run ball, Spencer Strider had 10 strikeouts in only 5 innings of 2-run ball, and last night Mitch Keller had a career game, posting 13 strikeouts across 7 shut-out innings. Keller recorded 4 strikeouts with his sinker, 6 with his 4-seamer, and 2 with his nasty sweeper. Ohtani has a nastier sweeper while his 4-seamer and sinker are his 2nd and 3rd most used pitches. We don't have umpire information, but with how many whiffs Shohei draws, and how little Baltimore has seen of him (only 4 batters have faced him, only 1 more than 4 times), I am willing to lay this price for 7 Ohtani strikeouts.
*If you are placing this bet at FanDuel, save a step by clicking the link below. It will put Shohei Ohtani O6.5 strikeouts directly into your betslip on the app!*
https://t.co/yf1bO43Six
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