Spencer Strider is the favorite to take home the 2023 NL Cy Young Award at the end of May, but he gets arguably his toughest matchup to date, as the Los Angeles Dodgers are in town. Be sure to use OddsShopper’s Parlay Builder if you’re putting together a mega parlay. Let’s dive into the best MLB Dodgers-Braves bet.
Dodgers-Braves Bet: Spencer Strider O/U 1.5 Walks
Are we fading Spencer Strider today? To some extent. Strider is more than capable of pitching a gem at home and still cash this MLB prop. The world knows Strider as the best strikeout pitcher in baseball. He ranks in the 99th percentile in strikeout rate but also 47th in walk rate. That’s the spot to attack.
Strider throws 4.3 pitches per plate appearance, which are near the top of MLB. That on its own may warrant backing his over on walks. But the Dodgers see the third-most pitches per plate appearance at over 4.0. With this, fading his outs may be a play as well. His over/under is set at 18.5, but with vig as high as -173 on Caesars Sportsbook, backing his over on walks is the best option.
The Dodgers’ 11.2% walk rate against right-handed pitching ranks second in baseball, only behind division rival San Diego Padres. In May alone, they’ve faced 13 right-handed starters, with eight of them issuing at least two walks to Dodgers hitters. Batters like Mookie Betts, Max Muncy and Will Smith all have a walk rate above 13% against right-handed pitching this season.
Strider is coming off a three-walk game in his last start to push it to six out of nine starts with at least two. Expect the disciplined Dodgers to make Strider work all night long and raise his pitch count.
Best Dodgers-Braves Bet: Spencer Strider Over 1.5 Walks (-135, DraftKings)
