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Chris Sale vs. Gerrit Cole: Should Bettors Go OVER or UNDER on Strikeout Props in Red Sox vs. Yankees?

By Joe Summers

New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole comes off an 11 strikeout game with seven scoreless IP vs. the Cincinnati Reds in his last home start.
New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole comes off an 11 strikeout game with seven scoreless IP vs. the Cincinnati Reds in his last home start. / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
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We've got a fantastic marquee pitching matchup in New York today as Chris Sale takes the mound for Boston against Gerrit Cole and the Yankees.

First pitch is at 1:35 PM EST and while Reed Wallach likes the value on the Red Sox, I want to dive into each starter's strikeout props for the big clash.

Here's where WynnBET Sportsbook has the props set:

Red Sox vs Yankees Strikeout Props Odds

Chris Sale 5.5 Strikeouts

  • Over: -125
  • Under: -115

Gerrit Cole 7.5 Strikeouts

  • Over: -145
  • Under: +105

Red Sox vs Yankees Strikeout Props Picks and Predictions

If I'm being honest, I like the under in both of these props.

Chris Sale is still ramping up to speed and only lasted five innings against Tampa Bay in his first start. He was sharp, but until he's got his stamina back I don't know if I can trust him to rack up strikeouts, especially against a lineup like the Yankees'.

New York has the second-highest OPS against left-handed pitchers over the last three weeks and could get to Sale early. Even if they don't, I expect Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and company to work the count to get Sale tired quickly. In addition to only throwing five innings last week, Sale didn't last through the fifth in any of his rehab starts.

He could make me look like a fool, but I'm not trusting it. When you've got guys like this coming up to bat, it doesn't take much for things to go awry quickly:

As for Cole, he hasn't cleared 7.5 strikeouts in any of his last three outings against Boston. The Red Sox average the 10th-fewest strikeouts per game in MLB and Cole has struggled with command a bit lately, making an early exit more likely.

I'll take the under in both strikeout props here. Yankee Stadium is perhaps the most hitter-friendly park in baseball other than Coors Field, so we could see a couple of early home runs that make these props unreachable. This is a stellar pitching matchup, but I'm fading both starters today.

Pick: Chris Sale Under 5.5 Strikeouts (-115) + Gerrit Cole Under 7.5 Strikeouts (+105)

Follow all of Joe Summers' betting picks here.

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