Strikeout props are one of the most predictable markets in baseball when you find pitchers locked into a groove against the right matchup, and Monday’s slate hands bettors three of the cleanest setups you’ll see all week. Gerrit Cole, Gavin Williams, and Jesús Luzardo are all lined up against offenses that are either historically bad at making contact or currently ice cold, and the strikeout totals sportsbooks have posted feel light in every case.

None of these are “hope it works out” bets. Each one is built on a real trend — a pitcher’s recent form, a specific matchup weakness, or both. Here’s the breakdown on all three, plus how to build them into your card.

Gerrit Cole Feasts on MLB’s Most Strikeout-Prone Lineup

Gerrit Cole draws the Los Angeles Angels on the road, and this is about as favorable a strikeout matchup as exists in baseball right now. The Angels have punched out at a 25.1% clip this season — the worst strikeout rate of any offense in MLB — while also owning one of the league’s highest chase rates at over 33%. That’s a lineup built to swing and miss against exactly the kind of stuff Cole throws.

Cole himself is sitting at roughly 6.2 strikeouts per game across 17 appearances in 2026, with his K/9 trending up into the 9.5-11.5 range depending on the sample. What stands out even more is the control: just 21 walks in 98.7 innings pitched. That kind of command means Cole isn’t nibbling or working around hitters — he’s attacking the zone and letting his stuff do the work, which sets up deeper strikeout totals against a team that swings through pitches in the zone as often as the Angels do.

The number here is Over 6.5 strikeouts, with odds hovering in the -104 to -115 range depending on the book. Given the swing-and-miss tendencies of this Angels lineup and Cole’s track record of missing bats when he’s ahead in counts, this is a matchup-driven number that should hit more often than the price suggests.

Gavin Williams Is Missing Bats at an Elite Rate

Gavin Williams has quietly turned into one of the more dominant strikeout arms in the American League, and this matchup against Toronto plays right into his hands. Across 27 appearances in 2026, Williams is averaging 7.6 strikeouts per game with an 11.8 K/9 — numbers that put him firmly in the top tier of swing-and-miss starters in baseball this season.

Toronto isn’t an offense that avoids strikeouts, either. The Blue Jays have gone down on strikes at nearly a 19% clip against the type of power arm Williams brings, and they’ve shown particular vulnerability against pitchers who can consistently work in the mid-to-upper 90s with a wipeout breaking ball — which is exactly Williams’s bread and butter. When a pitcher averaging nearly 12 strikeouts per nine innings lines up against a lineup that chases and whiffs against that caliber of stuff, the strikeout market tends to undersell the outcome.

The number to target is Over 6.5 strikeouts, currently priced in the +114 to +122 range. That’s plus-money on a pitcher who’s clearing this number with real consistency, making it one of the better value plays on the board today.

Jesús Luzardo Is in the Middle of a Strikeout Streak

If you want the safest bet of the three, it’s Jesús Luzardo. The Phillies left-hander has been utterly locked in, punching out exactly nine batters in each of his last three starts. That’s not a hot stretch — that’s a pitcher operating at peak form with a strikeout rate that’s climbed to 11.2-11.21 K/9 on the season, elite numbers for any starter in baseball right now.

The matchup against Arizona only sweetens the deal. The Diamondbacks lineup Luzardo is facing is on the softer end offensively, and in his lone previous meeting with Arizona this season, he still punched out eight batters in just 4.2 innings despite getting hit around for runs — a sign that even when his command wavers, the swings-and-misses are still there. With three straight nine-strikeout outings on his ledger, clearing 6.5 strikeouts is a low bar for where Luzardo’s stuff currently sits.

The number is Over 6.5 strikeouts at odds around +116. Given the recent streak and the plus-money price, this is the highest-floor play of the group — check live MLB odds before locking in your number, since lines can move closer to first pitch.

Lock These In

All three of these strikeout props are backed by real trends: an offense that can’t stop swinging through pitches, a power arm generating whiffs at an elite clip, and a starter riding one of the best three-start stretches of his career. Line up the tickets and build your card around the matchup edges.

Shop around before you place these — a few extra cents of plus-money across a three-leg card adds up fast, and every book prices strikeout props slightly differently heading into first pitch.