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Best Shohei Ohtani Props vs. Astros: How Will Angels Star Handle Houston's Potent Lineup?

Sean Tomlinson

Last Updated: July 13, 2022 8:16 AM EDT • 1 min 56 sec read.

ANAHEIM, CA - JULY 12: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Angels in the dugout during the game the Houston Astros at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on July 12, 2022 in Anaheim, California. Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

Shohei Ohtani has been sizzling lately as a pitcher. But will he be able to stay white-hot against the Houston Astros' offense on Wednesday? Read on for our Ohtani prop picks.

Shohei Ohtani remains a real-life unicorn because of his ability to both hurl a baseball at high speeds and smack it a long distance.

What he does shouldn't be possible, and yet here we are marveling at a phenom with 19 home runs before the All-Star break and four straight outings from the mound without allowing an earned run. The Los Angeles Angels star has pitched at least into the sixth inning in each of those appearances, topping out at eight against the Kansas City Royals on June 22, a gem during which he also tallied a season-high 13 strikeouts.

Ohtani will now square off against the Houston Astros on Wednesday from both the batter's box and the rubber. Let's take a look at the best Ohtani prop picks heading into the matchup.

Top Shohei Ohtani Prop Picks vs. Astros

Best Bets for Ohtani

Ohtani Over 8.5 strikeouts (+215)

It's so very, very tempting to pound the table for the highest Ohtani alternate strikeout prop you can find. And then leap on that table, or perhaps jump through it. Ohtani is a strikeout wizard, after all, and he's recorded an astonishing 34 Ks over just his past three starts.

However, the Astros have struck out only 640 times, the third-lowest total in MLB. Ohtani will still send plenty of batters walking in shame back to the dugout, but notching his fourth straight double-digit strikeout game will be difficult, and we're still getting quality value here while taking the Over on 8.5.

https://twitter.com/PitchingNinja/status/1545001343991037954

Ohtani Over 18.5 outs recorded (+120)

If Ohtani produces a merely impressive strikeout total instead of a superhuman one, that would work in our favor here. Strikeouts are sexy, but more heavy lifting is typically required when the ball isn't in play, leading to a pitch count that climbs.

Ohtani has been going deeper into games recently, too. He's made six starts since the beginning of June, lasting seven-plus innings in three. That includes his most recent outing, which featured 10 strikeouts and only two hits allowed across seven innings.

Ohtani to hit a home run (+430)

Ohtani has been struggling at the plate in July while slashing .171/.293/.343. However, he's still hit two home runs during the month, and a matchup on Wednesday against Cristian Javier is appealing.

Javier is enjoying a stellar season overall (3.01 ERA, 0.99 WHIP). But the righty has given up four home runs over his previous two starts, including three his last time out against the Kansas City Royals. Ohtani has also hit 16 of his round-trippers in 2022 against right-handers while posting a .906 OPS.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJ7L3l-79ck

Where to Bet on Shohei Ohtani Prop Picks

Here are our top-rated sportsbooks:

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Shohei Ohtani prop picks made on 7/13/2022 at 1:50 p.m. ET

Written By:
Sean Tomlinson
Sean Tomlinson has been in the sports media wilderness since 2009, with stops at theScore, Bleacher Report, and now Sportsbook Review. The NFL has been his focus for much of that time, beginning as a features writer at theScore, and then as a national writer at B/R. He has survived Tebowmania in all of its forms, and vividly remembers watching the butt fumble live. Sean now leans on the knowledge gained from past experience in his role as a Publishing Editor and writer here at Sportsbook Review.