PlayWithThem

Actually, New Jersey plans on starting to accept bets in about two weeks so don't know where you getting your assumptions from.

This was already reflected in today's line. With a potential Cy Young winnner on the mound, the line was surprisingly low. If anything, it is likely there will be overcompensation on the line and the value might actually be on betting on the Cards. Bettors usually overreact to star players getting injured.

Analytics is playing a bigger role than ever in the sport, and the analytics say that the higher on base percentage coupled with the higher slugging (that comes from hitting more homeruns even at the expense of strikeouts) is a superior method of scoring runs - which after all is the ultimate goal. 

Just a one of several examples of a situation you'd rather have someone swinging for a double or homerun even if it comes with a higher probability of striking out: You have a below average speed runner on first and one out, and then you have a guy with decent power at the plate with another guy with pop on deck. You're trailing by one late in the 8th inning. Hitter is in a 2-1 count. Do you want him to try to swing for contact or hit the ball hard with some trajectory? How many times in the old days, hitting for contact would have resulted in an inning ending double play. Even if this guy strikes out, you have one more opportunity to take the lead or tie with the next guy up.

You attack hitter's counts, you try to hit the pitch you like hard with authority, if you don't get pitches you like you try to get on base. That to me is smart baseball.