Welcome to the MLB postseason! We are treated to 4 MLB games today as the Wild Card round begins. The Rays and Guardians start the day at 12:07 pm ET in Cleveland, and baseball will be followed all day as the Phillies-Cardinals start at 2:07 pm ET, followed by the Mariners-Blue Jays at 4:07 pm ET, and the Padres-Mets conclude the day at 8:07 pm ET. I have chosen 3 of those games for today’s parlay because how can you have playoff baseball without a mega parlay?
For this parlay we are going with one favorite on the money line, one favorite on the run line, and one alternate game total. Let’s break down each of the legs one by one.
Don’t miss our MLB picks for all the Wild Card games today!
Cleveland Guardians ML over Tampa Bay Rays (-120)
Shane McClanahan, who was once the favorite to win the AL Cy Young award, will start for Tampa Bay. But a minor injury at the end of August seems to have changed McClanahan. His changeup isn’t getting as many whiffs, opponents are putting the ball in play more often, and he’s no longer a strikeout threat.
In comparison to McClanahan, Bieber excelled after the all-star break, with a 2.48 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, and increasing his strikeout rate to 25% in 14 starts. This season, Bieber has faced the Rays twice, and one of his starts was significantly better than the other. However, the Rays’ offense is the weakest among the 12 playoff teams, and they entered the postseason in a severe slump after finishing 25th in batting average and 27th in OPS over the previous 30 days. McClanahan worries me more than Bieber, therefore I’ll choose Cleveland to win at home.
Lock in our Game 1 Tampa Bay Rays vs Cleveland Guardians predictions
Toronto Blue Jays -1.5 over Seattle Mariners (+160)
Alek Manoah has been the ace of the Blue Jays staff this season. At home, he has a 2.42 ERA and a 0.92 WHIP, and hitters have a .191 batting average and a .256 OBP. He finished the regular season on a 15-inning scoreless streak which spans over 3 starts. He had a Cy Young-caliber season, and fortunately for him, he’s backed by one of the best offenses in baseball. A lineup consisting of George Springer, Bo Bichette, Vladimir Guerrero Jr, Alejandro Kirk, and more led the Blue Jays to be ranked 1st in BA, 2nd in OBP and 2nd in OPS in the final 30 days of the regular season.
Luis Castillo recently signed an extension to be in Seattle for next season, but since signing that deal, he’s struggled. He allowed 10 runs and 15 hits in his final 3 starts of the season, and they weren’t against good offenses either as he faced the Athletics twice and the Royals. The one advantage the Mariners may have in this game is their bullpen, but if the Toronto offense can get started early, they won’t need to worry about the Seattle arm barn. With home-field advantage and their best pitcher on the mound, I’ll back the Blue Jays for a multiple-run win.
Our expert has chosen his MLB playoffs best bets, including a +180 pick!
San Diego Padres vs New York Mets under 5.5 (+115)
From the opening pitch to the final out, this game ought to feature very few runs. Because neither bullpen has been particularly strong this year and since Scherzer and Darvish have demonstrated the ability to pitch late in games, I expect both starters to pitch at least 5 innings, if not 6. In 14 innings pitched this season versus New York, the Padres’ ace has struck out 15 while giving up just 1 run and 6 hits. In those two starts, the Mets batted just .128 with a .196 OBP, demonstrating their struggles against Darvish.
There were 5 runs scored in the game during Scherzer’s lone start against the Padres this season. On Friday night, there will also be 14 MPH winds coming in from the left field, so I anticipate a similar total score. Runs should be scarce in Queens, so the alternate total has value in this matchup.
Don’t forget to check out our San Diego Padres vs New York Mets predictions
Friday’s MLB mega parlay (10/7)
Guardians ML (-120)
Blue Jays -1.5 (+160)
Padres/Mets alternate total under 5.5 runs (+115)
Parlay odds: +924
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