Ryan Hodges
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We have reached the ultimate bittersweet point of baseball season. Bitter because there is only a month of baseball left for the year. But very sweet in that it is the best possible baseball to watch because it is finally the playoffs. In the second year of the current format, more teams are in the postseason than in prior years. Thanks to the current format, more teams have a shot that otherwise would not have cracked the wild card. Hope is in the air for a dozen teams and fanbases, and it all starts today. If you’re looking to have some betting action, check out our MLB mega parlay at +963 odds below. You can also read our MLB predictions for picks on every game today.
Rangers vs Rays under 7.5 (-105)
Twins -1.5 (+179)
Diamondbacks vs Brewers under 7.5 (-105)
MLB mega parlay odds: +963
Texas Rangers vs Tampa Bay Rays under 7.5 (-105)
The over was very prominent for both the Rangers and Rays during the regular season, but the under has a bit more appeal in Tuesday’s Game 1. The under has hit in 4 of the Rangers’ last 5 games and in 5 of their last 7 games on the road. Spanning a longer period of time, the total has also gone under in 8 of the last 12 played head-to-head between the Rangers and Rays. The starting pitching matchup is the primary driver of appeal for the under and should reinforce those unders trends.
Jordan Montgomery will start for the Rangers and Tyler Glasnow will start for the Rays. Montgomery has been lights out in the last few weeks. In his last 4 starts, Montgomery has thrown 27 innings and allowed just 2 earned runs. He faced playoff teams in 3 out of those 4 games. He gives the under a great chance on Tuesday. His counterpart, Tyler Glasnow, finished the season with a 3.53 ERA and 1.08 WHIP with 162 strikeouts in 120 innings pitched. This has all the makings of a pitchers’ duel.
Check out our MLB World Series best bet ahead of the postseason
Minnesota Twins -1.5 over Toronto Blue Jays (+179)
The Twins were nothing remarkable for a good chunk of the year but were the beneficiaries of a brutal division. However, they have really turned it on in the last month of the season. Since September 1, Minnesota is 18-10, including 8-3 in their last 11 games. They are also 4-2 in their last 6 games at home. The Twins have been more consistent than the Blue Jays recently and appear to be the more reliable team entering this series.
As mentioned, the Blue Jays have struggled in the last 3 weeks, going 9-10. All but 3 of those 19 games were against teams above .500. That sounds like a glass half full that they were not losing to bad teams. But the fact that they were not beating good teams during a playoff race is not a good sign for their playoff chances if they can’t get hot. Game 1 looks better for the Twins.
Don’t miss our expert’s Blue Jays vs Twins Same Game Parlay at +491 odds
Arizona Diamondbacks vs Milwaukee Brewers under 7.5 (-105)
The under has been rolling for the Diamondbacks and Brewers lately. For Arizona, the total has gone under in 4 of their last 5 games. The under has also hit in 5 out of Milwaukee’s last 6 games, in 6 out of their last 7 at home, and in 12 of the last 17 head-to-head between these teams. Neither team has been able to muster much offense lately. The lack of production met with a strong pitcher on the mound looks great for another under.
While Diamondbacks starter Brandon Pfaadt may not be as reliable doing his part in bringing a low total, Brewers ace Corbin Burnes certainly is. Burnes is one of the best starting pitchers in baseball and has proven it year after year. He ended the season with a 3.39 ERA with 200 strikeouts in 193.2 innings pitched and no runs allowed in his last 9 innings pitched. Burnes should give the under a great look against a cold lineup.
Check out our YRFI/NRFI best bets for today’s playoff slate
