MLB playoff picks: Two 'dogs to trust on Wednesday
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Talk about a rough start to October baseball. We started with an 0-2 night Tuesday and neither were particularly close, if we're being honest.
It's a marathon, not a sprint. Let's hope for better today.
Cincinnati Reds (+110) @ Atlanta Braves (-130)
No team is hotter coming into the postseason than the Reds, who won 11 of their final 14 contests while averaging five runs per game over that span. They send Trevor Bauer and his polished 1.73 ERA (2.88 FIP) to the mound for Game 1. The 29-year-old is a horse who's been vocal about his desire to pitch deep into games, and that's just what he's done of late. The Braves have one of MLB's most potent lineups, but I'll happily take Bauer and his veteran mound presence as an underdog to Max Fried and his 4.05 xFIP.
Pick: Reds (+110)
Chicago White Sox (+110) @ Oakland Athletics (-130)
Both lineups will be asked to manufacture runs in Game 2, with two of the league's best at suppressing the long ball getting the start Wednesday. Among all qualified pitchers, White Sox starter Dallas Keuchel led MLB this season with a 4.7% HR/FB rate while Athletics righty Chris Bassitt was fifth (8.6%). Keuchel excelled away from home with a 1.60 ERA in seven road starts. Bassitt was virtually untouchable at Oakland Coliseum, posting a stunning 0.72 ERA in six starts. Offense will be hard to come by in this one.
Pick: Under 7.5 (-120)
New York Yankees (-130) @ Cleveland Indians (+110)
Throw yesterday's game out the window. Shane Bieber never looked settled on the mound, and everything the Yankees made contact with somehow found a hole. This New York lineup is certainly scary, but last night came with a stroke of good fortune. Bieber managed an impressive 56.3% ground ball rate, and a 40% HR/FB rate further illustrates his bad fortune.
Carlos Carrasco takes the mound for the Indians tonight in what will be his first postseason start since returning from leukemia. He's had an outstanding season and is no stranger to the big stage, posting a 1.64 ERA in two career playoff starts. Run support won't be an issue either, with the Indians lineup taking on Masahiro Tanaka and his 4.42 FIP. Tanaka struggled through September and will be a welcome antidote for an ailing Indians offense.
Pick: Indians (+110)
(Odds source: theScore Bet)
Alex Moretto is a sports betting writer for theScore. A journalism graduate from Guelph-Humber University, he has worked in sports media for over a decade. He will bet on anything from the Super Bowl to amateur soccer, is too impatient for futures, and will never trust a kicker. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.