The baseball season is really starting to wind down, with just one week left. Tampa Bay has clinched their division and the best record in the MLB, with quite a few teams clinching a playoff spot and the St. Louis Cardinals clinching the first wild card position. There have been few teams mathematically eliminated. Arizona is definitely one of them at 50-108, I don’t see the Diamondbacks pulling it off in the last quarter. October is a pretty special month in baseball, some teams are out, some teams are in do or die, some heroes are yet to show themselves yet.
Right now, there is a pretty tense wild card race between the Red Sox, Yankees, Blue Jays, and Mariners. The Cardinals really turned some heads with a comeback kid story with their 17-game win streak. They have not lost a game since September 10th. The St. Louis Blues made a similar run to the Cup Playoffs in 2019, something is in the water in St. Louis. The Phillies, few seasons after signing Bryce Harper, have been eliminated from the playoffs. This is the 10th consecutive season they have been eliminated. The three games of the week are going to be from this wild card race - bet on them using our sportsbook!
Upcoming Big Games
If you are in the hunt for a playoff start, every game is a big game this week. If you are not in a playoff hunt, play for a contract? As previously mentioned, there is a pretty big wild car race between the Blue Jays, Yankees, Red Sox, and Mariners. The Red Sox are opening a series against the Nationals, the Blue Jays versus the Orioles, the Yankees against the Rays, and the Mariners against a disappointing Angels team.
Yankees Versus Rays
The Yankees open a seriously important series versus the Rays as they hunt for that wild card spot. The Rays have clinched best in the league. They open the serious Friday night with a Run Line of -1.5 (-180), are over 9 (-110), and have a moneyline of plus 100. Tampa Bay currently has eleven players out and two in doubts versus the Yankees. These teams have met eight times before with each team taking away four wins. The last time these two teams played in July; the Rays won.
Early prediction is the Rays walk away with a few of these games and keep burning hot, but the Yankees are fighting for their post-season lives right now. They are one win away from the Play-Off places. The Yankees currently have a 77% percent chance of making the playoffs. The Yankees won their last game 6-2 versus the Blue Jays. The Rays lost their last game 3-2 against the Astros. Look at Giancarlo Stanton to stay hot for the Yankees.
Blue Jays Versus Orioles
Another important wild card impacting series is coming up against the Orioles as the Blue Jays are looking to stay alive in the wild card hunt. This is the Blue Jays' last three games of the regular season with home-field advantage for the three games. Blue Jays need to shake off a tough loss versus the Yankees, they only have a 35% chance of making the playoffs as their series versus the Yankees did not go as they wanted. The Orioles have already been eliminated from playoff contention. The last game the Blue Jays played was a 6-2 loss at the hand of the Yankees and the Orioles last game was a win against the Red Sox 6-2. Another team looking for a playoff spot.
Early prediction, sadly the Blue Jays will not make the playoffs with all the odds stacked against them and the Orioles looking to play spoiler. Not saying they don’t have a chance, but you got a better chance at hitting 21 even. There are currently no betting odds on this game at the time of writing. The Blue Jays do appear to be a slight favorite but there isn’t much info available. The Blue Jays really need Guerrero Jr and Hernandez to stay consistent if they have any hope of a post-season.
Red Sox Versus Nationals
The Red Sox still have about an 87% chance, give or take, of making the playoffs. The Nationals are not going to be going to the playoffs, just two years off of a World Series win. They still can play spoiler for the Red Sox and make them watch the Yankees play in the wild card from home. The Red Sox lost their last game against the Orioles 6-2 and the Nationals won their last game against the Rockies 5-4. The Red Sox currently have a -1.5 (-125), over 9.5(+100), and a moneyline of -200. The Nationals have a +1.5 (+105), under 9.5 (-120), and a moneyline of -200. Early prediction is the Red Sox walk away with these games and make this race more interesting, but the smart money is the lose won of them. Zander Bogaerts is still playing hot for the Sox and hope is he can keep it up in this final series of the season for the Red Sox.
