MLB Playoffs Get the Betting Spotlight

This weekend is jam-packed with key contests in both college football and the NFL, but baseball takes center stage to kick things off with a tiebreaker in the American League on Monday leading into this week’s opening round of the playoffs. The following is a brief look at some of the top matchups on this week’s sports betting board along with any current lines and odds as provided by 5Dimes.

The Tampa Bay Rays and the Texas Rangers tied each other at 91-71 for the final Wild Card spot in the AL so they will play one another on Monday night in Arlington for the right to face Cleveland this Wednesday night in the Wild Card game. The Rays have been opened as -123 road favorites with Texas listed as a +113 home underdog. The total for this game has been set at 7.5 runs.

The Cincinnati Reds will travel to PNC Park as +112 road underdogs for Tuesday night’s NL Wild Card game against Pittsburgh. The Pirates have been opened as -122 favorites with the total set at 6.5 runs The two NLDS sets will get underway on Thursday night this week, while the two division series in the AL get going on Friday.

The first big matchup in Week 6 of the college football season has No. 25 Maryland on the road against No. 8 Florida State in a key Atlantic Division tilt in the ACC. The Seminoles have been opened as 15-point favorites.

No. 1 Alabama will then host Division IAA Georgia State as a prohibitive 55.5-point favorite on the weekend, and No. 2 Oregon is on the road against Colorado as a 38-point favorite - so do not expect any changes at the top of next week’s polls.

The big game in the Big Ten this Saturday has No. 4 Ohio State on the road as a 5.5-point favorite against No. 16 Northwestern in a possible preview of this year’s conference championship matchup. The top game in the Pac-12 has No. 15 Washington on the road facing No. 5 Stanford, with the Cardinal listed as 6.5-point home favorites.

Turning to Sunday’s top game in the NFL, the 4-0 Seattle Seahawks have been opened as 2.5-point road favorites against the 3-1 Indianapolis Colts with the total set at 43. Another key inter-conference matchup has 2-2 Houston on the road against 2-2 San Francisco. The 49ers have been opened as 7-point favorites with the total set at 42.5.