MLB Playoffs Betting Odds Preview
The MLB playoffs begin Friday with 12 teams in the postseason for the first time.
The new playoff format means eight teams will face off in the wild-card round, while the top four division winners receive a bye into the divisional round. The wild-card round is a best-of-three, with all three games hosted by the team with the better record.
Not surprisingly, the four teams that have received first-round byes are the favorites on the World Series odds at Bovada Sportsbook. That starts with the Los Angeles Dodgers at +300, and they’re followed by the Houston Astros at +425, the Atlanta Braves at +500 and the New York Yankees at +525.
In the American League, the two wild-card matchups are the Seattle Mariners at the Toronto Blue Jays and the Tampa Bay Rays at the Cleveland Guardians.
Mariners, Blue Jays meeting in playoffs for first time
The Mariners and Blue Jays joined the AL at the same time back in 1977 and this is the first time they have met up in the playoffs. With the series being played in Toronto, the Blue Jays are -170 favorites while the Mariners are +140 underdogs. In the series opener, the Jays are the -150 favorite with Alek Manoah set to start. Seattle counters with trade deadline pickup Luis Castillo.
Seattle led the season series against Toronto with a 5-2 record, which includes winning the last five games. Some solace for the Blue Jays is that they were 2-1 at home against Seattle, the exact result they need to win this series.
Guardians favored over Tampa Bay in other AL series
In the other AL series, the Guardians are -130 favorites and the Rays even-money underdogs. Cleveland was 4-2 vs the Rays this season, which included a 2-1 record at home. In Game 1 of the series, the Guardians are -130 favorites with Shane Bieber getting the start. The Rays will send Shane McClanahan to the hill as a +110 underdog.
Over in the NL, the wild-card matchups are the Philadelphia Phillies at the St. Louis Cardinals and the San Diego Padres at the New York Mets.
UNDER could be solid wager in Phillies-Cards games
The NL Central-winning Cardinals are -150 favorites while the Phillies are +120 underdogs. The Phillies won the season series 4-3, which included going 2-2 in St. Louis. One interesting nugget for bettors is that six of the seven games between the Phillies and Cardinals this season went UNDER the posted total.
With the Cardinals having not yet announced a Game 1 starter, there were no odds listed for the series opener. The Phillies have announced that they’ll go with Zack Wheeler. In 14 innings against St. Louis this season, Wheeler did not allow a run.
Scherzer, Darvish get first assignment in Mets-Padres
The Mets won 101 games this season but it was one less than they needed to take the NL East, so they’ll face the Padres in the wild-card round as -190 favorites. The Padres, who are +155 underdogs, won the season series against the Mets 4-2 and went 2-1 in New York.
In Game 1, the Mets are -145 favorites with Max Scherzer getting the start. In his career against San Diego, Scherzer is 6-3 with a 2.88 ERA in 17 starts. The Padres will counter with Yu Darvish as +120 underdogs. Darvish is 5-0 with a 2.56 ERA in eight career starts against the Mets.