One crazy day of the MLB postseason is in the books and it was ruled by starting pitching (and Yankees bats). On day two, we’ve got plenty more action on tap and some offenses that should produce just a wee bit more. With the stage set, I’ve picked out three of my favorite baseball bets to consider on DraftKings Sportsbook.
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Cincinnati Reds vs. Atlanta Braves
Under 7.5 (-117)
I want to take the Reds so badly here, but they’re just not well-equipped for this matchup. The fact is, though, I’m not sure the Braves’ offense will fare that much better. It pains me to say about an offense this good, but this is Trevor Bauer. Last we saw him, he was mowing down hitters in the biggest game of Cincinnati’s season and literally screaming at hitters after he sent them back to the bench. I feel confident in saying Bauer will hold the Braves at bay for six or seven, bringing an elite .291 wOBA in against Braves bats that have cooled off ever so slightly. Unders ruled the day on Tuesday, and a pitcher shoving like Bauer backed by a Reds lineup that has been dreadful against lefties (27th in the league) smells like a 2-0 final to me.
Chicago White Sox vs. Oakland A’s
White Sox ML (+112)
I’m pretty confident riding out the White Sox all series long. Here’s the thing: the A’s have not hit well at all since Matt Chapman went on the shelf and now they have to face a left-hander, which they hate facing. Oakland’s wRC+ against southpaws ranks 22nd at a below-average 93. To make matters worse the lefty is Dallas Keuchel, who has seen a dip in his strikeout numbers but has maintained a steady batted ball profile, inducing lots of soft contact. This A’s lineup is really struggling to make contact top to bottom right now, and they’re going to need to get some more baserunners on in a hurry to keep up with the offense on the other side. You saw how good Chicago was against lefties on Tuesday but they are equally capable against righties ranking just outside the top 10 in wRC+. Chris Bassit’s FIP (3.59) is a full run higher than his ERA (2.29) which makes him a candidate to regress this postseason, on top of the fact that almost all of his strong outings this year came against weak lineups. The White Sox get to Chris Bassit early and often here, and the A’s lineup won’t be able to muster up enough to keep pace. This might not be low scoring and I’ll take the White Sox in a slugfest any day.
New York Yankees vs. Cleveland Indians:
Yankees ML (-137)
Are you going to offer me the Yankees again at short odds? Because I’m going to be forced to take a hammer to this line once again. Masahiro Tanaka is no Gerrit Cole, but Carlos Carrasco is certainly no Shane Bieber, which wouldn’t necessarily matter given Bieber’s performance on Tuesday. The Yankees can pick apart any pitcher in the game, and a soft-tosser who relies on a fastball-change mix against two of the best fastball hitters in baseball in Aaron Judge and DJ LeMahieu, and one of the best fastball and changeup hitters in Luke Voit, I’m going to take the bats. This just does not seem like a spot where this torrid offense slows down and I’m not paying too much mind to who’s on the hill for New York. Tanaka happens to be elite in the postseason (1.76 ERA in eight starts), but even if you aren’t a believer, it shouldn’t matter with the number of runs the Yankees put up. Take this before it moves.
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