After 162 regular-season games, the MLB postseason is finally here!
It’s been a long season, but the 12-team playoff bracket is finally set, and the MLB Wild Card round is set to get underway on Tuesday with a busy four-game slate. Baseball bettors need to know that the higher-seeded teams in the opening round of the playoffs will host every game in these best-of-three series.
And remember, you can find all of the best MLB betting sites and World Series odds right here at Canada Sports Betting.
Let’s take a look at the series odds for the Wild Card round and preview what’s to come.
Detroit Tigers vs. Cleveland Guardians
Schedule:
Tigers vs. Guardians Game 1, Tuesday, Sept. 30 – 1:08 p.m. ET
Tigers vs. Guardians Game 2, Wednesday, Oct. 1 – 1:08 p.m. ET
Tigers vs. Guardians Game 3, Thursday, Oct. 2 – 1:08 p.m. ET
Series odds (courtesy of bet365): Tigers -110, Guardians -110
The Guardians snatched the American League Central Division title away from the Tigers on the final day of the regular season, earning them home advantage in this short series. These two teams met six times in the last 12 games of the regular season, with Cleveland claiming an 8-5 advantage in the overall season series. Cleveland overcame a massive 15 1/2-game deficit in the AL Central to claim the division crown and certainly has the mental edge and momentum on its side heading into this series, which most online sportsbooks have at or close to a pick’em. However, the Tigers have one of the best starting pitchers in baseball, Tarik Skubal, lined up to start Game 1. He was dominant against the Guardians in the regular season, holding them to just two earned runs over 28 innings (0.64 ERA), while recording a whopping 40 strikeouts. If the Tigers can rally behind Skubal in the series opener, they certainly have a chance to put a disappointing end to the regular season behind them.
Prediction: Guardians in three games.
Guardians to win series vs. Tigers
Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees
Schedule:
Red Sox vs. Yankees Game 1, Tuesday, Sept. 30 – 6:08 p.m. ET
Red Sox vs. Yankees Game 2, Wednesday, Oct. 1 – 6:08 p.m. ET
Red Sox vs. Yankees Game 3, Thursday, Oct. 2 – 6:08 p.m. ET
Series odds: Yankees -170, Red Sox +145
What a treat for bettors in the opening round of the postseason to see the sport’s greatest rivalry renewed between these two longtime AL East foes. Boston took nine of the 13 meetings between these two teams during the regular season, but super rookie Roman Anthony won’t be available for this playoff series as he continues to recover from an oblique strain. His absence will surely hurt Boston’s unpredictable offence, which has been extremely hot or cold all season long. Max Fried and Garrett Crochet are lined up to square off on the mound in Game 1, setting the stage for an incredible opening contest of this series. Crochet went 3-0 with a 3.29 ERA in four starts against the Bronx Bombers this season, with Boston coming away victorious in all of his starts. The value is with the underdog in this series.
Prediction: Red Sox in three games.
San Diego Padres vs. Chicago Cubs
Schedule:
Padres vs. Cubs Game 1, Tuesday, Sept. 30 – 3:08 p.m. ET
Padres vs. Cubs Game 2, Wednesday, Oct. 1, 3:08 p.m. ET
Padres vs. Cubs Game 3, Thursday, Oct. 2, 3:08 p.m. ET
Series odds: Cubs -125, Padres +105
This is another pretty even matchup that should go the distance. They split their season series at 3-3, with the home team winning each three-game series. San Diego has clear head-to-head edges in the pitching department heading into this series, with Michael King, Nick Pivetta, and Dylan Cease lined up to start. The one-two punch of Robert Suarez and Mason Miller at the back of San Diego’s bullpen is also daunting for the Cubs, who surely won’t want to be trailing late in games. The health of slugger Kyle Tucker, who missed three weeks in September due to a calf injury before returning for the final weekend of the regular season, is also troubling for the Cubs. Bettors should know the Padres are unbeaten in three Wild Card series all-time.
Prediction: Padres in three games.
Padres to win series vs. Cubs
Cincinnati Reds vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
Schedule:
Reds vs. Dodgers Game 1, Tuesday, Sept. 30 – 9:08 p.m. ET
Reds vs. Dodgers Game 2, Wednesday, Oct. 1 – 9:08 p.m. ET
Reds vs. Dodgers Game 3, Thursday, Oct. 2 – 9:08 p.m. ET
Series odds: Dodgers -275, Reds +225
The Dodgers enter this series with home advantage and as the World Series favourites, but they’ll be in tough against a scrappy Cincinnati Reds team that edged its way into the playoffs on the final day of the season. Reds manager Terry Francona, who managed two Red Sox teams to World Series glory in 2004 and 2007, has taken his young Reds squad to the next level this season, and they present a difficult matchup for the Dodgers in a short series. Both sides have strong starting pitching, and the Reds have a much better bullpen than the Dodgers, but will Cincinnati’s mediocre offence be able to put up enough runs on the board to steal a series? Probably not, but I think the Reds give them a scare and push this series to three games.
Prediction: Dodgers in three games.