Sale and Schlittler headline Tuesday’s playoff slate, while Houston and San Diego offer intriguing home-field betting value
Yesterday was the final curtain for MLB’s regular season, as we move into the fall playoff season, in what might be the final patch of baseball we see for a while if all the lockout chatter is to be believed.
So, enjoy it. The best-of-three wild card series get going tomorrow night.
The Chicago White Sox and the Houston Astros, then the Boston Red Sox versus the New York Yankees, get going on the American League side. The Cleveland Guardians and the Tampa Bay Rays await for the winners.
On the National League side, the Philadelphia Phillies play the Atlanta Braves, and the Chicago Cubs take on the San Diego Padres. The L.A. Dodgers and the Milwaukee Brewers await the winners in the National League.
An important caveat: as we look at Betway odds this morning, not every team has announced their starting pitchers.
Philadelphia Phillies vs Atlanta Braves, tomorrow, 2 p.m. EST
Game 1 of the three-game series is tomorrow at Truist Park in Atlanta.
In MLB betting at Betway, the Braves are -190 moneyline favourites, with the Phillies at +160. Atlanta is also a 1.5-run favourite (+110), while Philadelphia is +1.5 (-140). The total is set at 6.5, with the Over at -125 and the Under at +105.
As of this writing, the Braves have confirmed Chris Sale (14-9, 2.16 ERA, 200 Ks, 0.98 WHIP) as their starting pitcher, while the Phillies are going with Jesus Luzardo (14-5, 2.86 ERA, 221 SOs, 1.07 WHIP). Zack Wheeler went six innings yesterday to help the Phillies clinch their playoff spot. Cristopher Sanchez would not be on full rest until Wednesday.
Phillies’ second baseman Luis Arraez sprained his left ankle Thursday and appears unlikely to play the field. Luzardo returned Sunday from left-shoulder inflammation and pitched one inning. Reliever Jonathan Bowlan has a calf strain and is day-to-day.
Atlanta outfielder Lane Thomas has an intercostal strain and is expected to miss the series. SP Bryce Elder (15-Day IL) RP Reynaldo Lopez (15-Day IL), and SP Martin Perez (15-Day IL) are out.
My Best Bet: Braves -1.5 (+110), since I would rather take a two-run win with Sale on the mound in their home park than lay -190. Phillies’ pitching is scrambled going in. The Braves bullpen is right there with the Padres and the Brewers in terms of excellence. And Ronald Acuna is due for a great playoff run.
Chicago White Sox vs Houston Astros, tomorrow, 5 p.m. EST
Game 1 of the three-game series is tomorrow at Daikin Park in Houston.
In MLB betting at Betway, the Astros are -135 moneyline favourites, with the White Sox at +115. Houston is also a 1.5-run favourite (+140), while Chicago is +1.5 (-190). The total is set at 8.5, with the Over at +105 and the Under at -125.
The Astros, at 81-81, are arguably the weakest team to make it in, since they rely on one player: slugger Yordan Alvarez (.316, 42 HRs, 106 RBIs). After Hunter Brown, there isn’t much to talk about with their rotation.
The White Sox (84-78)? An amazing, outhouse-to-penthouse story, a team that had 121 losses just two seasons ago. Chicago can mash the ball, led by Munetaka Murakami (35 HRs) and Colson Montgomery (31 HRs). Starting pitching is suspect.
Chicago’s injuries include 2B Chase Meidroth (day-to-day), C Jake Rogers (paternity), C Joey Bart (10-Day IL). Houston is looking at RP Steven Okert (15-day IL), CF Daulton Varsho (10-day IL), CF Brice Matthews (10-day IL), and RP Enyel De Los Santos (15-day IL).
Neither team has named their starters yet, but projections point to David Sandlin (3-2, 5.58 ERA, 40 SOs, 1.21 WHIP) versus Peter Lambert (8-10, 3.82, 154 SOs, 1.25 WHIP).
My Best Bet: Astros ML, since I don’t need Houston to cover anything, they’re on home field, and they dominated the head-to-head matchup this season (5-2).
New York Yankees vs Boston Red Sox, tomorrow, 8 p.m. EST
Game 1 of the three-game series is tomorrow at Yankee Stadium in New York.
In MLB betting at Betway, the Yankees are -135 moneyline favourites, with the Red Sox at +115. New York is also a 1.5-run favourite (+150), while Boston is +1.5 (-200). The total is set at 6.5, with the Over at +105 and the Under at -115.
I know there’s been a lot of positivity and hope in Boston, and it’s well deserved. Other than September, when Boston was among the worst run-scoring offences in MLB (going 12-12), they’ve been the American League’s hottest teams since June. Top bullpen ERA, a starting staff led by studs Sonny Gray and Payton Tolle, and a staff that has given up the fewest HRs in the AL.
The Yankees can kill you with that elite starting staff, anchored by the likely Cy Young Award winner in Cam Schlittler. The Yankees slugged the most home runs this year, and they did that with Aaron Judge missing half the season. Plus, I believe the Yankees still have a sour taste in their mouths after falling to the Blue Jays in last year’s ALDS, with the Jays’ Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s “The … Yankees lose” interview on Fox with David Ortiz. That has to be a motivating factor.
The Yankees are going with Schlittler (14-6, 1.95 ERA, 239 SOs, 0.92 WHIP) against Payton Tolle (9-6, 3.03 ERA, 171 SOs, 1.10 WHIP).
On the injury front, other than Judge, on the 10-Day IL, but taking live batting practice today, the Yankees are without RP Fernando Cruz (elbow), on the 60-Day IL, CF Trent Grisham (hamstring) on the 10-Day IL, SP Ryan Weathers (forearm) on the 15-Day IL, with Giancarlo Stanton (calf) taking live batting practice with the possibility of being available for the series, Newsday reports.
On the Boston injury front, SP Garrett Crochet (lat) is on the 60-Day IL, CF Eli White (foot) is on the 60-Day IL, RP Tyron Guerrero (shoulder strain) is on the 15-Day IL, DH Mickey Gasper (right biceps strain) is on the 10-Day IL, and 3B Curtis Mead (wrist) is on the 10-Day IL.
My Best Bet: Yankees ML (-150), since Judge’s absence keeps me away from -1.5, and Schlittler’s numbers against Boston are exceptional – 2-1, 074 ERA against the Red Sox in four starts in 2026. Boston hit just .174 against him.
San Diego Padres vs Chicago Cubs, tomorrow, 10 p.m. EST
Game 1 of the three-game series is tomorrow at Petco Park, in San Diego.
In MLB betting at Betway, the Padres are -125 moneyline favourites, with the Cubs at +105. The total is set at 7.5, with the Over at +110 and the Under at -130.
Michael King (12-10, 3.21 ERA, 159 SOs, 1.18 WHIP) is scheduled to start for the Padres, with the Cubs yet to name a starter.
On the injury front, for the Padres, SP Casey Mize is on the 15-Day IL, SP Joe Musgrove (elbow) is on the 60-Day IL, while DH Miguel Andujar (wrist) is on the 10-Day IL.
For the Cubs, SP Edward Cabrera is on the family medical emergency list, SP Justin Steele (elbow) is on the 60-Day IL, and SP Kevin Gausman is day-to-day after talking about shoulder soreness. We’re going to monitor that. Alex Bregman only recently returned after sustaining multiple fractures around his left cheek when struck by a foul ball.
Chicago went 5-1 against the Padres this season, including two of three at Petco and a three-game sweep at Wrigley. The last meeting was an extraordinary 23-3 Cubs win.
My Best Bet: Tough to take the Cubs without knowing who is starting for them. So I’ll stick with my original lean – Padres ML -125, the cheapest favourite on tomorrow’s board.
The Padres, for my money, are the scariest team in the bunch – elite stars led by Fernando Tatis Jr., and a deep, nasty bullpen led by All-Star Mason Miller.
