MLB Picks & Predictions: Rays vs. Guardians (Saturday)
My MLB picks ended the regular season profitably on a torrid 15-5 stretch over the final seven weeks, then started with a 4-0 sweep last Saturday, including my last game involving Cleveland - Game 3 of the American League Division Series (ALDS).
Yesterday’s American League Championship Series (ALCS) Game 4 between the Rays and Guardians was rained out, but the pitching matchup between Nick Martinez and Shawn Armstrong (bullpen game) remains the same. But with both bullpens rested and weather being a factor again, I’m looking at the total for this matchup.
Here are the best MLB picks & predictions for Saturday, October 17th.
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Saturday’s Best MLB Picks & Predictions
Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook | This Season: 49-35 (+11.61 units, +13.9% ROI)
Tampa Bay Rays at Cleveland Guardians
Cleveland’s pitching staff has a 1.29 ERA over the last four postseason games, while allowing a .465 opponents’ OPS and recording a 12.3 K/9 rate. Their 102 strikeouts are the most through the first eight games of a single postseason, and that should help their chances of winning their 11th home playoff game in the last 15 tries.
But Nick Martinez on the other side is a formidable opponent. He is 2-0 and allowed zero runs to the Guardians this season. In those 13 innings, he has also kept traffic off the basepaths with a 0.62 WHIP.
Tampa Bay is batting just .181 in its last 10 postseason games and averaging two runs per game. That doesn’t project to improve without getting two of its best bats going, as Junior Caminero and Jonathan Aranda are a combined 2-for-21 with 10 strikeouts in the ALCS.
After yesterday’s day full of rain, Cleveland is expected to be cold and damp again, which should minimize power and keep the ball in the park. I’m backing the under once again after neither of the last two games finished with more than five runs.
Pick: Under 6.5 Runs (-112)
Mike Spector is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @MikeSpector01.