Top 3 MLB Betting Picks for Tuesday, September 22nd
There comes a time in every sports bettor’s career that when things are going poorly, they wonder if pulling a George Costanza and “doing the opposite†would serve them better. That thought has crossed my mind as we are now on our third straight losing week. There is no doubt that oddsmakers in any sport learn and adapt quickly so as to stay one step ahead of bettors as the season goes on. However, it is important to remember to stick to your thought process that built yourself a positive bankroll to begin with. Many baseball bettors would love to be up close to nine units at this point in the season. We just have to make the adjustments that oddsmakers seemed to have made long before us.
Here are my MLB top betting plays for Tuesday. (Odds courtesy DraftKings Sportsbook):
YTD: 81-78-1 (+8.85 units)
Check out our daily MLB consensus game odds here >>
Chicago White Sox ML (+155)
This was supposed to be a game started by Shane Bieber, but the Indians decided to push his regularly scheduled start back to Wednesday so that he is in line to pitch the first game of the playoffs. As of yet, it does not seem like oddsmakers have adjusted as the Indians are still -200 on the moneyline with reliever Cal Quantrill opening. For this bet to stand, make sure you select the “action†option instead of “listed pitchers†just in case Cleveland changes their pitching plans last minute and you lose all the value you are getting with this line.
New York Yankees -2.5 runs (+100)
The Toronto Blue Jays seemed energized and focused for this series opener after getting embarrassed in a three-game sweep at Yankee Stadium last week. After an 11-5 win coupled by a Tampa Bay win yesterday, the AL East race seems all but over. Hopefully, with betting on the Yankees there is belief they still have the motivation to play for playoff seeding, as right now they would be slated to play all their Wild Card round games in Minnesota. Gerrit Cole threw seven innings of one-run and three-hit baseball in his last start against the Blue Jays. He appears in late-season form as he has allowed just two earned runs over his last 20 innings while striking out 27 batters. We could get carried away and opt for more value by laying more runs with the alternate line, but even-money odds with laying -2.5 runs will suffice.
Tampa Bay Rays ML (-129)
The Tampa Bay Rays would clinch the AL East with a win (or a Yankees loss) on Tuesday, and you have to believe they will be motivated to take care of business themselves. Tampa Bay has not won the division in 10 years, so a spirited celebration will be in order. Last night, the Rays handed Jacob deGrom his second loss all year. The loss left the Mets with just a 3.6% chance to make the playoffs, and you have to believe the air has gone out of their sails after losing with their ace on the mound. -129 odds seem like a bargain with Blake Snell (4-1, 3.05 ERA) on the mound against an unmotivated team in New York. The Rays have won three of Snell’s last four starts, and he has allowed more than two runs just once in his last five starts.
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Mike Spector is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @MikeSpector01.