Top 3 MLB Betting Plays for Sunday, September 27th
The last day of the MLB regular season is here, and let me start by saying how fortunate we are to be at this point considering how dicey the chances of finishing the season looked early on. The final Sunday of the regular season is always a unique day, as almost every game begins at the exact same time. This is done to not give any teams fighting for playoff spots an unfair advantage of knowing the results of other teams’ games that they are competing with.
There will still be plenty of scoreboard watching in the National League, as two playoff spots remain unclaimed. Most casual fans will be tuned into the Brewers-Cardinals matchup which has “win and in†implications. However, with the majority of games on the slate not having any postseason implications it is wise to use a smaller card. Especially without seeing any lineups, there are too many variables as far as what teams are resting players so as to remain fresh for the postseason.
Here are my MLB top betting plays for Sunday. (Odds courtesy DraftKings Sportsbook):
YTD: 84-83-1 (+7.85 units)
Check out our daily MLB consensus game odds here >>
New York Yankees -1.5 runs (+105)
In yesterday’s column, we tipped the fact that the Yankees were destined to play with a sense of urgency after having lost five of six games. They were in desperate need of some positive momentum heading into the playoffs and were in danger of letting their playoff seeding tumble. Entering today, the Yankees still have plenty to play for as the third-place Blue Jays trail them by just one game in the standings. The Yankees would clinch the No. 5 seed in the playoffs with a win. However, a loss and a Blue Jays win would send them all the way down to the No. 8 seed and the prospect of facing the league-best Rays and their dominant starting pitching in a short series. In addition, some would argue it would behoove the Marlins to lose today and remain in the No. 6 seed because they would face the Cubs instead of the scary Padres. Any way you slice it, the Yankees should be a more focused and determined bunch in search of a big win.
Baltimore Orioles ML (+106)
This is the second day in a row we have selected the Orioles to beat the Blue Jays outright. While the odds moved massively in Toronto’s direction after making the bet yesterday, this line appears tantalizingly low for a reason. As laid out in the summary of the Yankees pick, the Blue Jays have plenty to play for today as a win and a Yankees loss would vault them from the No. 8 seed to the No. 5 seed. It is fair to wonder then, why aren’t their odds much higher? Part of the reason they are low could be that there may be some out-of-town scoreboard watching involved. If the Yankees were to get up big early on the Marlins, Toronto’s game is rendered meaningless. In addition, starting pitcher Tanner Roark (2-3, 7.01 ERA) has allowed four or more earned runs in four of his last five starts. That alone is enough to bite on the Orioles even at lower than expected odds.
Boston Red Sox ML (+117)
The Atlanta Braves have nothing to play for as they are locked into the NL’s No. 2 seed. It showed yesterday as it looked like they were going through the motions in an 8-2 loss to the Red Sox. However, aside from Austin Riley who has been sitting out with a quadriceps injury, the Braves played almost all of their regular starters yesterday. I would expect this to be the day where more of their starters get a day off so that they are fully rested for their first playoff action on Wednesday. Oddsmakers seem to expect the same, as Atlanta’s odds are much lower than they would be under normal circumstances. Red Sox starter Nick Pivetta (1-0, 1.80 ERA) also looked good in his Red Sox debut, and his 2-1 record with a 4.10 ERA in seven career starts against the Braves is respectable.
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Mike Spector is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @MikeSpector01.