The 2026 Major League Baseball (MLB) divisional series continue today. We’re focusing on the two evening battles. At 8:00 p.m. ET on TBS and truTV, the Tampa Bay Rays look to eliminate the New York Yankees in Game 3. And, at 10:00 p.m. ET on FS1, the Milwaukee Brewers meet the San Diego Padres for Game 4, looking to punch their ticket to the National League Championship Series (NLCS). Let’s build our bankroll with our best MLB picks & predictions for Wednesday, October 7th.
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Wednesday’s Best MLB Picks & Predictions
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook | All bets are for 1 unit
Tampa Bay Rays (+122) at New York Yankees (-144) | O/U 7.5 (-110/-110)
The Rays won both games in St. Petersburg, showing why they’re the champions of the American League East. Tampa Bay scratched out a 1-0 victory behind righty Drew Rasmussen, and in Game 2 it held the Yankees down in a 5-2 victory, as righty Cam Schlittler was unable to help New York level the series before shifting back to the Bronx.
In Game 2, the Yankees were held to just four hits, with designated hitter Ben Rice swatting a pair of solo homers out of the leadoff spot. He finished 2-for-3 with a walk, but it seems he was the only player to bring his hitting shoes. The Yanks have really missed the injured Aaron Judge. For the Rays, Junior Caminero finished 2-for-4 with a run scored, while Jonathan Aranda stayed hot with two singles in five at-bats and also scored a run. Richie Palacios ended up with his first two postseason RBI.
In the past 10 meetings since July 6th, including the first two games of this series, these teams have split 5-5. The Yankees won three out of four games from the Rays between September 22nd and September 24th, with the over cashing in the final three games of that series, so hope is still alive for the Bronx Bombers.
Tampa Bay turns to righty Nick Martinez (15-6, 3.10 ERA, 1.09 WHIP). He is 0-1 with a 3.18 ERA and 0.79 WHIP in eight career postseason appearances, but this marks his first-ever playoff start.
New York will use lefty Max Fried (5-5, 2.80 ERA, 0.99 WHIP) for Game 3. He picked up a win in the Boston series, striking out six batters and allowing one run in six frames. In his career, though, he is 3-6 with a 5.03 ERA and a 1.47 WHIP across 15 postseason starts and eight playoff relief appearances, which is extremely alarming. Tampa Bay was 31-17 versus lefties during the regular season.
Let’s side with the Rays, as they’re fundamentally playing better baseball and the pitching matchup is in their favor. And we’ll go low on the total for Game 3.
Picks: Rays Moneyline (+142) & Under 7.5 Runs (-130)
Milwaukee Brewers (+120) at San Diego Padres (-142) | O/U 6.5 (-122/+100)
In Game 4 at Petco Park, the Brewers and Padres will battle at 10:00 p.m. ET. This has been a highly entertaining series, with all three games going to the home team and all three decided by a single run.
Padres second baseman Jake Cronenworth came up with a solo homer in the fifth inning from the ninth spot in the order, finally coming alive after a tough start to his postseason. Manny Machado also drove in a run, as San Diego kept its season alive despite the heroics of William Contreras, who was 3-for-4 with a homer, two runs scored and a walk. He did all he could to nail the coffin shut for the Padres, but they persevered despite being outhit 11-6.
Brewers Lefty Robert Gasser is expected to make his first-ever postseason start, and just his third-ever playoff appearance. Meanwhile, the Padres turn to righty Walker Buehler, who has managed a 4-4 record, 3.04 ERA and one save with a 1.15 WHIP in 94.2 career innings. He has 18 career postseason starts and one relief appearance, all with the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2018-2024.
This game is pretty simple. Buehler has a ton of playoff experience, and Gasser does not, and he isn’t likely to go very deep into the game. It should be another close game. We’ll also go low on the total, in what should be another fun game in San Diego.
Picks: Padres Moneyline (-110) & Under 7.5 Runs (-112)
Joe Williams is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Joe, check out his archive and follow him @winwithjoe