NLCS Game 1: New York Mets at LA Dodgers odds, picks and predictions

Analyzing Sunday’s New York Mets at LA Dodgers odds and lines, with MLB expert picks, predictions and best bets.

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The New York Mets and LA Dodgers open up the National League Championship Series Sunday. First pitch from Dodger Stadium is slated for 8:15 p.m. ET (FOX). Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s MLB odds around the Mets vs. Dodgers odds and make our expert MLB picks and predictions for the best bets.

Series: 0-0 | Regular-season series: Dodgers won 4-2

The Mets stunned the Philadelphia Phillies 3-1 in their NLDS matchup. SS Francisco Lindor reestablished himself as a superstar this season, and he crowned that jewel with a go-ahead grand slam in the 6th inning of Game 4 to lift the Mets in a series they were dogs in.

The Dodgers came back from a 2-1 deficit to dispatch the San Diego Padres in 5 games. Yes, they have the best team money can buy, but give them credit. They won the final 2 games by a combined score of 10-0 with an injury-ridden pitching staff. OF Teoscar Hernandez was 6-for-18 (.333) with 2 homers and 7 RBIs in the series.

Mets at Dodgers projected starters

RHP Kodai Senga vs. RHP Jack Flaherty

Senga (1-0, 3.38 ERA) made 1 start in the regular season. He had a 0.56 WHIP, 1.7 BB/9 and 15.2 K/9 across 5 1/3 innings.

  • Last start: No-decision, 2 IP, 1 ER, 1 H, 1 BB, 3 K in 6-2 win at Phillies Oct. 5 in Game 1 of NLDS
  • 1 career start vs. Dodgers: No-decision, 6 IP, 1 ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 9 K in 5-1 home loss July 15, 2023

Flaherty (13-7, 3.17 ERA) made 28 starts in the regular season with the Detroit Tigers and Dodgers. He had a 1.07 WHIP, 2.1 BB/9 and 10.8 K/9 in 162 innings.

  • Last start: Loss, 5 1/3 IP, 4 ER, 5 H, 1 BB, 2 K in 10-2 home loss vs. Padres Oct. 6 in Game 2 of NLDS
  • 1 career start vs. Mets: No-decision, 5 1/3 IP, 4 ER, 6 H, 2 BB, 8 K in 5-4 road win in 10 innings June 13, 2019, with St. Louis Cardinals

Mets at Dodgers odds

Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list of MLB odds. Lines last updated Saturday at 2:13 p.m. ET.

  • Moneyline: Mets +135 (bet $100 to win $135) | Dodgers -160 (bet $160 to win $100)
  • Run line (RL)/Against the spread (ATS): Mets +1.5 (-165) | Dodgers -1.5 (+140)
  • Over/Under (O/U): 8 (O: -120 | U: +100)

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Mets at Dodgers picks and predictions

Prediction

Mets 6, Dodgers 5

Moneyline

The Mets took 2 of 3 in LA early in the year, but the Dodgers won the last 4 meetings by a combined 28-5. The Dodgers could go with Flaherty or RHP Walker Buehler here, and neither of them provide much confidence. The Dodgers could absolutely win a slugfest, but for the price, I’m taking the METS +135.

The 2 games the Padres won against the Dodgers last series? Buehler allowed 6 ER, and Flaherty was dropping F bombs on the way to a 10-2 loss. Flaherty has been very pedestrian in his postseason career at 1-4 with a 4.15 ERA and 1.32 WHIP in 30 1/3 IP.

Run line/Against the spread

I’m taking FRANCISCO LINDOR OVER 1.5 H+R+RBIs (-120). He is 0-for-5 lifetime against Flaherty and 1-for-2 with a homer off Buehler. The way he’s swinging the bat, that feels like a bargain.

Over/Under

With this pitching matchup, we’re going Over. The Dodgers are 6-3-1 O/U in their last 10 and 3-1-1 in their last series. The Mets went 3-1 O/U in their division series. The wind is also slated to be blowing out at 9 mph.

Take the OVER 8 (-120).

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ALDS Game 5: Detroit Tigers at Cleveland Guardians odds, picks and predictions

Analyzing Saturday’s Detroit Tigers at Cleveland Guardians odds and lines, with MLB expert picks, predictions and best bets.

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The Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Guardians meet Saturday to wrap up their best-of-5 ALDS and determine who will move on to face the New York Yankees in the ALCS. Saturday’s 1st pitch at Progressive Field is slated for 1:08 p.m. ET  (TBS). Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s MLB odds around the Tigers vs. Guardians odds and make our expert MLB picks and predictions for the best bets.

Series: Tied 2-2 | Regular-season series: Cleveland won 7-6

Detroit took Games 2 and 3 of this series, but Cleveland forced this Game 5 with a 5-4 victory Thursday in Detroit. The Tigers are looking to avoid losing back to bac games for just the 2nd time since Sept. 5. Detroit’s late-season surge and early playoff run has included 15 wins in the club’s last 20 road games.

Cleveland is 1-3 over its last 4 home games, but that stands as more of an anomaly when viewed against the Guardian’s 50-30 regular-season mark at Progressive Field. Cleveland has slashed a mere .214/.270/.336 (.605 OPS) in this series and owns a lackluster .660 OPS since Sept. 4.

Tigers at Guardians projected starters

LHP Tarik Skubal vs. LHP Matthew Boyd

Skubal (18-4, 2.39 ERA) made 31 starts in the regular season. He authored a 0.92 WHIP, 1.6 BB/9 and 10.7 K/9 across 192 innings.

  • Last outing: No-decision, 7 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, 0 BB, 8 K in 3-0 win at Guardians Monday
  • Career vs. Guardians (regular season): 2-2, 3.46 ERA (41 2/3 IP, 16 ER), 1.20 WHIP, 9.5 K/9 K
  • Per ESPN, has held current Cleveland batters to an aggregate .564 OPS
  • Has pitched 13 scoreless innings in the 2024 postseason; dating back to Sept. 12, has allowed 2 runs over his last 31 innings

Boyd (2-2, 2.72 ERA) made 8 starts in the regular season. He logged a 1.13 WHIP, 2.9 BB/9 and 10.4 K/9 in 39 2/3 innings.

  • Last outing: No-decision, 4 2/3 IP, 0 ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 5 K in 3-0 home loss vs. Tigers Monday
  • Career vs. Tigers (regular season): 0-0, 0.00 ERA (4 IP), 0 H, 1 BB, 5 K in 2 relief outings in 2022
  • Pitched for the Tigers from 2015-23
  • Began season on IL with elbow injury before making his Cleveland debut Aug. 13

Tigers at Guardians odds

Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list of MLB odds. Lines last updated Friday at 9:15 p.m. ET.

  • Moneyline: Tigers -120 (bet $120 to win $100) | Guardians +100 (bet $100 to win $100)
  • Run line (RL)/Against the spread (ATS): Tigers -1.5 (+155) | Guardians +1.5 (-190)
  • Over/Under (O/U): 6 (O: -105 | U: -115)

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Tigers at Guardians picks and predictions

Prediction

Tigers 5, Guardians 2

Moneyline

Skubal is the talent difference in this matchup. And while Boyd-plus-Cleveland bullpen is not a bad counter, the Detroit port-sider has the stamina, stuff, and competitiveness to carry a large part of this eventual result.

The lefty-lefty matchup is a net gain for Cleveland: Detroit has a bottom-5 offense against southpaws. But the Bengals are going just slightly better with the bats. That hasn’t always popped in this ALDS that has seen them go 4-for-34 with runners in scoring position. But the Tigers are doing what they need to do to create traffic on the bases.

The margin here is razor-thin, but DETROIT (-120) is the value side of this contest.

Run line/Against the spread

More juice is added to the equation here, and the betting value is negated. PASS.

Over/Under

The run total here is ultra-low because of the particulars on the mound, including a lockdown Guardians relief corps. But there are enough hidden scoring upside factors that the Over is a lean.

Much will be made about both starting hurlers going on 4-days’ rest. Yes, their numbers take a slight hit when looking at career splits, but in Skubal’s case, he has pitched frequently on such rest in 2024 and his 2023-24 numbers on short rest show marked improvement over his earlier years.

Where a little offense comes into the equation would be in Cleveland potentially seeing Skubal a 3rd time through the order. The Guardians have exhibited a better-than-average uptick in those situations. Add in both teams hitting change-ups with decent production (both starters usually feature a lot of changes) and the Tigers having improved numbers against fly-ball pitchers (which Boyd is), and there are enough reasons to tilt this one toward the OVER 6 (-105).

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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and like us on Facebook.

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