Top MLB Best Bets for Thursday, October 8
Previous article 1-3 (-2.05 units)
Season 149-157-2 (-12.86 units)
Cash in on the best sportsbook promos available at the best MLB betting sites during the MLB playoffs. The BetMGM bonus code gets new players one of the best welcome bonuses in the industry.
Key MLB Betting Trends and Matchups Analysis
Betting playoff baseball is a completely different animal as you have the best pitching, hitting, bullpens, etc. going against each other. Rotations are no longer lined up like they were in the last round, so we are seeing larger moneylines and totals.
In the divisional round, the home field does get more balanced unlike the wild-card round. There are some days off, but with five games, the starting pitching depth does give teams an advantage more in this round.
Check out Caesars' MLB offerings this postseason using the Caesars Sportsbook promo code at signup for a generous welcome offer.
Phillies vs Dodgers Best Bets and Predictions
Wednesday night proved how difficult it is to handicap baseball playoff games. You are trying to predict how the pitching is going to go, and if you do not get it right then you will most likely lose.
I leaned heavily on Dodgers RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto and it imploded in the fourth inning, and then the Dodgers bullpen gave up a ton of runs late, which is par for the course. I did not anticipate the Phillies going to LHP Ranger Suarez in the third inning, but it won them the game.
LHP Cristopher Sanchez goes for the Phillies on Thursday, and he has faced the Dodgers three times this season. He allowed four earned runs in both regular season starts, but looked good in Game 1 in this series with 5.2 innings, two earned runs, eight strikeouts, two walks. RHP Tyler Glasnow started to pitch on a regular basis down the stretch, but I do not think he will be long for this game. If that is the case, banking on this Dodgers bullpen is something I will not do.
The total of 7.5 runs feels low to me, and I have been looking at more Overs in this round due to pitching situations changing. It has paid off for the most part, and will look to do so again Thursday night.
Best Bet
- Phillies/Dodgers Over 7.5 runs for 1 unit (-115 at BetMGM)
Brewers vs Cubs Best Bets and Predictions
The first inning of Wednesday's game went completely off the rails as Quinn Priester got in trouble early and could not get out of it. The game still just barely got to Over 6.5 with seven total runs, and the Cubs not scoring any runs after the first inning.
The starting pitching matchups in this game were in question for quite a while last night, but it is looking like Brewers RHP Freddy Peralta against Cubs LHP Matthew Boyd, which is rematch from Game 1. Both starting pitchers will be on the same rest, but Boyd got roughed up in just 0.2 inning for six runs (two earned). Peralta went 5.2 innings with nine strikeouts, three walks, and two earned runs. I was going to isolate the F5 on the Brewers here, but I think they jump all over Boyd again, and will ride the full-game number.
Once the game gets into the bullpens, the Brewers will have a decided edge in Game 4.
Best Bet(s)
- Brewers ML for 1 unit (-118 at BetRivers Sportsbook)
- Brewers Over 3.5 runs for 1 unit (-115 at DraftKings Sportsbook)
Thursday's MLB Best Bets
- Phillies/Dodgers Over 7.5 runs for 1 unit (-115 at BetMGM)
- Brewers ML for 1 unit (-118 at BetRivers Sportsbook)
- Brewers Over 3.5 runs for 1 unit (-115 at DraftKings Sportsbook)
