The NLCS kicked off last night, and it was a game to forget for the New York Mets. The Los Angeles Dodgers were in the driver’s seat from the get-go and never looked back en route to an impressive victory. The Mets will desperately work to get back on track tonight, hoping to even the series at 1-1 on their way back to New York.
The ALDS is beginning tonight, as the other New York team takes on the Cleveland Guardians in what should be a fantastic series. Both teams certainly have their strengths, so seeing how it all plays out will be interesting.
With both games taking place today, we wanted to put together our favorite Underdog props from both contests. MLB props have been going pretty well for us lately, so let’s keep that momentum going!
Shohei Ohtani is one of the best players on the planet, perhaps one of the best players in league history. His dominance is undeniable as a hitter, and the guy is one of the best pitchers in baseball when he’s on the mound.
With all that in mind, we’re fading Ohtani’s hits, runs, and RBI line today. He put up a solid performance in Game 1 yesterday, but he wasn’t facing Sean Manaea.
For whatever reason, Ohtani has struggled against Manaea in his career, going just 2/9 with one RBI, two strikeouts, and two walks. We believe Manaea is going to try to put the Mets on his back today, which should result in a pedestrian outing from the suspected NL MVP.
Carlos Rodon had an interesting outing against the Kansas City Royals in the ALDS, striking out seven batters in 3.2 innings of work. While his pitch mix lent itself to a lot of swings and misses from the Royals lineup, it also faltered at times.
The Royals knocked him out of the game with a seven-hit, four-run outing against him. It was a bit surprising to see how much the Royals struck out against him given their low K rate during the regular season, putting up similar statistics in that category to the Guardians, who Rodon faces today.
We can’t necessarily speak to or predict how long he’ll go in this outing, but we do think he’ll mow down at least six Guardians hitters to cash the over in this spot.
The Guardians have several stars on their roster who were expected to play well and carry their offense in the ALDS.
While those players had a few decent performances, it was Lane Thomas who stole the show, putting up five hits, six RBI, and one home run in the final three games of the series.
He’s on fire right now, and we certainly can’t bet against him in Game 1 of the ALCS.