What to bet on Thursday: More playoff baseball (updated)
Thursday’s slate doesn’t match Wednesday’s eight-game baseball playoff frenzy, but five teams are facing elimination in the four games.
And the NFL has managed to match perhaps the worst two teams in the league.
Here’s the betting menu for Thursday (odds at the Westgate, updated at 11 a.m.):
NFL
Denver (-105 ML) at New York Jets (-1, total 41, -115 ML), 5:20 p.m. (NFL Network)
Somebody’s 0 must go when these two 0-3 teams meet in New York (though Philadelphia and Cincinnati, which tied last week, might beg to differ). The line has flipped from the opener of Broncos -2½ with Denver going to its third starting quarterback of the season, former Boise State signal-caller Brett Rypien. He relieved an ineffective Jeff Driskel in Sunday’s 28-10 home loss to Tampa Bay. Driskel had been playing in place of injured starter Drew Lock. The Jets have lost all of their games by double digits, including 36-7 Sunday at Indianapolis.
Line movement: New York down from -1½.
MLB
(Pitchers subject to change)
(Note: xFIP is an advanced stat that is a more accurate measure of a pitcher’s performance than ERA.)
Wild Card Series
American League
Chicago White Sox (-106, 9 under -115) at Oakland (-104), Game 3, noon (ESPN)
Probable pitchers: Chicago’s Dane Dunning (RHP, 2-0, 3.97 ERA, 4.16 xFIP) vs. Oakland’s Mike Fiers (RHP, 6-3, 4.58 ERA, 5.73 xFIP)
Notes: The host Athletics (-135) forced a decisive Game 3 with a 5-3 victory Wednesday. The game went just over 7½ when the White Sox scored on a bases-loaded walk with two outs in the ninth inning. The A’s scored two in the first and led 5-0 after four innings, and starter Chris Bassitt pitched seven solid innings, allowing one run on six hits with five strikeouts and one walk. Dunning is making his postseason debut. Fiers allowed one run in one inning in his only playoff appearance, for the Astros in 2015.
National League
Cincinnati (+134) at Atlanta (-144, 7½ under -115), Game 2, 9 a.m. (ESPN)
Probable pitchers: Cincinnati’s Luis Castillo (RHP, 4-6, 3.21 ERA, 2.82 xFIP) vs. Atlanta’s Ian Anderson (RHP, 3-2, 1.95 ERA, 3.45 xFIP)
Notes: The host Braves (-135) outlasted the Reds 1-0 in 13 innings to take a 1-0 lead in the series. Of course, the game stayed easily under 7½. Freddie Freeman had the game-winning single for Atlanta. Cincinnati outhit the Braves 11-6 and left runners on third base in the 11th, 12th and 13th. The Reds’ Trevor Bauer and the Braves’ Max Fried each pitched at least seven strong innings, but both teams were forced to go deep into their bullpens. Castillo and Anderson will each be making their first postseason appearances after solid seasons. The rookie Anderson will be making his seventh major league start overall.
Update: The line closed Braves -144/Reds +134, total 7½ under -115 at the Westgate after being Braves -133/Reds +123, 7½ over -115 overnight.
POSTPONED: Miami (+164) at Chicago Cubs (-178, no total posted), Game 2, 11 a.m. (KTNV-13)
Probable pitchers: Miami’s Sixto Sanchez (RHP, 3-2, 3.46 ERA, 4.08 xFIP) vs. Chicago’s Yu Darvish (RHP, 8-3, 2.01 ERA, 2.82 xFIP)
Notes: The Marlins (+150) surprised the host Cubs 5-1 in Game 1 of the series. The game stayed under 8½. Miami scored all of its runs in the seventh inning on a three-run home run by Corey Dickerson and a two-run shot by Jesus Aguilar. The Cubs turn to Darvish to save their season. He has been elite this year but is only 2-4 with a 5.81 ERA (4.07 xFIP) in six playoff starts, though two of those came in the Astros’ tainted World Series victory in 2017. Marlins rookie Sanchez will be making his playoff debut and eighth career start overall.
Update: This game has been postponed because of a forecast of inclement weather. Game 2 will be played Friday with Game 3, if necessary, on Saturday.
St. Louis (+145) at San Diego (-155, 9 under -120), Game 2, 4 p.m. (ESPN)
Probable pitchers: St. Louis’ Adam Wainwright (RHP, 5-3, 3.15 ERA, 4.23 xFIP) vs. San Diego’s Zach Davies (RHP, 7-4, 2.73 ERA, 4.14 xFIP)
Notes: The Cardinals (+155) jumped on the host Padres with four runs in the first and earned a 7-4 win in Game 1 of the series. The game went over 8½. San Diego starter Chris Paddack lasted only 2⅓ innings, giving up six runs on eight hits. The Padres have been hit by pitching injuries at the wrong time with starters Mike Clevinger and Dinelson Lamet unavailable for this series. Davies pitched one scoreless inning in his only postseason appearance, with Milwaukee in 2018. He faces the veteran Wainwright, who is 4-5 with four saves in 27 postseason appearances (14 starts) with a 2.81 ERA (2.65 xFIP).
Line movement: San Diego down from -160. Total up from 8½ over -120.
Milwaukee (+210) at Los Angeles Dodgers (-240, 7½ under -120), Game 2, 7 p.m. (ESPN)
Probable pitchers: Milwaukee’s Brandon Woodruff (RHP, 3-5, 3.05 ERA, 3.29 xFIP) vs. Los Angeles’ Clayton Kershaw (LHP, 6-2, 2.16 ERA, 3.05 xFIP)
Notes: The host Dodgers (-260) eased past Milwaukee in Game 1 of the series. The game stayed under 8. Los Angeles took a 2-0 lead in the first inning and led 3-0 after two. The Brewers cut the lead to 3-2, but Corey Seager provided the insurance run with a homer in the seventh, also covering the -1½ run line (-130). The Brewers played a bullpen game in Game 1, but they will turn to their best starter in Woodruff to stay alive. He is 1-1 with a 1.65 ERA (2.31 xFIP) in five postseason appearances (two starts). The Dodgers counter with ace Kershaw, whose playoff struggles are well-known. He is 9-11 with a 4.43 ERA (3.49 xFIP) in 32 playoff appearances (25 starts).
What happened Wednesday
NBA
— The Los Angeles Lakers (-4½) easily covered in a dominant 116-98 victory over Miami in Game 1 of the NBA Finals at Lake Buena Vista, Florida. The game stayed under 217½. The Lakers led by 17 at halftime and by 26 after three quarters before cruising to the win. Anthony Davis had 34 points, nine rebounds, five assists and three blocks, and LeBron James just missed a triple-double with 25 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists. The Lakers shot 39.5 percent on 3-pointers (15 of 38) and 92.6 percent on free throws (25 of 27). Is the series already over? Miami’s most pressing problem is a foot injury to Goran Dragic that could knock him out of the series. Center Bam Adebayo also aggravated a shoulder injury. Circa Sports opened at Lakers -7 for Game 2, and the line already moved to -7½ overnight. Circa’s updated series price is Lakers -1,000 (Heat +695).
MLB
Favorites went 5-3, and totals split 4-4. Notes on the five ongoing series are listed above. Here are notes on the three series that ended Wednesday:
— Houston (+145) extended host Minnesota’s postseason misery with a 3-1 victory to sweep the series. The game stayed under 8½. The Twins lost their record 18th straight postseason game. Carlos Correa broke a 1-1 tie with a solo homer in the seventh. The Astros will next face the winner of the White Sox and Athletics.
— Host Tampa Bay (-140) cruised to an 8-2 victory over Toronto to sweep the series. The game went over 7. The Rays pounded Blue Jays starter Hyun-Jin Ryu for seven runs in 1⅔ innings, though only three were earned. An error by shortstop Bo Bichette extended the second inning, and the next batter, Hunter Renfroe, hit a grand slam. Tyler Glasnow allowed two runs on six hits in six innings with eight strikeouts and a walk for Tampa Bay. The top-seeded Rays next face the New York Yankees.
— The New York Yankees (-130) outlasted host Cleveland 10-9 to sweep the series. The game went way over 8½. Trailing 9-8 in the ninth, the Yankees tied the game on Gary Sanchez’s sacrifice fly, then won by DJ LeMahieu’s single. The game swung back and forth. The Indians led 4-0 after the first, then New York took a 5-4 lead in the fourth on Gio Urshela’s grand slam. After the Indians tied the game at six in the fifth, New York took an 8-6 lead in the sixth. Cleveland tied the game in the seventh and took the lead in the eighth before the Yankees’ final heroics. New York next faces Tampa Bay.
Contact Jim Barnes at jbarnes@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0277. Follow @JimBarnesLV on Twitter.
