ALDS and NLDS Odds and Picks

• The MLB postseason has now hit the Divisional Round with the ALDS series starting on Tuesday and the NLDS series starting on Wednesday
• The two NLDS series favorites are priced at -280 or shorter, while the series odds in the ALDS are much closer
• The Tampa Bay Rays won eight of ten regular-season meetings with the New York Yankees and could offer value in the ALDS

Now that the Wild Card series are behind us, the Major League Baseball postseason shifts to the Division Series.

The two ALDS matchups – NY Yankees vs Tampa Bay, Houston vs Oakland – will get underway on Monday while the NLDS series – Miami vs Atlanta, San Diego vs LA Dodgers – will get going on Tuesday.

Let’s take a closer look at the odds for all four series and see what the best bets are.

ALDS and ALCS Series Odds

All odds as of October 5 at Bet365.

Athletics Should Edge Astros

The Houston Astros and Oakland Athletics will clash in the ALDS in a matchup of division rivals. There is bad blood between these teams after the Astros were busted cheating and the A’s were very vocal in their disdain for what the Astros did. On top of that, the whistleblower who broke the case open – pitcher Mike Fiers – used to pitch for Houston but now is with Oakland.

The Astros are quite lucky to even be in the playoffs as they finished their 2020 regular season campaign 29-31. In a regular year, they wouldn’t have been anywhere near the postseason but with the expanded format, they squeaked in. They did beat the Minnesota Twins in the opening round but the Twins have now lost 18 straight playoff games, so they’re not exactly an October juggernaut.

Memories last a lifetime. #ForTheH pic.twitter.com/o6awXVJqha

— Houston Astros (@astros) October 3, 2020

The A’s won the regular season series 7-3 and they should continue to dominate in the ALCS. The Astros are without a number of key parts, including ace Justin Verlander, who is out with Tommy John surgery, and slugger Yordan Alvarez. Meanwhile, Alex Bregman, Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa only combined for 16 home runs this year, so they’re not their usual selves.

The A’s are a small favorite in this series because they’re not a franchise that has had a ton of playoff success. They haven’t won a game in the American League Championship Series since 1992, so it’s been a while since they’ve made a deep run. However, this looks like one spot where they have the upper hand and should advance.

Rays Look Like A Juicy Underdog

While the two ALDS series feature relatively small lines (small favorites), the NLDS series feature two teams that are favored by either -280 or more. Overall, consider taking underdogs in the other three series as it seems a little pricey but there is one that looks particularly juicy: the Tampa Bay Rays.

Hunter Renfroe – Tampa Bay Rays (Playoffs)(1) Grand Slam. pic.twitter.com/4DedF1PPul

— MLB HR Tracker (@hr_mlb) September 30, 2020

The New York Yankees got their bats going in the Wild Card round and many are again excited about their prospects. However, this was a team that underachieved this season as they were favored for the 2020 World Series odds but they didn’t even win their division. They lost six of their final eight games before sweeping the Cleveland Indians in the Wild Card round.

The Tampa Bay Rays won the American League East by seven games but are a dog in this series. They actually owned the Yankees in the regular season, winning eight of the 10 meetings. Neither team is at home here (neutral site) but the Yankees were just 11-18 on the road while the Rays were 20-11. Tampa Bay seems like they’re worth a flier.