MLB Picks & Best Bets (Sep. 22): Can Cole Dominate Blue Jays for Second Time in Six Days?
- Gerrit Cole and the Yankees have had the upper hand against the Blue Jays this season, and the are favored on Tuesday, Sept. 22
- The Houston Astros have won 24 of their past 26 against the Seattle Mariners
- Check out the early odds and picks for MLB’s Tuesday slate (Sep. 22nd)
It’s not everyday that a pair of pitchers has the opportunity to matchup against each other twice in the same week. But that’s what will happen Tuesday, September 22nd, as Gerrit Cole and the New York Yankees face Tanner Roark and the Toronto Blue Jays.
The first round went to Cole and the Pinstripes, but is there an argument to take the underdog Blue Jays in the second go-round? Check out the odds below and see for yourself.
NB: The table below displays all Sep. 22nd games open for betting as of 10:00 pm ET, Sep. 21st. It may not contain all games scheduled for Sep. 22nd.
MLB Odds: Sep. 22nd
| Team (Starter) | Moneyline | Runline | Over/Under Run Total | Game Time (Eastern) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia Phillies (A. Nola) | -175 | -1.5 (+110) | Over 7.0 (+110) | 3:05 pm (Game 1) |
| Washington Nationals (A. Voth) | +161 | +1.5 (-130) | Under 7.0 (-130) | |
| Team | Moneyline | Runline | Over/Under Run Total | Game Time (Eastern) |
| Cleveland Indians (S. Bieber) | -227 | -1.5 (-115) | Over 7.5 (-115) | 6:10 pm |
| Chicago White Sox (R. Lopez) | +205 | +1.5 (-105) | Under 7.5 (-105) | |
| Team (Starter) | Moneyline | Runline | Over/Under Run Total | Game Time (Eastern) |
| New York Yankees (G. Cole) | -240 | -1.5 (-150) | Over 9.0 (-120) | 6:37 pm |
| Toronto Blue Jays (T. Roark) | +216 | +1.5 (+130) | Under 9.0 (+100) | |
| Team | Moneyline | Runline | Over/Under Run Total | Game Time (Eastern) |
| Cincinnati Reds (S. Gray) | -144 | -1.5 (+130) | Over 8.0 (-115) | 6:40 pm |
| Milwaukee Brewers (B. Anderson) | +133 | +1.5 (-150) | Under 8.0 (-10)5 | |
| Team | Moneyline | Runline | Over/Under Run Total | Game Time (Eastern) |
| New York Mets (S. Lugo) | +115 | +1.5 (-155) | Over 7.5 (+100) | 7:10 pm |
| Tampa Bay Rays (B. Snell) | -125 | -1.5 (+135) | Under 7.5 (-120) | |
| Team (Starter) | Moneyline | Runline | Over/Under Run Total | Game Time (Eastern) |
| Boston Red Sox (N. Pivetta) | -108 | -1.5 (+165) | Over 10.0 (+100) | 7:30 pm |
| Baltimore Orioles (K. Akin) | -102 | +1.5 (-190) | Under 10.0 (-120) | |
| Team | Moneyline | Runline | Over/Under Run Total | Game Time (Eastern) |
| Kansas City Royals (B. Singer) | +107 | +1.5 (-150) | Over 9.0 (-120) | 8:05 pm |
| St. Louis Cardinals (A. Gomber) | -117 | -1.5 (+130) | Under 9.0 (+100) | |
| Team (Starter) | Moneyline | Runline | Over/Under Run Total | Game Time (Eastern) |
| Los Angeles Angels (G. Canning) | +146 | +1.5 (-135) | Over 9.0 (-115) | 9:10 pm |
| San Diego Padres (Z. Davies) | -158 | -1.5 (+115) | Under 9.0 (-105) | |
| Team | Moneyline | Runline | Over/Under Run Total | Game Time (Eastern) |
| Houston Astros (F. Valdez) | -170 | -1.5 (-110) | Over 9.0 (+100) | 9:10 pm |
| Seattle Mariners (L. Newsome) | +157 | +1.5 (-110) | Under 9.0 (-120) | |
| Team (Starter) | Moneyline | Runline | Over/Under Run Total | Game Time (Eastern) |
| Arizona Diamondbacks (C. Smith) | -132 | -1.5 (+135) | Over 9.0 (-120) | 9:10 pm |
| Texas Rangers (J. Lyles) | +122 | +1.5 (-155) | Under 9.0 (+100) | |
| Team (Starter) | Moneyline | Runline | Over/Under Run Total | Game Time (Eastern) |
| Los Angeles Dodgers (D. May) | -170 | -1.5 (+105) | Over 9.0 (-110) | 4:10 pm |
| Oakland Athletics (F. Montas) | +157 | +1.5 (-125) | Under 9.0 (-110) | |
| Team (Starter) | Moneyline | Runline | Over/Under Run Total | Game Time (Eastern) |
| San Francisco Giants (TBD) | -121 | -1.5 (+170) | Over 8.5 (+100) | 4:10 pm |
| Colorado Rockies (K. Freelander) | +111 | +1.5 (-195) | Under 8.5 (-120) |
Odds as of Sept. 21st at DraftKings.
Pick 1: Yankees Moneyline (-240) vs Blue Jays
Reasoning: Cole/Roark rematch has a clear favorite for a reason.
When Gerrit Cole and Tanner Roark faced off on Sept. 16, a 13-2 win for New York, the starting pitchers had glaringly different stat lines.
Cole tossed seven innings with just three hits and one run allowed, while Roark gave up six hits and six runs in 4.1 innings. Roark allowed more home runs (four) than Cole allowed hits, to give you an idea.
Congrats to our ace Gerrit Cole on his 100th career win tonight.
He was 🔥 on the bump.pic.twitter.com/Vpue7F0Y2U
— The Short Porch (@short_porch) September 17, 2020
For a Yankees team that got beat up pretty badly by the Blue Jays on Monday, it’s nice to see Cole back on the mound. He has allowed just one run over his past two starts, winning them both.
Pick 2: Astros Moneyline (-170) vs Mariners
Reasoning: Houston has dominated recent history against the Mariners.
The Seattle Mariners might be an interesting pick right now because they have something to play for, sitting a handful of games outside the wild-card picture. But that probably doesn’t matter much in a head-to-head matchup that has been utterly dominated by their opponent.
Houston has won six of seven against Seattle this year and an astounding 24 of 26 over the past two seasons. That’s worth banking on.
Framber Valdez, Wicked Curveballs. 🤢 pic.twitter.com/bFw8tdKdQH
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 18, 2020
The Astros’ moneyline looks all the better when the pitching matchup of Framber Valdez (4-3, 3.82 ERA) versus Ljay Newsome (0-1, 6.35 ERA) is put into focus.
A two-team parlay on the Yankees and Astros at -240 and -170, respectively, would pay out at +125.
Jordan Horrobin is a sports journalist whose MLB, NHL, NFL and NCAA work has appeared in outlets such as The Athletic, MLB.com, the Detroit Free Press and more. He is currently based in Toronto, also working as a contributor for Forbes.com and a freelance editor for Sportsnet.
