As teams fight for their postseason lives, the last two weeks of the regular season should be massively entertaining. In fact, there are 16 teams between the two leagues that have a legitimate shot at the ten total MLB playoff spots available.
When looking at the betting lines, these are five of the most significant series of the upcoming week.
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Toronto Blue Jays vs. Tampa Bay Rays (Sept 20 – 22)
The AL East has arguably been one of the best divisions in all of baseball. In fact, four teams are currently vying for postseason spots.
The Tampa Bay Rays (92-58) currently hold the division lead by 6.5 games over Boston (86-65), but the Red Sox, Blue Jays (84-65), and Yankees (83-67) are all competing for wild card spots.
For Toronto, they currently hold a 1.5-game lead over the Yankees for the second wild-card spot, but with 13 games to play, the Blue Jays need every win they can get.
Tampa Bay is feeling comfortable with their divisional lead, but they also are trying to secure the top spot in the A.L., and they currently lead the Houston Astros by just 3.5 games.
According to BetUs, the Blue Jays are +800 to win the AL pennant and +1600 to win the World Series. The Rays are +350 to win the pennant and +550 to win the World Series.
St. Louis Cardinals vs. Milwaukee Brewers (Sept 20 – 23)
No team holds a larger divisional lead than the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central. With an 11.5-game lead over the Cardinals, Milwaukee is not really concerned about letting that lead slip.
For the Cardinals, there is a much stronger sense of urgency. They currently hold a three-game lead for the second wild-card spot over the Philadelphia Phillies and Cincinnati Reds. With seven games left against the division-leading Brewers, St. Louis needs to continue playing well to maintain their wild card hold.
Luckily for Cardinals’ fans, they have been one of the hottest teams in baseball lately as they are 9-1 in their last 10. Milwaukee has been similarly hot as they are 7-3 in that span.
In terms of MLB odds to win the pennant, BetUs has the Cardinals at +4000, while the Brewers are +250 to win the NL pennant.
Oakland A’s vs. Seattle Mariners (Sept 20 – 23) and vs. Houston Astros (Sept. 24-26)
The Oakland A’s (82-67) have an entire week of games that is crucial. First, they host the Seattle Mariners (80-69) for a four-game series to start the week. Both of these teams are vying for a wild card spot as the A’s sit just two games out of the second wild-card spot, and the Mariners sit four games back.
Later in the week, the A’s host the division-leading Houston Astros (88-61). The A’s sit six games back for the AL West lead, but with six games left against the Astros, they would love to make a run at the division crown.
Oakland currently has the third-toughest remaining schedule in the majors as their opponents have a combined .562 winning percentage. They are certainly in striking distance, but with 13 games left between Houston and Seattle, they will definitely have to earn a postseason nod.
New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox (Sept 24 – 26)
As previously mentioned, the AL East is loaded with playoff contenders, and the weekend matchup between the Yankees and Red Sox at Fenway Park could be pivotal for the postseason spot.
These two teams have currently faced off 16 times this season, and the Red Sox hold a 10-6 record against New York. At Fenway Park, Boston has dominated the Yankees thus far this year to the tune of a 6-1 record.
The Yankees have been reeling a bit as of late as they have gone just 5-5 in their last 10. Boston has gone 7-3 in that same stretch.
In terms of betting odds, BetUs has the Red Sox at +1000 to win the AL pennant and +2000 to win the World Series. They have the Yankees at +600 to win the pennant and +1200 to win the World Series.