It’s Almost October

For some fanbases, the end of the MLB season is simply the calm before the storm. Juggernauts like the Braves and Dodgers have already wrapped up their respective divisions, and will now have to wait out the initial Wild Card round of the playoffs. With under 13ish games remaining in the season, it’s already do-or-die time for those franchises still looking to punch their postseason tickets. Here are all the teams fighting for a playoff spot 👇

As you can see, the NL Wild Card race is stacked, with five teams (Diamondbacks to Giants) within 2.5 games of each other. The AL Wild Card race might not involve as many teams, it will be just as intense 🥵

• After suffering a four-game sweep at the hands of the Rangers last week, the Blue Jays swept the Red Sox over the weekend to remain in the playoff picture. Keep an eye out for their final two series against the Rays

• The Rangers have dropped three straight, but are one of the best home teams in baseball (45-30). Things are also looking up for Nathan Eovaldi, who has slowly worked his way back from injury in recent outings

• Similarly, the Mariners are also scrambling, having lost three consecutive games to the Guardians, allowing the Rangers to take back control of the final AL Wild Card spot

Keep in mind though that things change quickly during this portion of the MLB season, and a week from now, all of this positioning could re-write itself. Just take a look at the Cubs 🐻

How about a feel good story though? Baltimore managed to clinch their first playoff berth since 2016 over the weekend on a sacrifice fly from Cedric Mullins to dispatch the Rays in extra innings. The Os are the hottest team in baseball outside of the Atlanta Braves, and it’ll great for the game to see them back in October play 👏

Over in the NL, if you’re looking for a future it’s really the Braves vs. everyone. I mean they are getting +110 odds just to make the World Series…that’s insane. For the AL, the odds are much closer, and the Rays offer an interesting bet at +460. Remember, they started off the season 12-0 and looked like the best team in baseball for a few months 🤷🏽‍♂️

Odds To Win The AL

• Houston Astros: +250

• Baltimore Orioles: +290

• Tampa Bay Rays: +460

• Texas Rangers: +700

• Toronto Blue Jays: +800

Trivia Question: How many seasons have the Angels finished at .500 or above with Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani on the roster?

For My Parlay Gurus

For tonight, I’m betting on both the Rangers and the Mariners to bounce back from their respective losing streaks. Texas hits well against RHP, and that’s exactly what they’ll get with Tanner Houck and the slumping Red Sox. Seattle also happen to be playing Oakland, who have been limping into the end of the season. Check it out 👇

• Rangers ML vs. Red Sox: -142

• Mariners ML @ A’s: -205

$100 on this bet would win you $154 — if we hit, make sure you email [email protected] for a chance to win up to $100*. Many will enter, only some will win 😉

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Trivia Answer: Zero times. It seems insane that the Angels can’t make the playoffs with those two stars, but they’ve finished below .500 every season since signing Ohtani

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