Jordan enjoys writing data-driven game previews and analysis articles — especially for MLB markets or NFL/NBA props. And as a proud Ohio University grad, he’ll always have a soft spot for college sports (especially if the Bobcats are involved). Previous stops include mlb.com, Sportsnet and The Athletic.
After landing on the wrong side of last night’s 18-inning battle, the Toronto Blue Jays will look to level the World Series on Tuesday in Los Angeles.
The pregame narrative: The Dodgers won a game that lasted six hours and 39 minutes to take a 2-1 series lead. Shohei Ohtani will be back in two-way mode for L.A. tonight after a superb showing at the plate in Game 3.
Check out my Blue Jays vs. Dodgers picks for Game 4 of the World Series, featuring a prop prediction on Ohtani as a pitcher.
In Game 3 on Monday, there was a stretch of 10-plus innings without any runs. That might seem like a reason to back the under tonight, but I view it differently.
Both teams maxed out their bullpens, as all 17 relievers made an appearance in the marathon matchup.
That means some arms will be unavailable tonight, but more importantly, it means the hitters have had a recent look at everyone they might face.
The situational aspect isn’t the only reason I like the over, mind you. This is a bet on two of the very best offences in the majors.
In the regular season, Toronto led the majors in batting average (.265) and on-base percentage (.333) while posting a league-low strikeout rate. The Jays have the third-highest scoring average (5.03 runs/game) across the regular season and playoffs.
The Dodgers finished second in the regular season in SLG (.441) and wRC+ (113). Also, they’re second in scoring (5.06 runs/game) across the regular season and playoffs.
Ohtani is a great pitcher — one of several donning Dodger Blue — but I don’t expect an all-world effort on the mound tonight.
In 75 combined plate appearances, Toronto’s lineup is batting .284 with a .478 SLG vs. Ohtani.
George Springer, who exited Game 3 with an injury and is considered day-to-day, has the best numbers against Ohtani. But even if he’s unavailable, there are others who can step up.
Overs are cashing at a 57.1% rate for Toronto this year, per Team Rankings, which leads the majors.
Key stat: This over is 4-2 in Blue Jays/Dodgers matchups this season, with an average total of 9.5 runs.
Ohtani under 17.5 outs (+115): The Dodgers rolled out all nine of their relievers last night. So it’s fair to assume they want Ohtani to work fairly deep into Tuesday’s game.
And he might, given that he’s cleared this outs total in each of his past three starts (including two in the playoffs).
I like the plus-money fade here, though, because Ohtani was more a part of the Game 3 marathon than any of the relievers who might follow him tonight. He reached base in all nine of his plate appearances, going 4-for-4 with five walks.
At one point, he even needed a break in the action due to some minor cramping on the basepaths.
No one is going to feel 100% coming out of an 18-inning game. But only one guy is being asked to pitch several innings after being part of that.
The Jays have a potent lineup that could chase Ohtani a bit early anyway, and I would be surprised if the Dodgers pushed him hard on the mound — especially since he’s also their most important hitter.
Eight of the past nine starters to face Toronto went under this number.
Blue Jays vs. Dodgers picks made at 9:23 a.m. ET on 10/28/2025.
In the second-most important sporting event of the night in Toronto, the Raptors play their home opener against the Milwaukee Bucks.
The pregame narrative: With the Blue Jays set to begin the World Series just down the street, the Raptors moved up the tip-off time for Friday’s matchup. The Raps looked great in Atlanta two nights ago and could be in for another high-scoring clash.
Check out my Bucks vs. Raptors SGP predictions for Oct. 24, featuring Scottie Barnes and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Barnes 6+ assists (+115): Toronto’s roster is built with a fair amount of position-fluid hoopers, and it all centres on Barnes.
The fifth-year player is built like a power forward (6-foot-7, 227 pounds) and is listed as such on the depth chart. But he moonlights as a point guard, too.
In Toronto’s season opener, Barnes led the team with nine assists. He also led the way in potential assists (13), per NBA.com, which means any pass that leads directly to a shot.
Teammates like Immanuel Quickley, Jamal Shead and RJ Barrett will all contribute their fair share of assists, but this is an attainable total for Barnes.
Since the start of the 2023-24 season, he has averaged 6.0 APG.
And in Barnes’ past five games vs. the Bucks, he’s averaging 6.4 APG with at least five assists in each game.
NBA SGP legs
Giannis 30+ points(-152): One game into his 13th season, it looks like the Greek Freak has still got it.
Against the hapless Washington Wizards, Giannis put up 37 points on 16-of-26 shooting.
Anchored by Jakob Poeltl, Toronto should put up a bit more of a challenge than Washington did. But this is a scoring milestone Giannis is accustomed to hitting.
In each of his previous three seasons, Giannis averaged at least 30.4 PPG.
When Giannis last faced Toronto, on Jan. 17, 2025, he finished with 35 points in 35 minutes.
Toronto faced the Atlanta Hawks in its season opener and allowed their centres (Kristaps Porzingis, Onyeka Okongwu) to combine for 38 points on 13-of-24 shooting.
Over 228.5 points (-177): Toronto and Milwaukee hit this over in two of three matchups last year, including their lone meeting at Scotiabank Arena (a 128-104 win for the Bucks).
Both teams exploded for 130+ points in their respective season openers, and that kind of scoring upside makes this alt total enticing.
Last year, the Bucks and Raptors were both in the top half of the league in pace (i.e., possessions per 48 minutes). If they keep that up, this over is very much in play.
Bucks vs. Raptors predictions made at 1:45 p.m. ET 10/24/2025.
J.K. Dobbins is off to a nice start this season with the Denver Broncos, and he’s my top NFL TD pick for Week 8.
The pregame narrative: Dobbins faces the sieve-like Dallas Cowboys defence at home and is worth a look even on the wrong side of plus money. Elsewhere, Xavier Hutchinson is a compelling flier within the Houston Texans’ depleted receiving corps.
Check out my top Week 8 NFL TD picks, featuring a pick on Indianapolis Colts receiver Michael Pittman.
The highest projected total of the week comes in the Cowboys vs. Broncos game, which has a lot to do with Dallas’ top-ranked scoring offence and 30th-ranked scoring defence.
Backing Dobbins to score is a pretty square play. But based on his matchup and current usage, I don’t mind the price.
Let’s start by looking at the matchup vs. Dallas:
The Cowboys have allowed the third-most rushing yards and the seventh-highest yards per carry.
According to RBSDM.com, there are only six NFL defences allowing a positive EPA per rush. Dallas is one of them.
The Cowboys are also allowing an NFL-worst rush success rate (49.5%).
Now on to how Dobbins is deployed, which should be an encouraging sight for any TD bettor.
In his first season with the Broncos, Dobbins has commanded more than twice as many touches — and nearly twice as many snaps — as his understudy, R.J. Harvey.
Dobbins has at least one red zone carry in all seven games. He’s also out-touching Harvey inside the 10-yard line, 9-2 (per Fantasy Pros).
Though he failed to score last week thanks to quarterback Bo Nix pilfering a pair of red zone rushing TDs, Dobbins remains a consistently likely TD option.
Key stat: Through seven games, the Cowboys have allowed seven rushing TDs inside the 10-yard line.
Pittman to score (+137): The Colts are favoured by two touchdowns against the miserable Titans, and there are plenty of players who could find the end zone.
Assuming I can’t interest you in Jonathan Taylor’s -334 odds, why don’t we dive in on why Pittman is a solid option?
Pittman has a TD in five of seven games.
In Week 3, Pittman caught all six of his targets vs. Tennessee for 73 yards and a touchdown.
Pittman has eight red zone targets (second on the Colts) and has been targeted inside the five-yard line in three of the past four games.
The Titans have been particularly atrocious against the run. But if they sell out to stop Taylor, Pittman is typically Indy’s first or second look in the passing game.
Hutchinson to score (+275): Entering the final practice day of the week (Friday), neither Nico Collins nor Christian Kirk had practiced yet for the Texans.
Both players are trending toward a Week 8 absence, or at least some limitations if they do see the field.
So … who does that leave in the passing game? A very young group of wideouts, headlined by Hutchinson.
Based on snap share, Hutchinson has been a top-two WR for the Texans in five of six games this season. He hasn’t gotten a ton of looks, but he did log a season-high four targets last week when Collins exited with a concussion.
Also of note, Hutchinson has been targeted inside the five-yard line in back-to-back games.
There’s ample risk here, but the upside of being Houston’s WR1 at home on Sunday has my interest.
J.K. Dobbins is off to a nice start this season with the Denver Broncos, and he’s my top NFL TD pick for Week 8.
The pregame narrative: Dobbins faces the sieve-like Dallas Cowboys defence at home and is worth a look even on the wrong side of plus money. Elsewhere, Xavier Hutchinson is a compelling flier within the Houston Texans’ depleted receiving corps.
Check out my top Week 8 NFL TD picks, featuring a pick on Indianapolis Colts receiver Michael Pittman.
The highest projected total of the week comes in the Cowboys vs. Broncos game, which has a lot to do with Dallas’ top-ranked scoring offence and 30th-ranked scoring defence.
Backing Dobbins to score is a pretty square play. But based on his matchup and current usage, I don’t mind the price.
Let’s start by looking at the matchup vs. Dallas:
The Cowboys have allowed the third-most rushing yards and the seventh-highest yards per carry.
According to RBSDM.com, there are only six NFL defences allowing a positive EPA per rush. Dallas is one of them.
The Cowboys are also allowing an NFL-worst rush success rate (49.5%).
Now on to how Dobbins is deployed, which should be an encouraging sight for any TD bettor.
In his first season with the Broncos, Dobbins has commanded more than twice as many touches — and nearly twice as many snaps — as his understudy, R.J. Harvey.
Dobbins has at least one red zone carry in all seven games. He’s also out-touching Harvey inside the 10-yard line, 9-2 (per Fantasy Pros).
Though he failed to score last week thanks to quarterback Bo Nix pilfering a pair of red zone rushing TDs, Dobbins remains a consistently likely TD option.
Key stat: Through seven games, the Cowboys have allowed seven rushing TDs inside the 10-yard line.
Pittman to score (+155): The Colts are favoured by two touchdowns against the miserable Titans, and there are plenty of players who could find the end zone.
Assuming I can’t interest you in Jonathan Taylor’s -400 odds, why don’t we dive in on why Pittman is a solid option?
Pittman has a TD in five of seven games.
In Week 3, Pittman caught all six of his targets vs. Tennessee for 73 yards and a touchdown.
Pittman has eight red zone targets (second on the Colts) and has been targeted inside the five-yard line in three of the past four games.
The Titans have been particularly atrocious against the run. But if they sell out to stop Taylor, Pittman is typically Indy’s first or second look in the passing game.
Hutchinson to score (+255): Entering the final practice day of the week (Friday), neither Nico Collins nor Christian Kirk had practiced yet for the Texans.
Both players are trending toward a Week 8 absence, or at least some limitations if they do see the field.
So … who does that leave in the passing game? A very young group of wideouts, headlined by Hutchinson.
Based on snap share, Hutchinson has been a top-two WR for the Texans in five of six games this season. He hasn’t gotten a ton of looks, but he did log a season-high four targets last week when Collins exited with a concussion.
Also of note, Hutchinson has been targeted inside the five-yard line in back-to-back games.
There’s ample risk here, but the upside of being Houston’s WR1 at home on Sunday has my interest.
The wait is over, as the World Series returns to Toronto on Friday with the Blue Jays taking on the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The pregame narrative: Jays youngster Trey Yesavage will get the ball to start for the home team, while a red-hot Blake Snell goes for the defending champs from L.A. The Dodgers are the favourites to win the game and the series.
Check out my Dodgers vs. Blue Jays predictions for World Series Game 1, featuring prop bets on Yesavage and Freddie Freeman.
The Dodgers are 4-2 on the F5 run line in that span … because two of his starts were 0-0 at the five-inning mark.
Snell has strong numbers against the Jays’ active lineup (.227 BA, .303 SLG in 75 plate appearances), and with the way he’s currently rolling, I could easily see him holding Toronto to one or zero runs through 5.0 IP.
With that in mind, the price on this market seems more than far.
Yesavage over 4.5 strikeouts (-175): Yesavage, 22, began his season with Single-A Dunedin, pitching against teams like the Jupiter Hammerheads and Fort Myers Mighty Mussels.
Could anyone have predicted that he’d go from there to facing the Dodgers as a Game 1 World Series starter? Absolutely not.
But his .158 opponent BA and 14.7 K/9 across four minor league levels helped him soar up the organizational ladder to make it possible. And he hasn’t stopped striking guys out in the majors.
In six MLB starts (three regular season, three playoffs), Yesavage has averaged 6.3 Ks.
He’s 4-2 vs. this prop with an 11.8 K/9.
The Dodgers have the third-lowest K rate of all playoff teams, but it’s all relative. Their 23.7 K% in the postseason would’ve been tied for the fifth-highest mark in the regular season.
If given enough rope, Yesavage has the stuff to cash this bet.
Freeman 1+ hits (-210): Left-hitting batters like Freeman will be primary strikeout candidates for the right-handed Yesavage because of how he deploys his splitter.
But I like Freeman’s chances to record at least one base knock in this game, and it could come off that very pitch.
Facing RHPs with splitters this season, Freeman batted 9-for-17 (.529) with three doubles, a triple and a home run.
This week’s NFL prop bets are a variety pack, featuring one running back, one quarterback and one wide receiver.
The pregame narrative: De’Von Achane and Drake Maye both have my attention in the 1 p.m. ET window, based partially on their compelling matchups. Later on, a healthy CeeDee Lamb looks to continue tearing it up despite entering a hostile environment.
Check out my top Week 8 NFL prop bets, featuring a best bet on Cleveland Browns RB Quinshon Judkins.
The best version of the Miami Dolphins’ offence involves Achane running with the ball in his hands.
The third-year tailback is lightning quick, as evidenced by his top sprint speed of 20.39 mph last week (tied for fifth-fastest in the NFL, per Next Gen Stats). He has runs of 40+ yards in back-to-back games.
You know what else has happened in back-to-back Miami games? Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa throwing three interceptions.
That puts him at an NFL-worst 10 INTs for the season. And it further emphasizes the point that giving the ball to Achane is in the Dolphins’ best interest.
In his past five games, Achane is 4-1 vs. this prop while averaging 77.4 rushing yards/game. He’s finished 20+ yards clear of this total in back-to-back weeks.
I expect a high ceiling for Achane on Sunday vs. the Atlanta Falcons, whose run defence has been highly suspect so far.
Atlanta’s defence ranks 27th in yards per attempt (4.7) and 31st in rush success rate (46.8%), per RBSMD.com.
Key stat: Even if Achane’s rushing volume isn’t excessive, his recent efficiency can carry him over this line. Achane has averaged 5.0 yards/carry or better in four of his past five games.
Maye over 1.5 passing TDs (-115): The second-year surge for Maye is real. He leads the NFL in completion percentage (75.2%) and passer rating (116.4).
Maye has yet to post a 300-yard passing game in 2025, but his elite efficiency has helped carry the Patriots to a 5-2 start. And he doesn’t need massive yardage totals to rack up touchdowns.
Maye has 2+ passing TDs in five of his past six games.
He has as many red zone passing TDs (seven) as the Patriots have red zone rushing TDs.
This Sunday, the Patriots host a Browns team that has been elite at stopping the run: No. 1 in yards/rush, No. 2 in success rate, No. 2 in EPA/play, No. 3 in rushing TDs allowed.
Based on the matchup, as well as his success entering Week 8, Maye should be a great play on this market.
Lamb 70+ receiving yards (-124): George Pickens was excellent in the weeks that Lamb was sidelined, but when both are out there, Lamb is still the clear WR1.
The Dallas Cowboys seem to have enough room for both wideouts to succeed, but I’m particularly bullish on Lamb putting up strong numbers now that he’s back healthy.
In Week 7, his first action since an early Week 3 exit, Lamb led the Cowboys in targets (eight) and receiving yards (110) while also finding the end zone.
Lamb has played three full games this year, and he has 8+ targets and 110+ yards in all three.
In 53 games dating back to the 2022 season, Lamb has averaged 6.9 catches and 87.4 yards.
The Denver Broncos’ defence currently ranks in the top five in scoring and yardage, meaning this is no slouch of a matchup. But the milestone is so far below what Lamb has produced on a weekly basis (when healthy), so I’m willing to ride.
This week’s NFL prop bets are a variety pack, featuring one running back, one quarterback and one wide receiver.
The pregame narrative: De’Von Achane and Drake Maye both have my attention in the 1 p.m. ET window, based partially on their compelling matchups. Later on, a healthy CeeDee Lamb looks to continue tearing it up despite entering a hostile environment.
Check out my top Week 8 NFL prop bets, featuring a best bet on Cleveland Browns RB Quinshon Judkins.
The best version of the Miami Dolphins’ offence involves Achane running with the ball in his hands.
The third-year tailback is lightning quick, as evidenced by his top sprint speed of 20.39 mph last week (tied for fifth-fastest in the NFL, per Next Gen Stats). He has runs of 40+ yards in back-to-back games.
You know what else has happened in back-to-back Miami games? Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa throwing three interceptions.
That puts him at an NFL-worst 10 INTs for the season. And it further emphasizes the point that giving the ball to Achane is in the Dolphins’ best interest.
In his past five games, Achane is 4-1 vs. this prop while averaging 77.4 rushing yards/game. He’s finished 20+ yards clear of this total in back-to-back weeks.
I expect a high ceiling for Achane on Sunday vs. the Atlanta Falcons, whose run defence has been highly suspect so far.
Atlanta’s defence ranks 27th in yards per attempt (4.7) and 31st in rush success rate (46.8%), per RBSMD.com.
Key stat: Even if Achane’s rushing volume isn’t excessive, his recent efficiency can carry him over this line. Achane has averaged 5.0 yards/carry or better in four of his past five games.
Maye over 1.5 passing TDs (-115): The second-year surge for Maye is real. He leads the NFL in completion percentage (75.2%) and passer rating (116.4).
Maye has yet to post a 300-yard passing game in 2025, but his elite efficiency has helped carry the Patriots to a 5-2 start. And he doesn’t need massive yardage totals to rack up touchdowns.
Maye has 2+ passing TDs in five of his past six games.
He has as many red zone passing TDs (seven) as the Patriots have red zone rushing TDs.
This Sunday, the Patriots host a Browns team that has been elite at stopping the run: No. 1 in yards/rush, No. 2 in success rate, No. 2 in EPA/play, No. 3 in rushing TDs allowed.
Based on the matchup, as well as his success entering Week 8, Maye should be a great play on this market.
Lamb 70+ receiving yards (-124): George Pickens was excellent in the weeks that Lamb was sidelined, but when both are out there, Lamb is still the clear WR1.
The Dallas Cowboys seem to have enough room for both wideouts to succeed, but I’m particularly bullish on Lamb putting up strong numbers now that he’s back healthy.
In Week 7, his first action since an early Week 3 exit, Lamb led the Cowboys in targets (eight) and receiving yards (110) while also finding the end zone.
Lamb has played three full games this year, and he has 8+ targets and 110+ yards in all three.
In 53 games dating back to the 2022 season, Lamb has averaged 6.9 catches and 87.4 yards.
The Denver Broncos’ defence currently ranks in the top five in scoring and yardage, meaning this is no slouch of a matchup. But the milestone is so far below what Lamb has produced on a weekly basis (when healthy), so I’m willing to ride.
The Toronto Blue Jays are back in the World Series for the first time in 32 years, and the toughest task of all lies in front of them.
Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers seek to defend their championship status, and they’re favoured to do so — even though the Jays own home-field advantage.
Check out our Dodgers vs. Blue Jays preview for the 2025 World Series, beginning on Friday, Oct. 24 at Rogers Centre.
This Fall Classic is a battle between the familiar and the uninitiated.
L.A. has 12 division titles in the past 13 years and is in its fifth World Series since 2017. Toronto, meanwhile, didn’t win a single playoff game between 2017-24.
This isn’t exactly a David vs. Goliath bout, though.
Yes, the Dodgers’ roster costs nearly $50 million north of the Jays’ roster. But on a relative scale, they’re two of the highest-spending teams in the majors.
Both teams rank in the top five in payroll, regular season wins and wRC+. Pitching prowess definitely swings in L.A.’s favour, which we’ll touch on in the next section.
L.A. has been more dominant in terms of postseason record, going 9-1 so far. But Toronto has had a better run differential (+51 vs. +34).
Game 1 in Toronto: Oct. 24, 8 p.m. ET LHP Snell (3-0, 0.86 ERA) vs. RHP Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.20 ERA)
Snell looks every bit like a two-time Cy Young winner through three postseason starts. He has 28 strikeouts and just six hits allowed through 21.0 innings. The southpaw missed most of the year with a shoulder injury, but you wouldn’t know now. He has a 12.4 K/9 in seven outings since September.
Yesavage authored an all-time gem in his playoff debut, but he ran into some trouble in both of his ALCS starts. The Mariners had 10 hits and six walks against him over 9.2 innings, though a few timely double plays limited the damage in his most recent game. The 2024 first-round draftee joined the club in mid-September and is perfectly familiar with high-leverage baseball.
Game 2 in Toronto: Oct. 25, 8 p.m. ET RHP Yamamoto (2-1, 1.83 ERA) vs. RHP Kevin Gausman (2-1, 2.00 ERA)
Yamamoto has the only complete game of the postseason, and it came in his lone NLCS start (9.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 7 K). The all-star righty had an MLB-low 5.9 H/9 this season and will be facing the Jays for the first time.
Gausman threw 19 pitches in one scoreless relief inning to help close out the Mariners in Game 7 of the ALCS. In a sense, that means he’d only be on three days of rest for the series opener. Pitchers do throw a bullpen between starts, though, so it’s possible that Gausman’s relief appearance came in place of that.
All three of Gausman’s postseason starts have been exactly 5.2 IP with two or fewer runs allowed. Solid stuff.
Game 3 in Los Angeles: Oct. 27, 8 p.m. ET RHP Tyler Glasnow (0-0, 0.68 ERA) vs. RHP Shane Bieber (1-0, 4.38 ERA)
Glasnow has allowed one run while striking out 18 over 13.1 IP this postseason. He has big-time strikeout stuff, but the Jays strike out the least of any team in the majors. Glasnow has a hearty 27.6% K rate vs. the Jays’ active lineup in 87 plate appearances.
Bieber did enough in Game 7 of the ALCS to give the Jays a chance and was superb when he faced the Mariners in Game 3. The California native also has great numbers against a combination of Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Teoscar Hernandez: 5-for-37 (.135) with 15 Ks.
Game 4 in Los Angeles: Oct. 28, 8 p.m. ET RHP Ohtani (2-0, 2.25 ERA) vs. RHP Max Scherzer (1-0, 3.18 ERA)
The last time Ohtani pitched, he put together arguably the best individual performance in the long history of the sport: 6.0 scoreless innings with 10 Ks, while adding three HRs at the plate. He’s a terrifying two-way force and would likely be a bullpen option for the Dodgers if the series goes deep enough.
Could we see a Scherzer/Bassitt piggyback for Game 4? Absolutely, but Scherzer did enough to at least warrant consideration for a World Series start. Mad Max allowed two runs over 5.2 innings in ALCS Game 4, which had been his first pitching appearance in three weeks.
Dodgers vs. Blue Jays bullpen spotlight
The Dodgers have a lot of on-paper advantages heading into the World Series. The bullpen is one of them.
Check out how both relief corps have fared this postseason:
Statistic
Dodgers
Blue Jays
Innings
92.0
97.0
ERA
2.45
4.36
FIP
2.74
4.81
Opponent BA
.171
.230
Strand rate
75.2%
77.7%
Strikeout rate
28.3%
26.1%
HR/9
0.39
1.67
The HR/9 discrepancy really stands out. The league-average HR/9 rate this season was 1.18, so the Jays’ bullpen is concerningly north of that right now. And the Dodgers have been elite at limiting the long ball.
It’s the time of year when circles of trust really tighten up. That was evidenced by the Dodgers using the same four relievers to close out Games 3 and 4 (Anthony Banda, Blake Treinen, Alex Vesia, Roki Sasaki).
Toronto leaned heaviest on Louis Varland and Jeff Hoffman late into the ALCS, but the role of its left-handed relievers will be paramount in this series (Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and Max Muncy are all left-handed hitters).
Mason Fluharty hasn’t pitched since Oct. 16, but he’s the best leverage LHP the Jays have.
Back in August, the rookie retired all five Dodgers he faced over a pair of relief outings — highlighted by a strikeout of Ohtani.
Dodgers vs. Blue Jays preview: Key players
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (1B): In the final weeks before his $500-million extension kicks in, Guerrero has a .442/.510/.930 slash line across 11 playoff games. The ALCS MVP reached base 26 times in that span with just three strikeouts.
Guerrero only homered twice in the final 33 games of the regular season. But he has six postseason bombs.
George Springer (OF/DH): Guerrero might be having the best postseason of any Blue Jay, but Springer undoubtedly has the signature moment (so far).
Springer had an absurd age-35 season, finishing third in wRC+ (166), and now he’s adding to a lengthy and storied postseason resume. The 2017 WS MVP has an .883 OPS in 78 career playoff games.
Ernie Clement (2B/3B): In March 2023, Clement was released by the Athletics. Three seasons later, he wields one of the most important bats on a World Series team.
Clement is the tone-setter for the bottom half of Toronto’s lineup, batting .429 with a 1.063 OPS this postseason. He was particularly adept at hitting LHPs during the regular season, posting a 146 wRC (16th in MLB).
Jeff Hoffman (RP): Credit to Hoffman for keeping stress to a relative minimum this postseason, with a 1.23 ERA and a 1.09 FIP in six appearances. He has allowed one run and five baserunners over 7.1 IP while striking out 12.
Since the start of September, Hoffman has only allowed two runs over 18.0 innings (1.00 ERA).
Bo Bichette’s World Series role
After Toronto’s ALCS-clinching win, the injured Bichette (knee) was asked whether he’ll be an option for the World Series. His response? “I’ll be ready.”
It’s been six weeks since the two-time AL hits leader has dug in for the Blue Jays. And there was certainly hope that he would’ve been healthy enough to return by now. But hearing a confident response like that has to count for something.
Bichette bounced back from a rough 2024 season to post an .840 OPS this year — matching his best mark since 2020.
If the free-agent-to-be is truly ready, he’d slot back into the heart of the Jays’ order and provide some much-needed power.
Ohtani (DH/SP): Ohtani is the obvious favourite to win World Series MVP. On his way to a third regular-season MVP in four seasons, Ohtani is the only player who’ll impact this series at the plate and on the mound.
He’s had a lot of quiet offensive showings this postseason (.220 BA, 35.4% K rate), but he has five homers and a triple in 10 games. So he’s still as dangerous as ever.
Teoscar Hernandez (OF): Hernandez had a disappointingly low .738 OPS this season, which was his lowest mark since his debut season. But the former Blue Jay has come up big a number of times this postseason.
In 10 games, Hernandez is slugging .585 with four HRs and a double. Note that he’s been lifted early from eight playoff games so far in favour of a pinch runner or defensive replacement.
The rotation: I can’t pick out one L.A. starting pitcher to highlight. They’ve all been superb.
Collectively, the quartet of Snell, Yamamoto, Glasnow and Ohtani have a 1.40 ERA, .131 opponent BA and a 33.5% K rate in 10 starts. That’s Cy Young stuff from an entire starting staff. Any of the four would be a strong Game 1 option for Toronto, which tells you how deep L.A.’s talent pool is.
Cooper Flagg makes his NBA debut on Wednesday night at home against Victor Wembanyama’s San Antonio Spurs.
The latest: Flagg and Wemby were first-overall draft picks in their respective years, and both are among the most promising young players in the NBA. With notable absences tonight for players like Kyrie Irving and De’Aaron Fox, look for the young guns to make some noise.
Check out these Spurs vs. Mavericks picks for the season opener on Oct. 22 in Dallas.
I’m ready for the next chapter of Wembanyama’s ascendance to superstardom, and it should start immediately.
Wembanyama can truly score from anywhere, which makes him a matchup nightmare for any opposing team.
He’s tall enough to hang on the rim without jumping, but he was also comfortable attempting 8.8 threes per game last year (cashing in at a 35.2% clip).
The Mavericks have ample size and defensive skill up front with Flagg, Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively II and more. With that in mind, Wemby could decide to chuck a high volume of shots from the outside.
I looked at his odds for over 2.5 threes (-125), and they seemed reasonable. But Wemby only attempted 10 threes across five preseason games, which spooked me a bit.
Not that preseason stats should carry much weight, but on opening night, I’d rather lean on his all-around scoring talent.
Especially in the absence of Fox, who figures to be the team’s second-leading scorer this year behind Wemby. Fox (hamstring) is out on Wednesday, as is Jeremy Sochan.
Wemby averaged 24.3 PPG last season before a blood clot issue cut his season short. He was cleared to play in July and should be firing on all cylinders tonight.
Key stat: In two games last year without Fox (post-trade), Wembanyama went 2-0 vs. this line. He attempted exactly 20 shots in both games.
Flagg over 3.5 assists (-163): There’s some unavoidable conjecture involved with this play since we’ve never seen Flagg in a meaningful NBA game.
But if you want to bet on him to succeed in some way tonight, this is easily my favourite way to do it.
The Spurs allowed the eighth-most assists per game last year (28.0).
None of the Mavericks’ returning players averaged 4.5 assists or more last year. And their new point guard, D’Angelo Russell, ranked 47th in the NBA last year at 5.1 APG.
Without an obvious go-to facilitator, this line looks completely clearable for Flagg.
In his lone collegiate season at Duke, Flagg averaged 4.2 APG. But he was also the team’s leading scorer (19.2 PPG), so it’s not like he was maxing out in the assist department.
Between AD, Russell and Klay Thompson, there are plenty of capable scorers for Flagg to defer to (and dish to) in his debut game.
Spurs vs. Mavericks picks made at 3 p.m. ET on 10/22/2025.
Cooper Flagg makes his NBA debut on Wednesday night at home against Victor Wembanyama’s San Antonio Spurs.
The latest: Flagg and Wemby were first-overall draft picks in their respective years, and both are among the most promising young players in the NBA. With notable absences tonight for players like Kyrie Irving and De’Aaron Fox, look for the young guns to make some noise.
Check out these Spurs vs. Mavericks picks for the season opener on Oct. 22 in Dallas.
I’m ready for the next chapter of Wembanyama’s ascendance to superstardom, and it should start immediately.
Wembanyama can truly score from anywhere, which makes him a matchup nightmare for any opposing team.
He’s tall enough to hang on the rim without jumping, but he was also comfortable attempting 8.8 threes per game last year (cashing in at a 35.2% clip).
The Mavericks have ample size and defensive skill up front with Flagg, Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively II and more. With that in mind, Wemby could decide to chuck a high volume of shots from the outside.
I looked at his odds for over 2.5 threes (+114), and they seemed enticing. But Wemby only attempted 10 threes across five preseason games, which spooked me a bit.
Not that preseason stats should carry much weight, but on opening night, I’d rather lean on his all-around scoring talent.
Especially in the absence of Fox, who figures to be the team’s second-leading scorer this year behind Wemby. Fox (hamstring) is out on Wednesday, as is Jeremy Sochan.
Wemby averaged 24.3 PPG last season before a blood clot issue cut his season short. He was cleared to play in July and should be firing on all cylinders tonight.
Key stat: In two games last year without Fox (post-trade), Wembanyama went 2-0 vs. this line. He attempted exactly 20 shots in both games.
Flagg over 4.5 assists (+123): There’s some unavoidable conjecture involved with this play since we’ve never seen Flagg in a meaningful NBA game.
But if you want to bet on him to succeed in some way tonight, this is easily my favourite way to do it.
The Spurs allowed the eighth-most assists per game last year (28.0).
None of the Mavericks’ returning players averaged 4.5 assists or more last year. And their new point guard, D’Angelo Russell, ranked 47th in the NBA last year at 5.1 APG.
Without an obvious go-to facilitator, this line looks completely clearable for Flagg.
In his lone collegiate season at Duke, Flagg averaged 4.2 APG. But he was also the team’s leading scorer (19.2 PPG), so it’s not like he was maxing out in the assist department.
Between AD, Russell and Klay Thompson, there are plenty of capable scorers for Flagg to defer to (and dish to) in his debut game.
Spurs vs. Mavericks picks made at 10:16 a.m. ET on 10/22/2025.
