Another quadruple-header awaits MLB fans on Saturday as the AL/NL division series begin.
The latest: A dramatic comeback by the New York Mets sets up an all-NL East battle with the Philadelphia Phillies in one NLDS matchup — while the Los Angeles Dodgers face the San Diego Padres in the other. On the AL side, the New York Yankees come off their bye to face the Kansas City Royals.
Check out the latest MLB playoff odds for Saturday, Oct. 5.
MLB playoff odds: Oct. 5
MLB Markets: Click Here | MLB Stats: Click Here
Detroit Tigers vs. Cleveland Guardians
New York Mets vs. Philadelphia Phillies
Kansas City Royals vs. New York Yankees
San Diego Padres vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
Betting insights
- Believe it or not, the Tigers and Guardians have never met in a playoff matchup … but that’ll change on Saturday. Cleveland won the regular season series, 7-6, but Detroit had a +10 run differential in the matchup.
- Detroit tends to operate with a “Tarik Skubal or TBD” mindset when it comes to its starting pitchers. Skubal won’t be available for Game 1, so manager A.J. Hinch may deploy an opener before turning to Reese Olson, Casey Mize or Keider Montero.
- The Phillies went 7-6 against the Mets this year with a +10 run differential, but the Mets were the ones taking three of four games when these teams last met (Sept. 19-22). New York is 22-10 since Aug. 29.
- Over the past month, the worst offence in the majors — not merely among playoff teams — belongs to the Royals. They’re batting .203 with a .579 OPS (61 wRC+) since the start of September. In the team’s first postseason action since 2015, will the bats wake up?
- The Yankees have +115 odds to win the AL after their path was somewhat cleared by the departures of the Astros and Orioles. New York went 5-2 with a +18 run differential against Kansas City this year and will turn to a red-hot Gerrit Cole (2.25 ERA since August) in Game 1.
- An all-SoCal battle between the Padres and Dodgers is arguably the most exciting matchup in the division series round. San Diego won eight of 13 head-to-head matchups this season but recently dropped a three-game set in L.A.
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.