We’re a few days into the American and National League Championship Series (ALCS & NLCS) in Major League Baseball, and while hopes were high for some upsets to make things interesting, that Yankees/Dodgers World Series that’s been hyped up since the very start of the offseason looks closer than ever to fruition. Can their momentum be disrupted, or should we just start looking ahead?
2024 ALCS – Guardians vs. Yankees Odds
It’s not over for Cleveland, but with each ing inning, you wonder whether there’s enough there for them. Game 2 of the series was full of moments that were ripe for their taking – they made Gerrit Cole look human for a while, the Yankees struggled at times with their baserunning, and they got a homer from Jose Ramirez, their superstar.
Yet, the final score was 6-3 in the other direction, putting the Bronx Bombers two wins away from the pennant in the best-of-seven series. They couldn’t convert hits and walks into runs, they turned Yankee errors into their own, and ace Tanner Bibee struggled more than Cole did.
It serves no one to be defeatist, but it’s looking bleak for the Guardians at this point. Even getting back home field isn’t enough to have them favoured this afternoon, as they find themselves +100 underdogs. Clarke Schmidt takes the mound for the Yankees for the first time since a 4 2/3-inning effort against the Royals on October 9th, while Cleveland looks to Matthew Boyd, who has appeared twice in the playoffs, most recently pinching two innings in a bullpen Game 5 against the Tigers.
If the Guardians stand a chance, it’ll likely have to be delivered through JRam’s bat. That ninth-inning home run in Game 2 was nice window dressing, but he’ll need more than that today. Over at a hit at -200, over 1.5 total bases at +140, or a home run at +500.
At this stage in the series, the Yankees have moved from -190 series favourites to advance sitting at +175.
First pitch for Game 3 is at 5:08 p.m. ET.
Bet on Yankees vs. Guardians (Game 3)
2024 NLCS – New York Mets vs. Los Angeles Dodgers Odds
While the Mets were able to snap the Dodgers’ 33-inning run of scoreless defence in Game 2, Los Angeles picked up right where they left off in Game 3, showing no signs of concern about home field in an 8-0 blowout in Citi Field to take a 2-1 series lead.
Walker Buehler was excellent on the mound for the Dodgers, and many of their bats woke up. Most notably to the average fan, Shohei Ohtani put a stake in the game in the eighth inning with a three-run homer, his first of the series. Ohtani has had one of the weirdest playoff statlines in recent history, going 0-for-22 with the bases empty, and 7-for-9 with two home runs and eight RBIs with runners on base.
Kike (Enrique) Hernandez and Max Muncy also went yard in the affair, setting a strong tone for Thursday.
The Dodgers have now posted four shutouts in their last five games and had 48 shutout innings in their last 51. Better yet, they enter Game 4 with Yoshinobu Yamamoto set to pitch, giving them an opportunity to stretch that run even further. Yamamoto’s last appearance saw him throw five scoreless innings against the Padres. The Mets will respond with Jose Quintana, who has pitched 11 scoreless innings across his last two appearances.
New York is in a better position than Cleveland, having secured a win already in this series, though they find themselves projected by the books as less likely to win their game (+300 underdogs to come out on top.
On Thursday, they’ll need a strong performance from Quintana (over 0.5 RBI @ -110, over 1.5 RBI at +600).
Ohtani remains the favourite to win NLCS MVP Enrique Hernandez at +700, as he’s continued his strong playoff performance in this series.
Bet on Dodgers vs. Mets (Game 4)
World Series Futures Odds
Unsurprisingly, the leads built up by the Yankees and Dodgers have shortened their odds to win the World Series.
| Team | Odds (Thursday) | Odds (Game 1) |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Dodgers | +110 | +155 |
| New York Yankees | +110 | +165 |
| New York Mets | +850 | +425 |
| Cleveland Guardians | +1500 | +450 |
If you believe in a potential rally from either of the Guardians or Mets, this would probably be the time to jump on their respective bandwagons, as the potential returns are much higher than they would’ve been heading into Game 1. At this point, I think either outcome is unlikely, though the Mets in particular have surprised us a few times this season.