Six Enticing MLB Division Series Props Worth Considering
Could a team get swept in the Division Series?
The Major League Baseball Division Series begin Tuesday, and there are plenty of interesting wagers as the field draws down to eight.
The Philadelphia Phillies, Seattle Mariners, Cleveland Guardians and San Diego Padres took care of business in the wild card round, and they will take on the Atlanta Braves, Houston Astros, New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers, respectively, in what should be interesting matchups.
Three out of the four series consist of division rivals squaring off, which means there is a fair sample size of data to look back on from the regular season that can help inform bets for the postseason. Here are six wagers worth considering ahead of the division series, odds according to DraftKings Sportsbook.
Gerrit Cole Over 6.5 strikeouts (+120)
Let's start out with the Tuesday matchups. Cole gets the start in Game 1, opposing Guardians pitcher Cal Quantrill. The Yankees ace is certainly capable of his trademark temper tantrums, but he has gone over this total in one of two of his starts against Cleveland, and in his last start on July 2, he hit six strikeouts exactly. Cole has also gone over this total in five of his last six starts. Granted, three of those games came against the Texas Rangers and the Boston Red Sox, twice, but he is at least riding high heading into Game 1. A $100 bet on this prop pays out $220.
Justin Verlander Under 1.5 earned runs (+105)
Another pitcher prop, this time for Houston's Game 1 starter against Seattle. Verlander has quietly put together a Cy Young type season at age 39. He led the league in with a 1.75 ERA and a 0.829 WHIP. He has 185 strikeouts in 116 innings pitched. To put it simply, the Mariners will have their hands full. He has given up one run or less in four of his six starts against Seattle in 2022. He has also only given up one run or less in five or his last six starts. Verlander should be well rested for Game 1 and give the Astros a solid shot to start strong in the series. A $100 bet pays out $205.
Anthony Rizzo to record most home runs in Guardians versus Yankees series (+700)
Enough with good pitching and solid defense, let's get into the long balls. Aaron Judge leads this prop at +215, and Giancarlo Stanton is second with +650 odds. Bookmakers want the public to bet on Judge, and they've been happy to oblige -- his chase for Roger Maris' American League record is a clear example. But in the seven games Cleveland and New York played, Rizzo has matched Judge with two home runs in the season against the Guardians. The first baseman is also second on the Yankees in home runs. Yes, Judge is well above him by 30 dingers, but if the trend of walking Judge continues, that only serves to benefit the other sluggers in the lineup. A $100 bet pays out $800.
Julio Rodríguez to record most run home runs in Astros versus Mariners series (+1000)
Let's double down on a previous best bet. You can take the +3000 odds to lead the divisional round in home runs, but this is a safer bet to make. This is really a bet on talent more than anything else. Rodríguez was a combined 1-for-7 in the two wild card games against the Toronto Blue Jays, and this is somewhat contradictory to the Verlander bet, but we're looking at the entirety of the series, not just one game. Yordan Alvarez and Kyle Tucker will be stiff competition, but again, this is a pure bet on talent. A $100 bet pays out $1,100.
José Ramírez most RBIs in division round (+2200)
Again, Cole may get his strikeouts, but he is still fully capable of giving up runs. Ramírez was second in the AL in RBIs, only five back from Judge. If you think the Guardians can make this a competitive series against the Bronx Bombers, then Ramírez will be the driving force. There will be some highs and lows when it comes to the Guardians third baseman. He went 2-for-4 with two RBIs in Game 1 against the Tampa Bay Rays and followed it up with an 0-for-6 outing. But you're getting decent value on this prop and are purely betting on the massive highs Ramírez can bring. A $100 bet pays out $2,300.
Series Correct Score: Dodgers 3-0 (+360)
This is admittedly a bold one. Everyone wants to see the Dodgers lose, and the Padres accomplishing the feat would be a great "David versus Goliath" type of story. But Los Angeles sweeping the Padres isn't outside the realm of possibility. It went 14-5 in 2022 against San Diego, and it feels like the Dodgers have just been waiting to flex their talent in the postseason. They had 111 wins in the regular season with a plus-334 run differential, and it just felt expected. The variance of baseball means that even a dominant team can lose one game, but it's also likely not every game is going to go a full five games. A $100 bet pays out $460.
