Toronto Blue Jays’ Teoscar Hernandez reacts while batting during a baseball game Saturday, Sept. 24, 2022, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Scott Audette)
The final weekend of the MLB season is here and teams are still jockeying for playoff positioning and to clinch spots. With a full slate of games, plus a couple of double headers, there are plenty of betting options. Let’s take a look at the top three teams to bet on in Friday’s MLB action.
Toronto Blue Jays
The Jays have clinched a playoff spot but are still in a battle for the top Wild Card spot. That fourth-place finish brings home-field advantage in the first round, and Toronto wants to bring the series to Canada. They have a slim two-game lead over both Tampa Bay and Seattle as they begin the weekend series at home against Boston.
The Jays are a good bet on Friday as they have ace Alex Manoah (15-7, 2.51) on the mound. Boston counters with Nick Pivetta (10-11, 4.48) as their starting pitcher.
Boston is just 7-13 in their last 20 games, and they are simply playing out the season. The Jays are 11-9 over the last 20, and Manoah hasn’t taken a loss since August 22. In his last five starts, he is 3-0 with a 1.05 ERA. Over the last two seasons, he is 3-0 against the Red Sox with a 1.74 ERA.
Toronto has dominated the Red Sox this season with a 13-3 record, including six straight wins. They have scored nine runs off Pivetta in 14 innings of work with a pair of home runs. Toronto is 10 games over .500 at home, while Boston is 10 games under on the road.
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins have been eliminated as they head to Detroit for a weekend series. Detroit has won six in a row but is still 68-92 on the season and 6-10 against the Twins. The pitching matchup on Friday heavily favors the Twins to start this series,
Minnesota sends RHP Joe Ryan (12-8, 3.70) to the mound against Detroit LHP Tyler Alexander (4-10, 4.68). Ryan is 3-0 against the Tigers this season, with just two runs allowed in 17 ⅔ innings. He has 23 strikeouts in those outings with just two walks issued.
Meanwhile, Alexander lost both of his starts against the Twins in 2022. Including last year’s starts, he has a 4.43 ERA in his last five outings against Minnesota, with three home runs allowed. Alexander is 1-3 with an ERA over 6.00 in his last six starts, allowing seven home runs in that span.
Miami Marlins
Miami picked up a comeback win on Thursday with a grand slam in the eighth inning to knock off the Milwaukee Brewers 4-2. The win kept the Brewers from moving into a tie for the final playoff spot in the National League. The series in Milwaukee continues on Friday.
Friday’s pitching matchup is fantastic but slightly favors the Marlins. They send NL Cy Young favorite Sandy Alcantara (14-8, 2.52) to the mound against reigning Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes (11-8, 3.11). This could be Alcantara’s final start of the season as he gives the voters one last look at what has been a breakout season.
Alcantara has two complete games in his last six starts. He has struck out and walked just two over 17 innings in his last two starts. Alcantara is 2-0 with a 1.71 ERA in his career as a starter against the Brewers.
Burnes has lost two of his last three starts and seems to be running out of gas down the stretch. He’s allowed three home runs in that stretch, and the Brewers bullpen has struggled in September.
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