Betting news, trends, odds and predictions from various handicappers and websites for Monday 10/1/18
Preview: Brewers at Cubs
Gracenote
Sep 30, 2018
After meeting 19 times during the 162-game season, the Chicago Cubs and the visiting Milwaukee Brewers will clash one more time Monday at Wrigley Field to decide the National League Central championship. The winner will claim the division title and the top seed in the NL playoffs, while the loser will host the Colorado Rockies or Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL Wild Card Game Tuesday.
The Cubs took over sole possession of first place on Aug. 1 and led the Brewers by as many as five games in early September, but Milwaukee closed the regular season on a tear. The Brewers went 19-7 in September and won their final seven games, putting up double-digit run totals three times during the streak. Neither team will be surprised in game 163 - the Cubs lead the season series 11-8, but the Brewers won four of six meetings in September. "It's good to know what you'll be facing," Cubs outfielder Kyle Schwarber told reporters. "You've seen these guys multiple times. It's up to us to be able to execute. I think the common theme in playoff games is execution. That makes the little things matter. I'm sure that's what it's going to be (Monday) - little things will matter, and it'll be a fun game."
TV: 1:05 p.m. ET, ESPN
PITCHING MATCHUP: Brewers TBD vs. Cubs LH Jose Quintana (13-11, 4.09 ERA)
Brewers manager Craig Counsell didn’t immediately announce a starter Sunday. Right-hander Jhoulys Chacin (15-8, 3.56 ERA) is up next in the rotation, but the Brewers could opt to save him for the Wild Card Game or the NL Division Series opener. Counsell opted for a bullpen game in a critical contest at St. Louis last week and could do the same Monday.
Despite an uneven campaign, Quintana has matched a career-high for wins. The 29-year-old Colombian’s last win came against the Brewers on Sept. 11, but he has allowed two or fewer runs in seven of his last eight outings. Quintana is 4-1 with a 2.17 ERA in six starts against Milwaukee this season.
WALK-OFFS
1. Chicago 2B Daniel Murphy is 16-for-42 during a 10-game hitting streak, his longest since joining the Cubs.
2. Brewers CF Lorenzo Cain is 10-for-31 during a seven-game hitting streak.
3. Cubs INF Javier Baez is the first player in club history with at least 40 doubles, 30 homers, and 20 stolen bases in a season.
PREDICTION: Cubs 5, Brewers 3
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Preview: Rockies at Dodgers
Gracenote
Sep 30, 2018
Teams that look to carry over the offensive production from their final regular-season contests clash when the Colorado Rockies visit the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday afternoon for a one-game playoff to decide the National League West title. The Dodgers swept three from San Francisco over the weekend while scoring 28 runs, including 15 on Sunday, and Colorado won nine of its last 10 contests after a 12-0 rout of Washington in Sunday’s finale.
The winner advances to host the NL East champion Atlanta Braves in the opener of the best-of-five Division Series on Thursday and the loser settles for playing in the Wild Card Game on Tuesday at the Milwaukee Brewers or the Chicago Cubs. “Obviously it’s not do or die,” Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts told reporters, “but obviously it’s a must-win game. To win the game and to get a couple days off, and to host a division series, is very important.” Two young hard-throwing right-handed pitchers will take the mound Monday when Los Angeles hands the ball to Walker Buehler and the Rockies counter with German Marquez, who has two wins and a no-decision in three starts against the Dodgers this season. Colorado’s Nolan Arenado went deep twice Sunday, giving him an NL-most 37, and Manny Machado takes a nine-game hitting streak (12-for-36) into the contest for Los Angeles, which has won 12 of 19 games in the season series.
TV: 4:09 p.m. ET, ESPN
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rockies RH German Marquez (14-10, 3.76 ERA) vs. Dodgers RH Walker Buehler (7-5, 2.76)
Marquez won his last two starts, including Wednesday when he permitted three hits and one walk over seven scoreless innings against Philadelphia. The 23-year-old Venezuelan has registered 11 or more strikeouts in five of his last six outings and boasts 221 over 191 1/3 frames this season. Joc Pederson is 3-for-10 with two homers versus Marquez, who is 2-0 with a 3.19 ERA in five career starts against the Dodgers.
Buehler recorded four quality starts in five opportunities during September, but managed only a 1-1 record in that stretch despite a sparkling 1.95 ERA. The 24-year-old Kentucky native, who owns 148 strikeouts over 130 2/3 innings, held Arizona to two runs over six innings in his last start and has lost only once since Aug. 1 -- at Colorado on Sept. 8. Arenado and Carlos Gonzalez are each 3-for-10 against Buehler, who is 0-1 with a 2.61 ERA in five starts versus Colorado in 2018.
WALK-OFFS
1. Los Angeles has won at least 90 games for the sixth straight season, matching the streak of the Brooklyn Dodgers (1951-56) for the franchise record.
2. Colorado CF Charlie Blackmon hit for the cycle Sunday, going 4-for-5 with three RBIs, and has a team-high five homers against the Dodgers this season. Arenado has gone deep four times versus Los Angeles in 2018.
3. Los Angeles OF Yasiel Puig is 21-for-48 with five homers versus the Rockies this year.
PREDICTION: Dodgers 5, Rockies 4
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MLB
Monday, October 1
National League
Winners of these two games move on to next round of playoffs; losers meet Tuesday to play the NL Wild Card game.
No one gets eliminated today.
Brewers (95-67) @ Cubs (95-67)
Milwaukee hasn’t named a starter for this game; bullpen game? Team in his starts: road
5-inning record: Allowed run in 1st inning:
Quintana is 0-2, 5.40 in his last three starts; under is 8-6-1 in his last 15 starts. He is 4-1, 2.17 in six starts vs Milwaukee this year. Team in his starts: 18-13, 10-4 home
5-inning record: 14-13-4 Allowed run in 1st inning: 8-31
Brewers are 8-11 vs Chicago this year, but 7-3 in last 10 meetings; they’re 3-6 in Wrigley Field this season. Milwaukee is 22-7 in its last 29 games, 11-3 in its last 14 road games. Cubs won four of their last five games, all at home.
Milwaukee is in playoffs for first time since 2011; Cubs are in playoffs for 4th year in a row; they won the World Series two years ago.
Rockies (91-71) @ Dodgers (91-71)
Marquez is 3-1, 2.33 in his last four starts (over 3-1). He is 2-o, 2.57 in three starts vs LA this season. Team in his starts: 18-13, 9-6 road
5-inning record: 12-14-5 Allowed run in 1st inning: 16-31
Buehler is 1-0, 1.80 in his last three starts; under is 8-2 in his last ten. He is 0-1, 3.19 in five starts vs Colorado this year. Team in his starts: 13-9, 7-4 home
5-inning record: 12-6-4 Allowed run in 1st inning: 5-22
Colorado won nine of its last ten games, including last three on road. Dodgers are 9-3 in their last 12 games, 5-1 in last six at home. Dodgers are 12-7 vs Colorado this season, 6-3 in Chavez Ravine.
Rockies lost Wild Card game LY, their first playoff appearance since ’09-they’re trying for first-ever NL West title. Los Angeles is in playoffs for 6th year in a row; they lost World Series in seven games LY, and haven’t won a World Series since 1988.
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