Everyone loves an underdog, but you won’t find any sportsbook owners cheering on the Baltimore Orioles or the Washington Nationals tonight.
Baseball Playoffs Betting Update: Yankees Favored over Orioles, Nationals over Cardinals
The final two spots will be booked for the league championship series and the home teams are favored in both cases Friday. The Yankees are big chalk vs Baltimore, while the Nationals are slight chalk against St. Louis.
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Both teams hit Game of their respective divisional playoff series and sportsbook operators would rather have them gone.
But the sportsbooks have booked earlier longshot action on both the Orioles and Nationals to win the World Series. If either wins it all, it can be a huge payday for some bettors who got these teams at 100/1 odds or greater.
The Yankees were -195 chalk on most baseball odds menus earlier Friday with CC Sabathia on the hill and the defending-champion Cardinals were slight underdogs to the Nationals.
Baltimore forced a Game 5 and sends Jason Hammel, who has already lost once to Sabathia in this series.
In Washington, Jason Werth’s homer forced a Game 5 and the Nationals send their ace (the one not named Stephen Strasburg) Gio Gonzalez to the mound.
The home teams have dominated their foes at home, as you can see in the baseball betting trends below.
Check out the latest MLB lines at SBNation.
Baltimore +184 at NY Yankees -191, Total 7.5 - Jason Hammel (8-6) | CC Sabathia (16-6) | Matchup Report | SBNation MLB Odds
Trends: The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Baltimore’s last 5 games on the road
NY Yankees are 11-2 SU in their last 13 games at home
St. Louis +127 at Washington -132, Total 7 - Adam Wainwright (14-13) | Gio Gonzalez (21-8) | Matchup Report | SBNation MLB Odds
Trends: The total has gone OVER in 11 of St. Louis’s last 14 games when playing Washington
Washington is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games when playing at home against St. Louis
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