The Yankees are not playing their best ball right now, but at 87-75 they get to host the wildcard game over the 86-76 Astros. Of course, neither have been a great bet this year with New York posting a cumulative moneyline of -$339 and the Astros at -$278.
ODDS ANALYSIS
The Yankees skidded to the finish line, dropping six of their last seven games against the Orioles and Red Sox, two teams long since eliminated from serious playoff contention.
The Astros, on the other hand, made a strong push at the end to overtake the AL West or at least grab home field in the wildcard game, but fell short thanks to a loss on Sunday.
Still, the team has won six of their last eight games.
It’s unfortunate for the Astros that this game will be on the road. They’re the one team in baseball that most needs home field advantage as they’re just 33-48 on the road, but 53-28 at home. The Yankees are 45-36 at home.
PITCHING MATCHUP
One of the biggest hurdles for the Yankees in making a deep postseason push is their starting rotation which is a bit of a question mark.
The one clear answer they do have, however, is Masahiro Tanaka who takes the bump in the wildcard game.
The health of Tanaka is a question, but the Japanese hurler only missed a few starts and is 12-7 with a 3.51 ERA in 154 innings of work. His 0.999 WHIP is particularly impressive as he’s been able to do a great job keeping runners off base. That’s been helpful considering his tendency to give up the long ball. He’s allowed 25 this season.
Over Tanaka’s last five starts, he’s pitched really well with a 3.06 ERA in 32 1/3 innings.
On the other side, the Astros are expected to throw Dallas Keuchel. He’d be on three days’ rest after throwing six innings on Friday night.
Overall, Keuchel is 20-8 with a 2.48 ERA and a 1.017 WHIP in 232 innings of work.
Against the Yankees, Keuchel threw 16 innings this year, allowing no runs on just nine hits, and collecting a pair of wins. That gives the Astros an upper hand, though Keuchel has been nearly unhittable at home with a 1.46 ERA, but much more pedestrian in going 5-8 with a 3.77 ERA when on the road.
QUOTE TO NOTE
Tanaka allowed four runs in five innings against the Red Sox in his last outing. That was his first start back after an 11-day hiatus due to a hamstring injury. While the numbers were suspect, he came out of the game healthy and is ready for the Wildcard game.
When the Yankees announced Tanaka as the starter, manager Joe Girardi simply said:
“He’s pitching. That was the guy that we were planning on pitching in that one-game playoff, but we had to see how he was and we wanted to try and get him as healthy as possible before we pitched him again.” He added: “he came out healthy and he’s on a normal schedule. He did his bullpen and he’s ready to go.”
LIVE/SITUATIONAL BETTING
While we have two aces on the mound, this game still has the potential for a lot of fireworks as the Astros and Yankees are too of the more prolific home run hitting teams in the majors.
The Astros have outslugged the Yankees 230 homers to 212, but the Yankees have been the more productive offense overall. They’ve scored 34 additional runs through Saturday and have gotten on base at a much better clip as well.
For the Astros, a lot boils down to youngsters like George Springer and Carlos Correa while the Yankees are more dependent on the older players like Carlos Beltran and Alex Rodriguez, though young first baseman Greg Bird has been huge filling in for the injured Mark Teixeira.
PROP TALK
Keuchel has done well against the Yankees, but Carlos Beltran has had his number in limited action. The veteran outfielder is 4-for-9 against him with a home run and a double.
On the other side, Luis Valbuena is the only Astro with more than three at bats against Tanaka, though there are three separate Houston hitters with home runs against him, including Jose Altuve, Chris Carter and Carlos Correa.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
It’s hard to count out the Yankees, they’ve got a team full of talent and experience. They know how to win. That said, a pitcher just removed from an injury who struggled his last time out is not the most comforting if you’re looking to put money on the Bronx Bombers.
Still, the Yankees are at home and will have the support of the Yankees’ faithful. Meanwhile, the Astros have proven they are a far different team on the road. Perhaps that comes from a younger core. If that’s the case, however, the bright lights in New York in a playoff game may be a bit too much to overcome.
If this was a five or seven game series, I’d like the Astros, but in a one-and-done situation, I’m not solid on the young nucleus to get the job done on the road, even with Keuchel on the hill.
New York 4, Houston 3
The MLB lines for this contest will first be released by BookMaker Sportsbook. Since this game can be seen by anyone with a TV, BookMaker will have a multitude of wagering options available for it. Outside of the normal lines, you can gamble on real-time moneylines, player props and inning totals. Live betting is open during every commercial break!
Access live betting lines from your mobile device at BookMaker Sportsbook! You can wager on sporting events as they unfold on television with BookMaker’s live betting platform. Real-time spreads, totals, props and moneyline odds are all available by clicking here so start betting with BookMaker today! The ballgame pitting the Houston Astros versus the New York Yankees will commence Tuesday, October 6, 2015, at 8:00 p.m. ET at Yankee Stadium. The matchup can be seen live on ESPN.
