MLB betting odds are on the board for the NLCS and ALCS that just won’t end, with both series on the Saturday schedule. The defending AL champion Houston Astros aim to complete a stunning comeback against the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 7, while the Los Angeles Dodgers look to force Game 7 against the Atlanta Braves.
William Hill US provided insights on MLB opening lines and early movement, sharp money and public betting for Saturday’s games. Covers will update this action report with MLB sharp picks vs. public bets and line movement through game time.
MLB line movement
UPDATE 8:15 P.M. ET SATURDAY: Tampa Bay opened a slim -110 favorite over Houston (-104) at FanDuel, and the Rays reached -130 before receding to -122, with the Astros +106. The total moved from 9 to 8 overnight last night, then further dipped to 7.5 today.
UPDATE 3:45 P.M. ET SATURDAY: BetMGM Nevada opened the Dodgers -145/Braves +125, and there's been no movement, less than an hour before first pitch. The total opened at 8 and moved to 8.5 early today. In Astros-Rays, the line hasn't moved off Tampa Bay -120/Houston even money, and the total is stable at 8.
UPDATE 1:15 P.M. ET SATURDAY: DraftKings opened the Dodgers -157 and the Braves +132, and the moneyline is currently -150/+125. The total opened at 8 and moved to 8.5 this morning. Astros-Rays opened at Tampa Bay -122/Houston +105, and there's been no movement so far. The total dipped from 8 to 7.5 this afternoon.
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Houston lost the first three games of the ALCS, then rebounded to win three in a row, including Friday’s 7-4 victory in Game 6 to tie the series. William Hill US opened Game 7 at Rays -117/Astros +107, with a total of 8, and there was no movement Friday night for this 8:37 p.m. ET Saturday first pitch.
Los Angeles had to win Friday’s Game 5 to stay alive in the NLCS, and did so, with Will Smith’s three-run bomb in the sixth inning helping fuel a 7-3 victory. The Dodgers pulled within 3-2 in the series and can knot it up in Game 6, which starts at 4:38 p.m. ET.
William Hill US opened at Dodgers -145/Braves +135 late Friday night, with a total of 8.
MLB sharp money
UPDATE 1:15 P.M. ET SATURDAY: The public will surely roll in on the Dodgers closer to first pitch, but right now at DraftKings, the underdog Braves are seeing 61 percent of tickets/78 percent of money in early action.
MLB public betting
UPDATE 8:15 P.M. ET SATURDAY: Astros-Rays is pretty much dead-even two-way action on the moneyline at FanDuel, with Tampa Bay attracting 51 percent of tickets and the money split 50/50. And although the total has dropped, 69 percent of tickets and 79 percent of dollars bet are on the Over.
UPDATE 3:45 P.M. ET SATURDAY: "We need the Braves, just like every other game," BetMGM Nevada's Jeff Stoneback said of the Atlanta-Los Angeles clash. "Money is 4/1 on the Dodgers, but ticket count is only 3/2." Although the total is up a half-run, Stoneback said there's not much of a decision on that market. On Astros-Rays: "That one's really light right now." Stoneback said. "Ticket count is 3/2 on the Astros, and money is 2/1 on the Astros, but there's not that much money."
UPDATE 1:15 P.M. ET SATURDAY: On the Braves-Dodgers total, 73 percent of bets/93 percent of cash are on the Over. Astros-Rays is seeing two-way play, but with a lean toward surging Houston, which is attracting 57 percent of tickets/58 percent of money. And although the Astros-Rays total is down a notch, the Over is drawing 63 percent of tickets/87 percent of money.
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Covers Consensus, often a good indicator of where the public stands, showed a near-split decision late Friday night on Astros-Rays, with Houston getting 52 percent of early picks.
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