Top MLB Betting Odds, Picks & Predictions: Monday, October 17th (2022)

The Cleveland Guardians and New York Yankees get the MLB spotlight all to themselves for the second day in a row, as a trip to the ALCS is on the line in this decisive Game 5. Whose season will end, and who will go on to face the Astros?

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Here are our best bets for Monday’s MLB action. (Odds courtesy of DraftKings)

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Cleveland Guardians vs. New York Yankees F5 Team Total O/U

The Yankees have yet to prove they can win without $324M man Gerrit Cole on the mound, as he came up big in Games 1 and 4 for the team’s two wins this series. They now hand the ball to Jameson Taillon in the biggest game of the season, after he failed to record an out in relief while allowing three consecutive hits and taking the loss in Game 2. Taillon held Cleveland to one run in five innings in his only start against them this year, lowering his career ERA against them to 3.94 in three career starts.

Meanwhile, the Guardians send Eli Morgan to the mound for the first time since October 5. Though he won his last three starts while pitching to a 3.18 ERA, rust has to be a factor, and we like for the Yankees to jump out to an early lead on him early. Anthony Rizzo is 5-for-10 against Morgan with two home runs and a 1.700 OPS, and he and the rest of the top of the order should take advantage of the smaller dimensions in the Bronx and continue their power surge that is responsible for nearly all the runs in this series. Morgan pitched to a 10.00 ERA in two starts against New York this year, so we are taking the Yankees team total Over in the first five innings before Cleveland’s top arms nail down the second half of the game.

Bet: New York Yankees F5 Team Total Over 1.5 Runs (-150 at DraftKings) 

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Mike Spector is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @MikeSpector01.