MLB playoffs predictions, betting preview & free tips

Free Baseball tips, best bets and analysis for the 2020 MLB playoffs

Best bet

San Diego Padres to win the National League
1pt 5-1 general

Already advised

Tampa Bay to win American League
1pt 8-1 general

Houston Astros to win World Series
1pt e-w 7-1 Betfair, Betfred, Power

Preview

The short, sharp 60-game MLB regular season is over and an expanded post-season programme begins tonight with a new-look wildcard round.

All 16 qualified teams are involved, playing series of three games at the home ballpark of the higher-seeded team before progressing to the Division Series, Championship Series and World Series.

All of those will be played in a bubble, across four regional venues - Petco Park in San Diego, Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Globe Life Field in Arlington and Texas & Minute Maid Park in Houston.

The San Diego Padres were one of the most impressive teams to come out of the shortened season and it is worth taking a chance on them to win the National League title.

The Padres fell short in their pursuit of the Dodgers in the NL West, but their underlying stats - home runs, strikeouts, walks - were even more impressive than their bare win total of 37.

The LA Dodgers are the best team in the NL but, given how unpredictable baseball can be over a small number of games, the wildcard round could lead to some shocks and San Diego, with MVP candidates Fernando Tatis Jr and Manny Machado in the line-up, could be overpriced to go all the way to the Fall Classic.

Our pre-season advice of Tampa Bay to win the American League has gone nicely to plan and there is no reason to desert the Rays now.

They were comfortable winners of the AL East, finishing seven games clear of the Yankees. The Rays have a balanced team who are good at every aspect of the game and arguably the best in the American League.

They are seeded first and will take on the Toronto Blue Jays, who they beat six times from their ten matches this season.

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