Cnotes MLB 2019 Thru the World Series News, Notes, Trends Best Bets and Opinions !

[StarDust Bum]

SCHEDULE FOR FRIDAY OCTOBER 2, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
5:09pm Tampa Bay Oakland RingCentral Coliseum

SCHEDULE FOR THURSDAY OCTOBER 3, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
5:02 PM St. Louis Cardinals Atlanta Braves SunTrust Park
8:37 PM Washington Nationals Los Angeles Dodgers Dodger Stadium

SCHEDULE FOR FRIDAY OCTOBER 4, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
2:05 PM TBA Houston Astros Minute Maid Park
4:37 PM St. Louis Cardinals Atlanta Braves SunTrust Park
7:07 PM Minnesota Twins New York Yankees Yankee Stadium
9:37 PM Washington Nationals Los Angeles Dodgers Dodger Stadium

SCHEDULE FOR SATURDAY OCTOBER 5, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
5:07 PM Minnesota Twins New York Yankees Yankee Stadium
9:07 PM TBA Houston Astros Minute Maid Park

SCHEDULE FOR SUNDAY OCTOBER 6, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
12:00 PM Los Angeles Dodgers Washington Nationals Nationals Park
1:00 PM Atlanta Braves St. Louis Cardinals Busch Stadium

SCHEDULE FOR MONDAY OCTOBER 7, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
12:00 PM Los Angeles Dodgers Washington Nationals Nationals Park
1:00 PM Atlanta Braves St. Louis Cardinals Busch Stadium
1:00 PM Houston Astros TBA
1:00 PM New York Yankees Minnesota Twins Target Field

SCHEDULE FOR TUESDAY OCTOBER 8, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
1:00 PM Houston Astros TBA
1:00 PM New York Yankees Minnesota Twins Target Field

Updated Wed Oct 2 12:00 AM EDT


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MLB PLAYOFF'S OPINIONS AND BEST BETS: ALL BASED ON 5 UNITS

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD.


10/01/2019 0-2-0 0.00% -10.50


Totals...............0-2-0 0.00% -10.50


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BEST BETS:

DATE........................ATS.............UNITS. ............O/U...............UNITS.............TOTALS


10/01/2019.............0 - 1..............-5.00..............0 - 1..............-5.50...............-10.50


Totals.....................0 - 1..............-5.00...............0 - 1..............-5.50...............-10.50

[StarDust Bum]

Wednesday’s 6-pack

Interesting college football spreads this weekend:

— Oregon State @ UCLA (-5.5)

— Iowa @ Michigan (-3.5)

— Northwestern @ Nebraska (-3.5)

— Air Force (-3) @ Navy

— TCU @ Iowa State (-3.5)

— Auburn (-3) @ Florida

Quote of the Day
“Falling down is part of life; getting back up is living.”
Anonymous

Wednesday’s quiz
Who won/lost the last time the World Series was a sweep?

Tuesday’s quiz
Sam Darnold played his college football at USC.

Monday’s quiz
Clint Hurdle managed the Colorado Rockies in their one World Series appearance.

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Wednesday’s Den: NFL stats after four weeks……

13) Best red zone offenses:
Seattle 6.25 ppp, Cowboys 6.08, Ravens 6.07

Worst red zone offenses:
Dolphins 2.67, Bengals 3.00, Raiders 3.62

12) Best offenses on drives that start 75+ yards from goal line:
Ravens 3.76 ppp, Chiefs 3.19, Chargers 2.88

Worst offenses on drives that start 75+ yards from goal line:
Jets 0.37, Dolphins 0.52, Bucs 0.88

11) Best red zone defenses:
Patriots 2.50, 49ers 2.88, Steelers 3.57, Chiefs 3.76

Worst red zone defenses:
Browns 6.60, Dolphins 6.16, Colts 5.67, Saints 5.57

10) Best defenses on drives that start 75+ yards from goal line:
49ers 0.38, Patriots 0.39, Bills 0.77, Bears 0.84

Worst defenses on drives that start 75+ yards from goal line:
Dolphins 3.05, Cardinals 3.03, Chiefs 2.67, Falcons 2.56

9) QB’s with most passing yards:
Mahomes KC 1,510, Ryan Atl 1,325, Goff LAR/Rivers LAC 1,254

8) QB’s with most touchdown passes:
10— Brissett-Jackson-Mahomes
9— Prescott-Stafford-Wentz-Winston
8— Ryan-Wilson

7) RB’s with most rushing yards:
McCaffrey 411, Cook 410, Fournette 404, Chubb 398

6) Players with most receiving yards:
KAllen 452, Kupp 388, Godwin 386, Adams 378

6) Teams that scored the most points:
135— Chiefs/Ravens
123— Buccaneers
122— Patriots
117— Rams

5) Offenses with most plays of 20+ yards:
Chiefs 27, Chargers/Ravens 23, Lions 22, Falcons 21

4) Offenses that have gained most yards/game:
Ravens 482.5, Chiefs 474.8, Cowboys 425.2, 49ers 421.0

3) Defenses that allowed fewest yards/game:
Patriots 243.0, Bills 280.8, 49ers 283.3, Panthers 287.5

2) Best net punting average:
Redskins 48.5, Giants 46.8, Cardinals/Saints/Eagles 44.8.

1) Best turnover ratios:
+6— Bears/Patriots
+5— Titans
+4— Packers/Jets/Steelers

Worst turnover ratios:
-7— Dolphins
-5— Falcons/Giants/Broncos/Bengals
-3— Panthers/Rams/Redskins

[StarDust Bum]

Wild Card Trends
September 30, 2019
By VI News

MLB Wild Card History & Trends (2012-2018)

-- Favorites have won seven of the last eight Wild Card games

-- The 'over' is on a 3-1 run the past two years

-- Road teams have gone 8-6 overall

-- Favorites have gone 10-4 overall

-- Two wild card games have gone into extra innings and the underdog won both contests

-- The 'over'/under' has gone 7-7 overall


2018 WILD CARD RESULTS

Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under
AL Oakland at N.Y. Yankees (-200) 7-2 Favorite Over (8.5)
NL Colorado (+125) at Chicago 2-1 (13) Underdog Under (7.5)

2017 WILD CARD RESULTS
Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under
AL Minnesota at N.Y. Yankees (-255) 8-4 Favorite Over (7.5)
NL Colorado at Arizona (-150) 11-8 Favorite Over (8.5)

2016 WILD CARD RESULTS
Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under
AL Baltimore at Toronto (-165) 5-2 Favorite Under (8.5)
NL San Francisco (-120) at N.Y. Mets 2-0 Favorite Under (6)

2015 WILD CARD RESULTS
Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under
AL Houston (-110) at N.Y. Yankees 3-0 Favorite Under (7)
NL Chicago (-125) at Pittsburgh 4-0 Favorite Under (5.5)

2014 WILD CARD RESULTS
Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under
AL Oakland at Kansas City (+100) 9-8 (12) Underdog Over (6.5)
NL San Francisco (-110) at Pittsburgh 8-0 Favorite Over (6.5)

2013 WILD CARD RESULTS
Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under
AL Tampa Bay (-110) at Cleveland 6-2 Favorite Over (6.5)
NL Cincinnati at Pittsburgh (-145) 4-0 Favorite Under (7)

2012 WILD CARD RESULTS
Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under
AL Baltimore (+210) at Texas 5-2 Underdog Under 9
NL St. Louis (+155) at Atlanta 6-3 Underdog Over 6.5

[StarDust Bum]

Manaea earns AL wild-card start for A's
October 1, 2019
By The Associated Press

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) Just more than a year after shoulder surgery, Sean Manaea will make his most important start yet when he takes the mound for the Oakland Athletics in the AL wild-card game.

Manager Bob Melvin named Manaea his starter for Wednesday's winner-take-all home game against the Tampa Bay Rays. The left-hander earned the nod over Mike Fiers in a tough decision.

''I think it came down to the fact that since Manaea's been back, he's pitched great every single game out,'' Melvin said Tuesday before his team held a workout. ''We were lucky to have two guys to consider in that respect and a luxury to have two guys we'd be comfortable with, but Manaea will start.''

Manaea returned later than he had hoped following surgery last September but immediately found a groove, going 4-0 with 1.21 ERA in five starts last month.

''This is one of those opportunities I think about a lot,'' the 27-year-old Manaea said of his first playoff start.

Fiers (15-4) pitched a no-hitter May 7 against the Reds to begin a 21-start unbeaten stretch in which he went 12-0.

''Mike's been the ace of the staff this year,'' Manaea said.

Fiers also was passed over for last year's wild-card game started by opener Liam Hendriks in a 7-2 loss to New York at Yankee Stadium.

Rays right-hander Charlie Morton (16-6, 3.05 ERA), who is set to start for Tampa Bay, praised Manaea's remarkable comeback.

''It's nice to see that,'' Morton said. ''That's a really big deal. The shoulder is a tricky thing to come back from and it's not a guarantee and then to make it back and pitch well enough to not only be on the roster but start this game is a big deal. It speaks for what I'm assuming what was a really rough and prolonged rehab. It's nice to see that, it's good for baseball.''

It's been a long journey back for Manaea with a couple of setbacks during his recovery. Oakland waited patiently, hoping to return Manaea to the form he showed during a no-hitter against the eventual World Series champion Red Sox on April 21, 2018.

''No-hitter, that was huge, but it's only one game,'' Manaea said. ''I know it was against the Red Sox. This is a completely different beast.''

Having let his hair grow since January, Manaea was headed to get it braided before his outing. When Melvin called Manaea into his office a couple of days ago and asked the pitcher whether he wanted the ball Wednesday, Manaea's answer was immediate:

''Hell, yeah!''

''Crazy how things turn out,'' Manaea said. ''Obviously there's a lot of pressure. You can't shy away from that. This game means everything.''

[StarDust Bum]

LEADING OFF: A's choose Manaea, Rays start Morton in WC game
October 1, 2019
By The Associated Press

A look at what's happening around the majors Wednesday:

THAT'S WILD

The Athletics have tabbed left-hander Sean Manaea (4-0, 1.21 ERA) to start the AL wild-card game against Tampa Bay. The 27-year-old Manaea missed last postseason, when Oakland lost the wild-card game to the Yankees, and most of this regular season following left shoulder surgery. He returned in September and has been sharp over five starts. He'll start opposite Rays right-hander Charlie Morton (16-6, 3.05) - that's right, no openers for either of these forward-thinking clubs - although neither manager will shy away from an early hook.

OCT-HOMER

Hitters smashed a record 6,776 home runs in 2019, and pitchers are preparing for a big fly bonanza this postseason. Justin Verlander told the AP ''the game has changed completely'' this year, and he's blamed that on adjustments to the baseball. Commissioner Rob Manfred has acknowledged the ball has less drag but says the league isn't sure why. He denied charges from Verlander and other pitchers that the balls have been deliberately altered. Either way, it's been a frustrating year for pitchers, and that's unlikely to change under October's bright lights.

''You know there are going to be a few more runs scored and balls are going to leave the ballpark,'' A's manager Bob Melvin said.

Might this postseason look something like the 2017 World Series? Pitchers claimed the balls were slicker then, too, and that slugfest between the Astros and Dodgers featured a record 25 home runs and went down as an instant classic. Exciting for fans, certainly. Pitchers remain less enthused.

''Before, it was like the big wreck at a NASCAR race,'' Braves reliever Shane Greene said. ''You might see one, and everybody showed up to see that one homer. Now, you're going to see six.''

WORKING IT OUT

The Twins and Yankees may provide updates on a few injured players, two days before they open their AL Division Series on Friday.

Hot-hitting Minnesota rookie Luis Arraez sprained his right ankle Saturday, and as of Sunday, the club wasn't sure what his timeline might be for a return. He hit .334 in 92 games, splitting time between second base, third base, shortstop and left field.

Yankees slugger Edwin Encarnacion hasn't played since Sept. 12 due to a left oblique strain but he's been adamant he'll return for the playoffs. Third baseman Gio Urshela sprained his left ankle in the regular-season finale Sunday, but the Yankees said it was mild with no swelling.

STILL SEARCHING

For the second consecutive offseason, the Reds are looking for a new hitting coach. Cincinnati fired Turner Ward on Tuesday after one season. Ward was hired as part of first-year manager David Bell's staff last offseason after three years in the same role with the Los Angeles Dodgers, but Cincinnati's offense mostly declined. The Reds dipped in batting average and on-base percentage, struck out more often and narrowly improved their output from 696 runs to 701. A number of key players regressed, notably star Joey Votto, who hit .261 with 15 home runs.

[StarDust Bum]

Low-budget Rays, A's meet in Wild Card
October 1, 2019
By The Associated Press

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) Bob Melvin has been counting on his young Oakland Athletics to build on last season's playoff return that ended in a lopsided wild-card loss at Yankee Stadium.

Gain some experience under pressure. Get a little feel for October baseball. Understand how much has to go right to win on the big stage.

Reaching the Division Series again would be a significant step this easygoing group knows it must take now. The A's have lost eight straight winner-take-all games since 2000, going 1-14 with a chance to advance to the next round. Their only win was in 2006 against the Twins before being swept in the AL Championship Series by the Tigers.

The timing seems perfect for these A's to make a major statement in the East Bay if they can win Wednesday night against the Rays: the Golden State Warriors left for San Francisco and the Oakland Raiders are relocating to Las Vegas.

Oakland's own MC Hammer will get things started by throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at the Coliseum, where more than 50,000 are expected to pack the ballpark with the upper deck seats open.

''I've never pitched in front of 50,000 people,'' said A's left-hander Sean Manaea, who will be making his first playoff start at age 27 and after missing nearly a year following shoulder surgery.

This is a wild-card matchup featuring two of baseball's lowest-spending franchises - Tampa Bay ranks last at $66.4 million while Oakland sits 25th at $95.3 million. The A's won 97 games, the Rays 96.

The teams have never met before in the playoffs, and they haven't seen each other this season since June.

Many consider these clubs mirror images of one another, each with ballpark concerns, and there are plenty of other similarities - not to mention a lot to gain. The Rays return to the playoffs for the first time since 2013.

''Certainly appreciate the Bay Area's support, and if the magnitude of this game helps that, we're better for it,'' Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said.

The slugging A's got back to the playoffs last season for the first time in four years before a 7-2 road defeat to the Yankees.

''I knew last year this team was good,'' Rays starter and Cy Young Award candidate Charlie Morton said. ''The A's being good is good for baseball.''

Morton went 16-6 with a 3.05 ERA and 240 strikeouts. He allowed just one run in 13 1/3 innings against the A's this season.

For weeks, Tampa Bay planned for Morton to start this game if the Rays made it.

''We wouldn't want anybody else out there right now,'' Cash said.

Here are some things to watch for heading into Wednesday's game:

RAYS INJURIES

The Rays have a few decisions to make on their roster.

While infielder Eric Sogard - who played for the A's from 2010-15 -"turned a pretty significant corner'' in his recovery from a bone bruise in his right foot, according to Cash, the Rays were waiting until Wednesday morning to set their roster.

Sogard hasn't played since Sept. 15 at the Angels.

Third baseman Yandy Diaz, who played in just 79 games and was activated Sunday after being out since July 23 with a foot injury, was going to take groundballs Tuesday but hasn't yet played the field, so his status was unclear.

TOUGH CALL

Melvin waited until Tuesday to announce Manaea as his starter over Mike Fiers.

Manaea returned later than he had hoped following surgery last September but immediately found a groove, going 4-0 with 1.21 ERA in five starts last month.

''This is one of those opportunities I think about a lot,'' Manaea said.

Fiers (15-4) pitched a no-hitter May 7 against the Reds to begin a 21-start unbeaten stretch in which he went 12-0.

THE DAVIS FACTOR

Khris Davis' drop off this season has been perplexing. He was last season's majors home run leader with 48 but hit just 23 this year. He batted a career-low .220 and drove in just 73 runs following four straight seasons in which he hit .247.

Yet the A's still hit 257 home runs, fifth-most in the majors.

Seven players hit 20 or more homers. Matt Chapman and Matt Olson finished with 36 apiece and Marcus Semien had 33 in his best season yet at the plate and playing shortstop while appearing in all 162 games.

Against the Rays, Olson hit three homers in seven games and Chapman and Ramon Laureano each hit two.

''I'm not really concerned about what Khris Davis has done this season to date, he's been a model of consistency for three or four years now,'' Cash said. ''Very, very dangerous. I think they complement each other really well. We've got our hands full.''

PISCOTTY STATUS

A's right fielder Stephen Piscotty was left off the roster

''I feel bad for him,'' said Melvin, now baseball's longest-tenured manager.

Piscotty has been out with a sprained right ankle since Aug. 25 and the challenge was not having a place to get rehab at-bats. He also missed extended time with a sprained right knee from June 30 to Aug. 2.

He batted .249 with 13 homers and 44 RBIs when healthy.

Melvin was fortunate to have the versatile Mark Canha to fill in for both Piscotty and center fielder Laureano.

Canha's 26 homers ranked fourth on the team.

[StarDust Bum]

913TAMPA BAY -914 OAKLAND
OAKLAND is 19-8 SU (14.3 Units) in home games vs. good power teams - averaging 1.25 or more HR's/game in the second half of the season in the current season.


MLB
Dunkel

Wednesday, October 2


Tampa Bay @ Oakland

Game 913-914
October 2, 2019 @ 8:09 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Tampa Bay
(Morton) 16.296
Oakland
(TBD) 14.877
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Tampa Bay
by 1 1/2
9
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Oakland
-150
7 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Tampa Bay
(+130); Over


MLB
Long Sheet

Wednesday, October 2

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TAMPA BAY (96 - 66) at OAKLAND (97 - 65) - 8:09 PM
CHARLIE MORTON (R) vs. SEAN MANAEA (L)
Top Trends for this game.
OAKLAND is 96-64 (+22.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
OAKLAND is 52-27 (+15.8 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
OAKLAND is 62-40 (+17.7 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
OAKLAND is 127-92 (+30.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 38-24 (+11.9 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
OAKLAND is 41-24 (+23.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
OAKLAND is 24-14 (+15.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
TAMPA BAY is 186-138 (+23.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 38-26 (+13.2 Units) against the money line on the road when the money line is +125 to -125 over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 79-66 (+15.5 Units) against the money line in road games in night games over the last 3 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 76-70 (+19.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 38-23 (+23.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
OAKLAND is 4-3 (+1.5 Units) against TAMPA BAY this season
5 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.9 Units)

CHARLIE MORTON vs. OAKLAND since 1997
MORTON is 2-1 when starting against OAKLAND with an ERA of 3.20 and a WHIP of 1.144.
His team's record is 2-5 (-6.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-4. (-1.5 units)

SEAN MANAEA vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
MANAEA is 1-1 when starting against TAMPA BAY with an ERA of 2.70 and a WHIP of 0.950.
His team's record is 2-1 (+0.9 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-2. (-1.3 units)

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MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Wednesday, October 2

American League Wild Card Game
Rays (96-66) @ A’s (97-65)
Morton is 3-0, 2.73 in his last five starts; he is 2-2, 4.60 in seven career playoff games (6 starts), and is 2-1, 2.97 in seven career starts vs Oakland.

Manaea is 4-0, 1.21 in five starts (29.2 IP) this year, as he comes back from injury; he is 1-1, 2.70 in three starts vs Tampa Bay. This will be his first postseason appearance.

Oakland is 4-3 vs Tampa Bay this year; teams split four games played here.

Rays are in playoffs for first time since 2013.

A’s are in playoffs for 2nd year in a row, 5th time in eight years- they lost the Wild Card game in New York LY.


MLB

Wednesday, October 2

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Trend Report
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Oakland Athletics
Oakland is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games
Oakland is 13-5 SU in its last 18 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Oakland's last 5 games
Oakland is 16-8 ATS in its last 24 games at home
Oakland is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Oakland is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
Oakland is 17-7 ATS in its last 24 games when playing Tampa Bay
Oakland is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Tampa Bay
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Oakland's last 7 games when playing Tampa Bay
Oakland is 10-4 ATS in its last 14 games when playing at home against Tampa Bay
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Oakland's last 14 games when playing at home against Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay Rays
Tampa Bay is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games
Tampa Bay is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Tampa Bay's last 5 games
Tampa Bay is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Tampa Bay is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Tampa Bay's last 6 games on the road
Tampa Bay is 7-17 ATS in its last 24 games when playing Oakland
Tampa Bay is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Oakland
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Tampa Bay's last 7 games when playing Oakland
Tampa Bay is 4-10 ATS in its last 14 games when playing on the road against Oakland
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Tampa Bay's last 14 games when playing on the road against Oakland

[StarDust Bum]

AL Wild Card Best Bet
Matt Blunt

Tampa Bay at Oakland (ESPN, 8:09 p.m. ET)

Really meaningful baseball is back in all of our lives now with the playoffs set to go on Tuesday night, and Wild Card games can be a great way to kick off what should be a great October. Yet, generally speaking, since these Wild Card games were instituted in 2012, you generally don't want to close with a plus-sign beside your name in the ML prices.

Only three underdogs (outside of general pick'em range) have gone on to play in the Divisional round, so Rays backers have that working against them.

The price seems to matter more than the site for these games, as road teams do own a 8-6 SU advantage overall, doing most of that damage in the National League with a 5-2 SU record.

Over on the other side, AL home teams have won three in a row – all three as hefty -160 chalk or greater – and only the first Wild Card game back in 2012 saw the underdog closing at plus-money win the game outright.

That was the great Baltimore Orioles team of 2012 that had a breaking-in Manny Machado, a Chris Davis that wouldn't strike out 80% of the time, Adam Jones and Nick Markakis, and even Jake Arrieta on the initial climb of winning a Cy Young.

This year, the Rays have that underdog role working against them as they visit an Oakland franchise that's 0-2 SU in Wildcard games in the past. But the A's are also the only MLB franchise to make at least two Wild Card games and not win at least once, so it's not like history's completely on their side either.

Opening Odds: Tampa Bay (+126) vs Oakland (-136); Total 7.5

Still some pitching decisions to be made in this one for the hosts in Oakland, as Tampa's already decided to go with Charlie Morton this year and hope that the 2019 version of Charlie Morton stays hot. Morton was a huge reason as to why Tampa Bay found themselves in this game this year, and the way he closed out the year with his Rays team winning each of his last five starts was quite impressive.

And while Morton is coming off an impressive start of one-hit ball in six innings pitched, as good as that has to make some feel about he and the Rays chances in this game, it's got me a bit queasy. With it coming at the end of a solid stretch of pitching performances for Morton and it being do-or-die, that queasy feeling gets a little worse when thinking about backing Tampa Bay.

2019 Meetings (Athletics 4-3, Under 5-2)

June 10 - Rays (-240) 6 vs. Athletics 2, Under 9
June 11 - Athletics (+140) at Rays 3, Under 9
June 12 - Athletics (+136) at Rays 2, Under 8.5

June 20 - Athletics (-110) 5 vs. Rays 4, Over 7.5
June 21 - Rays (-101) 5 at Athletics 3, Under 9
June 22 - Athletics (-105) 4 vs. Rays 2, Under 9
June 23 - Rays (+115) 8 at Athletics, Over 9

Oakland's Wild Card history without a win in multiple appearances can be a mental hurdle if the A's let it. Last year's trip to New York for this game ended poorly for the A's as they went the bullpen day route that Milwaukee's likely to use some variation this year and got burned for it.

But Oakland fans only have to look to the Colorado Rockies as an example of the most recent team to get back to the Wild Card game after losing it the year before, as a 2017 NL Wildcard road loss turned into a 2018 NL Wild Card win for them.

It will be interesting to see who the A's start (and for how long), but it is hard not to like them at home for this game. Moneyball deserves a shot in a full playoff series for the first time since 2013, and the A's just have consistently better offensive production from their big names like Chapman and Olson to trust they'll get the job done. Last year's loss in New York was a necessary experience for those guys to improve, and it pays off with a Wild Card win this year.

Besides if you root for chaos in the playoffs at times, who's got a better shot to take out Houston then a division rival in the A's right?

Best Bet: Oakland ML

[StarDust Bum]

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 2
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

TB at OAK 08:09 PM

OAK -127

U 7.0

[StarDust Bum]

Rays hit 4 HR's, bounce A's in Wild Card
October 2, 2019
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OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) Yandy Diaz slugged baseball's lowest spender into a matchup with mighty Houston, Charlie Morton silenced the powerful Athletics on the mound, and the Tampa Bay Rays beat Oakland at its own game 5-1 in the AL wild-card round Wednesday night.

Diaz hit a leadoff homer and went deep again in the third inning. Avisail Garcia hit a two-run drive in the second, and Morton had all the support he needed as Tampa Bay advanced to face the AL West champion Astros in a best-of-five Division Series after Houston won a major league-best 107 games this season.

Tommy Pham homered in the fifth for the 96-win Rays, who had the smallest payroll in the majors at $66.4 million. They were unfazed by the towel-swirling Oakland home crowd of 54,005 that established a wild-card record, having recently played at Dodger Stadium and also on the road against the Yankees and Red Sox in the season's final two weeks.

The Rays raced out of their dugout to celebrate when Marcus Semien struck out to end it, and then started putting on fresh playoff T-shirts and caps.

''It's a beautiful thing having the lowest payroll in baseball and having the success we did,'' Rays center fielder Kevin Kiermaier said before the game. ''It always feels good to stick it to the man any time you're able to in this game, and that's something to be very proud of.''

The A's have lost nine straight winner-take-all games since 2000, going 1-15 with a chance to advance to the next round. Their only win was in 2006 against the Twins before being swept in the AL Championship Series by the Tigers.

A year ago in the wild-card game, Oakland's first time back in the playoffs since 2014, the A's fell behind fast and lost 7-2 at Yankee Stadium. They won 97 games again to earn a wild card.

This game had a far different feel in the familiar, friendly confines of the Coliseum, but the A's dug themselves another quick hole.

And the visitors were the ones putting on a happy home run show this time. Oakland, which hit a franchise-record 257 homers, is 0-6 in winner-take-all playoff games at home since 2000.

Even a day earlier, Rays manager Kevin Cash wasn't sure Diaz would play given how much time he missed with a foot injury.

''He probably caught us off guard a little bit with how quickly he turned around over the last five, six days,'' Cash said.

Never one to shy from the creative or unorthodox - the Rays used four outfielders against Matt Olson - Cash started Diaz at first base to make sure his best bat against lefties was in the lineup.

Diaz returned for the season's final game at Toronto after being sidelined since July 23. He played in just 79 games this season, 22 of those at first with 17 starts

He's someone Kiermaier notes is ''just one of those guys, he just wakes up out of bed and rakes. Everyone knows him for his muscles and what he can do in the weight room and stuff like that, but the guy finds the barrel so much throughout this whole season, and any time we're able to have him available, we're happy.''

Morton, with a career-high 16 wins and his best ERA yet of 3.05 this season, counted on his playoff experience giving him an edge. He won Game 7 of the World Series for the Astros in 2017.

Morton gave up five hits without an earned run over five innings. He struck out four and walked three in his seventh playoff start and eighth appearance, having spent the last two seasons with Houston.

The right-hander walked Mark Canha to load the bases with two outs in the first before retiring Jurickson Profar on a flyball and had already thrown 32 pitches.

Morton quickly settled in and once his turn was done, the Rays' shutdown bullpen did the rest.

Semien reached third on a three-base error by third baseman Mike Brosseau in the third and scored on Ramon Laureano's sacrifice fly. Oakland did little else.

Diaz hit the fifth pitch of the night from Sean Manaea over the wall in right-center. Manaea then struck out the side after Diaz's drive, but was done after two innings.

Manager Bob Melvin handed Manaea the ball based on his triumphant September return after missing nearly a year following shoulder surgery. Manaea went 4-0 with 1.21 ERA in five starts last month.

Manaea earned his first career playoff start over 15-game winner Mike Fiers, who pitched a no-hitter May 7 against the Reds to begin a 21-start unbeaten stretch in which he went 12-0.

ALL OVER THE INFIELD

Brosseau started at second then moved to third and first, becoming the first to play three infield spots in one wild-card game.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Rays: INF Eric Sogard, who played for the A's from 2010-15, could be on the ALDS roster as he is close to healthy from a bone bruise in his right foot, Cash said. Sogard hasn't played since Sept. 15 at the Angels. ''He's getting closer,'' Cash said.

Athletics: RF Stephen Piscotty, out with a sprained right ankle since Aug. 25, wasn't on the roster. Piscotty, who batted .249 with 13 homers and 44 RBIs, also missed extended time with a sprained right knee from June 30 to Aug. 2. ''The hard part is getting him at-bats against live pitching. That was part of the thinking leading up is he just didn't have enough at-bats," Melvin said.

UP NEXT

Game 1 of the ALDS is Friday at Houston. Lefty Blake Snell or RHP Tyler Glasnow should be strong candidates to take the ball for the Rays.

Tampa Bay had success against the Astros this year, winning four of seven meetings. Three of those victories came in a season-opening series at Tropicana Field.

[StarDust Bum]

SCHEDULE FOR THURSDAY OCTOBER 3, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
5:02 PM St. Louis Cardinals Atlanta Braves SunTrust Park
8:37 PM Washington Nationals Los Angeles Dodgers Dodger Stadium

SCHEDULE FOR FRIDAY OCTOBER 4, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
2:05 PM Tampa Bay Rays Houston Astros Minute Maid Park
4:37 PM St. Louis Cardinals Atlanta Braves SunTrust Park
7:07 PM Minnesota Twins New York Yankees Yankee Stadium
9:37 PM Washington Nationals Los Angeles Dodgers Dodger Stadium

SCHEDULE FOR SATURDAY OCTOBER 5, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
5:07 PM Minnesota Twins New York Yankees Yankee Stadium
9:07 PM Tampa Bay Rays Houston Astros Minute Maid Park

SCHEDULE FOR SUNDAY OCTOBER 6, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
12:00 PM Atlanta Braves St. Louis Cardinals Busch Stadium
12:00 PM Los Angeles Dodgers Washington Nationals Nationals Park


******************************


MLB PLAYOFF'S OPINIONS AND BEST BETS: ALL BASED ON 5 UNITS

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD.


10/02/2019.......1-1-0.........50.00%........-1.35
10/01/2019...... 0-2-0........ 0.00%....... -10.50


Totals...............1-3-0........ 25.00%...... -11.35


*****************************


BEST BETS:

DATE........................ATS.............UNITS. ............O/U...............UNITS.............TOTALS


10/02/2019.............0 - 1..............-6.35..............1 - 0.............+5.00...............-1.35
10/01/2019.............0 - 1..............-5.00..............0 - 1..............-5.50...............-10.50


Totals.....................0 - 2..............-11.35.............1 - 1.............-0.50...............-11.35

[StarDust Bum]

Thursday’s 6-pack

Odds to make the Stanley Cup playoffs this season:

— NY Rangers No -$150, Yes +$130

— Winnipeg Jets Yes -$135, No +$115

— Philadelphia Flyers No -$135, Yes +$115

— NY Islanders Yes -$110, No -$110

— New Jersey Devils Yes -$110, No -$110

— Arizona Coyotes No -$125, Yes +$105

Quote of the Day
“Every day, multiple times in a day, I’ve got my dad on my shoulder saying, ‘You’re not going to make it.’ We’re all motivated by different things. I’ve always been somebody who if you tell me I can’t do something, I’m going to give everything I have to spite you. Whether that’s a good quality or not, that’s just who I am.”
UNLV basketball coach TJ Otzelberger

Thursday’s quiz
Which two NFL teams always host games on Thanksgiving Day?

Wednesday’s quiz
Giants beat Detroit in 2012, the last time the World Series was a sweep.

Tuesday’s quiz
Sam Darnold played his college football at USC.

*******************************


Thursday’s List of 13: Doing some thinking out loud……

13) This is the 8th year of the one-game Wild Card playoff in baseball; the teams that won those games are 6-8 in their next series, 3-4 in both leagues.

2014 Giants are only Wild Card winner to win the World Series; they beat the Royals that year, the only other Wild Card team to make the World Series.

12) Wild Card wrap:
NL game: Washington 4, Milwaukee 3— Nationals rallied for three runs in 8th inning off of Josh Hader, with Juan Soto getting the key hit. Washington plays the Dodgers next.

AL game: Rays 5, A’s 1— Tampa Bay hit four home runs and advances to play the Astros in the ALDS, starting Friday afternoon in Houston.

11) I mention this every season, but couple of years ago, when the Houston Texans were on HBO’s Hard Knocks, Texans coach Bill O’Brien started a talk to his players by saying, “Welcome to the most competitive business in the world.”

There is such a fine line between winning and losing in the NFL; one week you look unbeatable, the next week, the fans want the QB benched and the coach fired. Injuries, officials, the bounce of an oddly shaped ball. Lot of intangibles for a multi-billion dollar business.

10) Good grief, if I never see another commercial promoting pro wrestling, it’ll be too soon.

9) When college football coordinators visit NFL teams in the offseason, they generally visit with coaches on their side of the ball for new ideas, but when Washington Huskies’ DC Jimmy Lake visits NFL teams, he likes to visit with offensive coordinators, to pick their brain about where the game is headed. Nothing like knowing what the competition is thinking about.

8) On Wednesday, the Steelers signed QB Taryn Christion to the practice squad, to try and mimic Ravens’ QB Lamar Jackson in practice. Christion played college ball at South Dakota State; he rushed for 1,515 yards, threw for 11,535 yards and had 130 total touchdowns.

7) Isabel Albright of San Lorenzo, CA was among the oldest living people in America; she passed away last December at the age of 102, but her family got an “early termination fee” of $160 from DirecTV, because her family had added a DirecTV box in a back room for caregivers, which then started a new 2-year agreement with DirecTV.

Common sense finally prevailed; DirecTV agreed to waive the early termination fee after all, saying simply, “We have apologized to the family and resolved this.”

Oy.

6) Football stuff:
— Broncos lost LB Bradley Chubb wth a partially torn ACL. a big loss.
— Bengals lost WR John Rosa (shoulder) for a few weeks.
— Patriots’ K Stephen Gostkowski (hip) is out for the year.

5) Washington Nationals offered 3B Anthony Rendon $210M for seven years and he turned it down? Figures that his agent is scumweasel $cott Bora$, who always drags things out to try and suck every last penny out for his client (and himself).

I mean, if you’re Rendon and you’re happy playing for the Nationals, how the bleep do you turn down $30M a year? If you’re not happy, then you eat the waters.

4) Speaking of Boras, he represents three Nationals: Rendon, Scherzer and Strasburg, who this year made a combined total of $94,538,895, which makes Boras’ 3% of the take $2,836,166.

It says on the Interweb (so it has to be true) that in 2017, Boras earned $108.3M in commission from his clients. He makes more money than most of the ballclubs do.

3) Sacramento Kings are playing Indiana this weekend in two preseason games in India (not Indiana, INDIA), the country where Kings’ owner Vivek Ranadivé lived until he was 16.

There are 1.3 billion people in India; some think India will surpass China as the world’s most populous country as soon as 2027. If the NBA is popular there. thats a lot of t-shirts and jerseys that can be sold.

2) Get well soon to Senator Bernie Sanders, who had a couple of stents placed in his heart Tuesday night; the 78-year old Sanders will suspend campaigning “until further notice” after doctors treated the blockage in an artery.

1) The commissioner of the Pac 12 has a salary of $5.3M a year, but he can’t get the Pac-12 Network on DirecTV. I’m thinking he is overpaid.

[StarDust Bum]

NLDS - Cardinals at Braves
October 2, 2019
By Kevin Rogers

2019 Head-to-Head Matchups (Atlanta 4-2, Under 4-2)

St. Louis vs. Atlanta (SunTrust Park)
May 14 – Cardinals 14, Braves 3 (Over 9)
May 15 – Braves 4, Cardinals 0 (Under 10)
May 16 – Braves 10, Cardinals 2 (Over 10)

Atlanta vs. St. Louis (Busch Stadium)
May 24 – Braves 5, Cardinals 2 (Under 10)
May 25 – Cardinals 6, Braves 3 (Under 9 ½)
May 26 – Braves 4, Cardinals 3 (Under 9)

The Braves (97-65) captured their second consecutive National League East title in spite of an 18-20 record to start 2019. Atlanta closed out the first half with a 36-17 record in the final 53 games prior to the All-Star break to run away with the division for back-to-back NL East championships for the first time since 2004-2005 (which actually concluded an 11-year stretch of division titles).

Ronald Acuna, Jr. and Freddie Freeman paced the Braves’ offense, which finished third in the National League with 855 runs. Acuna, Jr. didn’t fall off following Rookie of the Year honors in 2018 as the Braves’ center fielder hit a team-high 41 home runs and drove in 101 runs. Freeman posted 120 runs batted in, which ranked second in the National League behind Washington’s Anthony Rendon (126), while former MVP Josh Donaldson slugged 37 home runs following a rough 2018.

The Atlanta starting rotation was in question to begin the season, but the Braves put it together thanks to a breakout season from right-hander Mike Soroka (13-4, 2.68 ERA). Atlanta went 10-1 in Soroka’s 11 starts from June through July, while Soroka actually fared better on the road (7-1, 1.55 ERA) than at home (6-3, 4.14 ERA).

The Game 1 starter for the Braves didn’t appear on the roster until June but Dallas Keuchel (8-8, 3.75 ERA) gets the nod for the series opener. The 2015 American League Cy Young award winner caught fire in mid-August as Keuchel won five consecutive decisions, but closed the season with three straight losses. Keuchel didn’t face the Cardinals this season as he was still a free agent when these teams hooked up in May, but the number that sticks out is the 15-3 mark to the UNDER in his 18 starts.

The Cardinals (91-71) missed the playoffs the previous three seasons heading into 2019 and went through a merry-go-round atop the NL Central along with the Brewers and Cubs all season. St. Louis put together a 44-44 record prior to the All-Star break, but the Cardinals won 12 of 15 games to start the second half to take over first place in the division. The Redbirds clinched their first playoff berth since 2015 by sweeping the rival Cubs at Wrigley Field in late September with four wins by one run each.

The Diamondbacks surprisingly dealt All-Star first baseman Paul Goldschmidt to the Cardinals in the offseason and he paid immediate dividends in St. Louis. Goldschmidt hit three home runs against the Brewers in his second game with St. Louis and ended the 2019 campaign leading the Cardinals with 97 runs batted in, while playing in 161 games, which was a career-best.

Marcell Ozuna put together another solid season for the Cardinals after getting traded by the Marlins in 2018 as the left fielder drove in 89 runs in only 130 games. Shortstop Paul DeJong hit a career-high 30 home runs, as 11 different Cardinal hitters knocked out at least 10 home runs on the season (nine Braves went deep 10 or more times).

Miles Mikolas (9-14, 4.16 ERA) put together a stunning 18-4 season in 2018, but only won half that amount of his decisions in 2019 for St. Louis. The Cardinals actually finished with a winning record when the right-hander took the mound this season at 17-15, as Mikolas gets the nod in Game 1. Mikolas faced the Braves at Busch Stadium on May 24 as a -140 favorite, but he suffered the defeat in spite of striking out nine batters in seven innings, even though he allowed three runs in a 5-2 setback.

Jack Flaherty (11-8, 2.75 ERA) owned a 4.90 ERA on July 2 after giving up four earned runs in less than five innings of a 5-4 defeat at Seattle. Since July 7, the Cardinals’ right-hander has yielded 11 earned runs in 16 starts to drop his season ERA by over two runs. In nine of those outings, Flaherty didn’t give up a single run, while tossing seven innings or more 10 times in the past 16 trips to the mound. In two starts against the Braves this season, Flaherty gave up three earned runs in 12 innings of work, while beating Atlanta as a -125 road favorite, 14-3 on May 14.

The Braves won four of six matchups with the Cardinals this season, including capturing series victories at SunTrust Park and Busch Stadium. St. Louis destroyed Atlanta, 14-3 in the series opener at SunTrust on May 14, but the Braves won the next two games by a combined score of 14-2. The Braves topped the Cardinals, 5-2 on May 24 at Busch Stadium, but St. Louis bounced back the next night with four runs in the eighth inning to beat Atlanta, 6-3. The Cards held a 3-0 lead in the series finale heading to the ninth inning, but the Braves scored three runs to tie the game before Atlanta won it in the 10th, 4-3.

Atlanta has not advanced to the National League Championship Series since 2001 as the Braves have been bounced from the NLDS in seven straight tries, including in last year’s four-game defeat to the Dodgers. The Cardinals fell in four games to the Cubs in the 2015 NLDS in their previous postseason appearance, as they seek their first NLCS trip since 2014.

St. Louis knocked off Atlanta in the 2012 Wild Card round in their most recent playoff matchup, 6-3.

[StarDust Bum]

NLDS - Nationals at Dodgers
October 2, 2019
By Kevin Rogers

2019 Head-to-Head Matchups (Los Angeles 4-3, Under 4-2-1)

Washington vs. Los Angeles (Dodger Stadium)
May 9 – Nationals 6, Dodgers 0 (Under 7)
May 10 – Dodgers 5, Nationals 0 (Under 8 ½)
May 11 – Nationals 5, Dodgers 2 (Push 7)
May 12 – Dodgers 6, Nationals 0 (Under 7 ½)

Los Angeles vs. Washington (Nationals Park)
July 26 – Dodgers 4, Nationals 2 (Under 9 ½)
July 27 – Dodgers 9, Nationals 3 (Over 10 ½)
July 28 – Nationals 11, Dodgers 4 (Over 8 ½)

The Dodgers (106-56) were the class of the National League all season as Los Angeles seeks its third consecutive World Series appearance. Unfortunately, the Dodgers have no championships to speak of in the last two years after losing in seven games to the Astros in 2017 and getting bounced in five games to the Red Sox in 2018.

Los Angeles cruised to its seventh straight NL West title, while winning the most games in franchise history. The next closest team to the Dodgers in the division was Arizona, who still finished 21 games out of first place as nearly half the wins for Los Angeles this season (51) came against NL West foes. The Dodgers actually split their first 16 games of the season, which included suffering a six-game skid in April. However, Los Angeles stood at 60-29 on July 4, going on an incredible 52-21 run following the 8-8 start.

The Dodgers led the National League in runs scored (886), along with 59 home victories. Cody Bellinger put together a great argument for NL MVP this season as the Dodgers’ right fielder knocked out 47 home runs, drove in 115 runs, while batting .305 (all career-highs). First baseman Max Muncy equaled his home run total from 2018 with 35 round-trippers, while setting a career-high in RBI’s with 98. Left fielder Joc Pederson also excelled this season at the plate from a power perspective with 36 home runs and 74 runs batted in.

Three different Dodgers’ pitchers put up at least 14 wins this season, led by three-time Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw’s 16 victories. Los Angeles posted a 13-3 record in Kershaw’s 16 starts at Dodger Stadium this season, while the mark extends to 21-6 since July 2018. Kershaw defeated the Nationals in D.C. as a -185 road favorite in late July, 9-3 by tossing six innings and allowing two runs as Los Angeles owns a 5-1 record in his past six starts against Washington since 2016.

Fellow left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu (14-5, 2.32 ERA) started the season on fire for the Dodgers by winning eight of his first nine decisions. In fact, the Dodgers won 14 of Ryu’s 16 starts between May 7 and August 11, which included an 8-0 mark at Chavez Ravine. Ryu struggled during a three-start stretch in late August by allowing 18 earned runs in 14.2 innings of work, as the Dodgers went 0-3. Ryu shut down the Nationals in two starts this season by giving up one earned run in 14.2 innings, including eight shutout innings in a 6-0 shutout on May 12.

The Nationals (94-69) started the post-Bryce Harper era in a major slump by losing 31 of their first 50 games. Washington was destined for a long season, but the Nationals turned things around by finishing the first half at 28-11 to climb above .500 at the All-Star break. The Nationals won the final eight games of the regular season to clinch home-field advantage in the Wild Card against the Brewers, but it seemed like Washington would be one-and-done.

Milwaukee jumped on Nationals’ ace Max Scherzer for a pair of early home runs to take a 3-1 lead over Washington on Tuesday night. The Nationals’ offense finally got something going in the eighth inning to load the bases on Brewers’ closer Josh Hader with two outs. Juan Soto’s base hit to right field was misplayed by Milwaukee rookie Trent Grisham as three runs scored to give Washington a 4-3 lead and ultimately the victory as -170 home favorites.

Soto and third baseman Anthony Rendon carried the Washington offense this season by combining for 236 RBI’s and 34 home runs apiece. The next highest run producer for the Nationals was center fielder Victor Robles, who drove in 65 runs, but Washington finished with the second-highest run differential in the National League (+149) behind Los Angeles.

Scherzer (11-7, 2.92 ERA) posted 243 strikeouts this season, but did it in the fewest starts of his career (27). The three-time Cy Young winner struggled down the stretch by allowing 15 earned runs in his final four starts, while yielding two home runs in each of his last three appearances. Scherzer shut down the Dodgers in Los Angeles as a short underdog in May by tossing seven innings and yielding two runs in a 5-2 victory.

Stephen Strasburg (18-6, 3.32 ERA) made his first career relief appearance in Tuesday’s Wild Card win by posting three scoreless innings and striking out four. Strasburg put together his best season as a pro with 18 victories and 251 strikeouts, while Washington won 21 of his 33 starts in 2019. In two starts against the Dodgers this season, Strasburg gave up three earned runs in 13 innings, which included an 11-4 home victory in which he struck out nine batters in seven innings.

The Dodgers claimed four of seven matchups this season, as Los Angeles and Washington split a four-game set at Chavez Ravine in May. Three of those games were decided by shutout, including 5-0 and 6-0 wins by the Dodgers, while Patrick Corbin lifted the Nationals to a 6-0 triumph in the opener of that series. L.A. took two of three meetings in Washington in late July, as all seven matchups were decided by two runs or more on the season.

Los Angeles has advanced to the NLCS each of the last three seasons, as the most recent playoff matchup with Washington came in the 2016 NLDS. The Dodgers edged the Nationals in five games, but Los Angeles was bounced in the NLCS by Chicago in six games. Washington has not advanced to the NLCS since moving the franchise from Montreal in 2005, as three of the defeats in the NLDS since 2012 came in five games.

[StarDust Bum]

Astros fan putting millions on WS wager
October 2, 2019
By The Associated Press

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) Hereâ??s one Houston Astros fan whoâ??s putting his considerable money where his mouth is.

Jim McIngvale, a 68-year-old mattress store owner from Houston who calls himself "Mattress Mack,â?? plans to put down at least $1.5 million on the Astros in New Jersey on Thursday.

Thatâ??s after wagering $3.5 million on the â??Stros in Mississippi earlier this week.

The bets could offset potential liability his store might have from a promotion that refunds mattress customers their money if the Astros win the World Series.

â??Iâ??m a huge Astros fan, and I have a store promotion where if customers buy a mattress and the Astros win the World Series, they get their money back,â?? McIngvale told The Associated Press.

FanDuel, which runs the sports book at the Meadowlands Racetrack in East Rutherford, just outside New York City, said it will take McIngvaleâ??s bet online.

Earlier this week, he wagered $3.5 million on the Astros at the DraftKings sportsbook at Scarlet Pearl casino in Biloxi, Mississippi.

McIngvale says heâ??s a huge Astros fan who has bet millions in previous years on his team. And he may not be done yet.

Using at least two intermediaries, he has approached sports books in New Jersey about placing bets as large as $5 million, prompting FanDuel to seek a waiver from state gambling regulators of a rule limiting any single bet to $5 million. FanDuel decided on $1.5 million as the amount it will take from McIngvale at +220 odds, meaning he would win about $3.3 million if the Astros win baseballâ??s championship.

It is also possible he may place bets with other sports books in New Jersey.

â??Iâ??m looking to get down as much as I can,â?? he said.

As far as betting an amount that could approach $10 million in three or more states, he said simply, â??If I couldnâ??t afford to lose it, I wouldnâ??t do it.â??

Many sportsbooks are listing the Astros as favorites to win the World Series, followed by the Dodgers and the Yankees. The Astros are favored in part because of their dominant top three starting pitchers, Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole and Zack Greinke.