2 Team Totals: Saturday Expert Divisional Round Picks
Written by: TonesTakes
Published: Sat Oct 03, 2026, 9:15 am ET
Read Time: 4 minutes
mlb
Spread
Total
Moneyline
+1.5
-110
8.5
+100u
+194
Spread
Total
Moneyline
-1.5
-101
8
+100o
-214
Last weekend we went 4-4 for a profit of +.15 Units. Regular Season ended at 50-33 for a profit of 23.38 Units. Saturday marks the beginning of the MLB Divisional Round, which is the best part of the MLB playoffs, in my opinion. I am targeting the first two games on the slate for my Best Bets, the Chicago White Sox vs the Cleveland Guardians and the Atlanta Braves vs the Los Angeles Dodgers. Before we dive in, if you are looking for more information on how to bet baseball; take a look at our MLB Betting Guide.
Chicago White Sox vs Cleveland Guardians
Chicago White Sox vs Cleveland Guardians Pitching Matchup
- Chicago White Sox – LHP Hagen Smith (3-3, 1.29 ERA/0.96 WHIP)
- Cleveland Guardians – LHP Parker Messick (12-9, 2.56 ERA/1.06 WHIP)
Best Bet: Cleveland Guardians Team Total Over 3.5 -102 Lucky Rebel
The Cleveland Guardians open up the American League divisional round against the upstart Chicago White Sox today, at Progressive Field. Chicago took out the Houston Astros in 2 games in the Wildcard round. The White Sox are opting for a bullpen game today with Left hander Hagen Smith getting the nod. Smith opened Game 1 of the Wildcard Series against the Houston Astros, going 3 shutout innings. Cleveland's bats performed very well in the month of September were they ranked top 10 in in Avg, Ops and wRC+. The season series saw the Guardians plate at least 4 runs in 8 of the 11 meetings. Cleveland's ability to create small-ball pressure, draw walks, and exploit the latter half of the game once the White Sox starting pitching gives way to the bullpen makes this team total over highly reachable. I'll back their bats to hit this mark, in Game 1.
Atlanta Braves vs Los Angeles Dodgers
Atlanta Braves vs L:os Angeles Dodgers Pitching Matchup
- Atlanta Braves – TBD
- Los Angeles Dodgers LHP Tarik Skubal (12-7, 2.72 ERA/0.96 WHIP)
Best Bet: Los Angeles Dodgers Team Total Over 4.5 -118 Lucky Rebel
The Los Angeles Dodgers beginning their quest for a three-peat as they open up the National League divisional round against the Atlanta Braves, who defeated the Philadelphia Phillies in the wildcard round. The series went the distance, which will hurt Atlanta's pitching staff today. Atlanta Manager Walt Weiss opted to use Ace Chris Sale in relief in Game 3. With a 6-2 lead against a weak hitting Philly lineup, Sale was brought in to finish the final inning and a third, making him unavailable today. In my opinion this was a poor decision by the Atlanta manager and I think the Dodgers hitter are primed to take advantage of that as the Braves will most likely be forced to throw a bullpen game today, a bullpen that is already taxed.
The Dodger bats were inconsistent all season but they rounded into playoff form during the month of September, where they ranked top 5 in Avg, Ops and wRC+. Given the Dodgers are playing in the friendly confines of Dodger Stadium, where temps will near 100 degrees, their explosive power and high on-base potential make them well-equipped to exploit Atlanta's vulnerable pitching situation and push past the 4.5-run threshold here.
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