MLB Predictions: Do or Die for Yankees at Home?
The Yankees have been close through the first two games of the ALCS, but haven’t been able to break through dropping back-to-back 2-1 contests. Obviously the story has been the Yankees’ offensive struggles, but they were up against consecutive signature postseason pitching performances against Houston’s Dallas Keuchel and Justin Verlander. The ALCS Game 3 prediction Astros Yankees could go either way.
Odds
This is going to be interesting as far as which side the public is going to be wagering on. On one hand, you’ve got Houston up 2-0 being set as +124 underdogs. On the flip side, the Yankees always bring in heavy betting numbers and have decent value at home as -134 favorites. As it turns out, over 60% are on New York early, pushing the line from it’s open at -126 while the total has stood firm at 8.5.
Houston Astros
Lost in the dominant pitching of games one and two was the fact that Houston hasn’t exactly been tearing the cover off the ball on offense. Well, everybody not named Jose Altuve that is as the second basemen is 13/23 (.565) in the postseason. The Astros needed a 9th inning run to get the W Saturday and faced the seasoned veteran CC Sabathia in ALCS Game 3 prediction Astros Yankees on Monday in New York, where he has shined in the postseason.
New York Yankees
New York should get the bats going not only because they’re at home, but also because Houston is sending somebody not named Keuchel or Verlander on the mound. Charlie Morton gets the start after he pitched 4.1 IP allowing 7H and 2 ER in the ALDS. New York batters have hit .327 against Morton in their careers.
ALCS Game 3 Prediction Astros Yankees
There’s definitely some value in Houston, especially with the way Jose Altuve has been swinging the bat. Altuve is 2/6 lifetime against Sabathia, the Yankee left-hander who has held the Astros to a .193 batting average in his career. Sabathia should be nerve-free as he makes his 21st career postseason start whereas Morton makes just his third in front of a raucous Yankee Stadium crowd.
Pick: Yankees -135
