MLB Playoffs 2017: Odds, TV Schedule, Predictions for Sunday's ALDS

Two of the most storied franchises in baseball won't have a chance to add to their trophy cases unless they put together a strong Game 3 in the American League Divisional Series on Sunday. 

The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox both return home facing a 2-0 deficit to the Cleveland Indians and Houston Astros, respectively. 

Boston suffered a pair of 8-2 defeats down in Texas on Thursday and Friday, while the Yankees suffered heartbreak in Game 2 in Cleveland to fall into a deep hole against the defending American League champion.

Odds (via OddsShark) 

Astros (-130) at Red Sox (+120)

Indians (-108) at Yankees (-102)

TV Schedule

Houston Astros at Boston Red Sox (2:38 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1)

Cleveland Indians at New York Yankees (7:38 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1)

Astros at Red Sox

Jose Altuve was the star for the Astros in Game 1 and the entire top of the order shone in Game 2 on Friday. The early postseason success of the Houston bats means Doug Fister has quite the task on his hands to keep the Red Sox in the postseason. 

The 33-year-old righthander will be making his first postseason start since 2014, when he was a member of the Washington Nationals. In eight career postseason starts for the Nationals and Detroit Tigers, Fister is 4-2 with 2.60 ERA in 55 1/3 innings of work. In his last three playoff appearances, Fister has gone at least six innings and conceded no more than three earned runs. 

Charles Krupa/Associated Press

Not only will Boston need a strong outing from its starter, the top of its order has to attempt to match the production Houston is getting from its leadoff men. In Games 1 and 2, the top four batters in the Boston lineup went a combined 7-for-32. Cleanup hitter Mookie Betts has three hits in the series, and Hanley Ramirez, who replaced Eduardo Nunez in the two hole in Game 1, has two of those hits. 

In contrast, George Springer, Carlos Correa, Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman have set the tone for the Astros in the series. Altuve stole the spotlight in Game 1 with his three home runs, but Bregman also had a solid day as he went 2-for-4. 

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

Springer and Correa got in on the fun in Game 2 as the top four Astros hitters combined to go 7-for-16 with Bregman being the only member of the quartet not to record two or more hits. 

Astros Game 3 starter Brad Peacock earned some valuable experience at Fenway Park as he pitched against the Red Sox on September 28 and allowed two runs in five innings. 

With the way the stars in the Houston order are hitting the ball, it's hard to pick against them, but the Red Sox do have an experienced arm ready to shut them down. 

Prediction: Red Sox 3, Astros 2

Indians at Yankees

Carlos Carrasco appears to be the perfect man to shut the door on the Yankees and give the Indians some needed days off before the start of the ALCS. The 30-year-old posted an 11-2 record on the road in the regular season, and he only gave 31 earned runs in his 17 road starts. 

The righthander hurler also went 5-0 in September with a 1.48 ERA, which was a nice step forward after recording a 4.50 ERA in August with a 3-2 record. However, Carrasco has never made a postseason appearance.

Carrasco doesn't appear to be afraid of the magnitude of the moment as he voiced to Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com:

 "You know what? I love to pitch everywhere - home, Yankee Stadium, other stadiums. This is the postseason. There's going to be a lot of people here. This is my first time in the postseason, but as I always say, it's the same baseball."

If the Yankees can take any positives away from the disastrous Game 2, it is their ability to tag Indians starting pitchers from the start and force Terry Francona to stretch his bullpen. New York chased Corey Kluber from Game 2 after putting up six earned runs on the Indians ace in 2 2/3 innings. 

Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

Of the hitters third through seventh in the Yankees order for Game 2, only one failed to record multiple hits. That will do wonders for the confidence of Gary Sanchez and others as they return home to keep the season alive.

Yankees Game 3 starter Masahiro Tanaka pitched much better at home than on the road in 2017 with a 9-5 record and 3.22 ERA at Yankee Stadium. Tanaka's lone MLB postseason start came in the 2015 Wild Card Game, where he went five innings and gave up two earned runs on four hits. 

If Tanaka can start well and manage the game for five or six innings, the Yankees will be able to use their bullpen that thrived at home in the AL Wild Card Game to get them to the ALDS five days ago. 

Prediction: Yankees 5, Indians 3

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

All statistics obtained from MLB.com.