MLB Playoffs 2020: Odds, TV Schedule, Predictions for Monday's ALDS Matchups

After spending years lurking in the shadow of their division's juggernaut, the Tampa Bay Rays and Oakland Athletics have a chance to fortify their status as true title contenders in the American League Division Series.

Although they made last year's postseason as a 96-win wild-card participant, the Rays hadn't won the AL East since 2010 before doing so this season. The Junior Circuit's No. 1 seed won the division with ease, but they nevertheless can't feel too secure about an ALDS matchup with the New York Yankees.

The Bronx Bombers dropped eight of 10 games to Tampa Bay in 2020. However, a now-healthy lineup just scored 22 runs in two games to boot the Cleveland Indians, who made the postseason on the strength of their stout pitching staff.

Oakland played second fiddle to the Houston Astros in consecutive seasons before usurping the AL West crown in 2020. The A's also got the best of their in-season meetings (7-3), but Houston just stymied a powerful Minnesota Twins lineup to just one run each in a pair of triumphs.

Even if the Rays and A's are seeded higher, it would hardly be shocking for the Yankees and Astros to set up their third ALCS meeting in four years. In fact, per DraftKings Sportsbook, New York is actually favored to take Game 1 of its best-of-five series behind Houston's former ace.

ALDS Schedule: Monday, October 5

Oakland Athletics vs. Houston Astros: 4.07 p.m. ET on TBS (at Dodger Stadium)

Tampa Bay Rays vs. New York Yankees: 8:07 p.m. ET on TBS (at Petco Park)

Game 1 Previews

Oakland Athletics vs. Houston Astros

Odds (Moneyline via DraftKings): Athletics -152, Astros +130

Eric Risberg/Associated Press

The Astros eliminated the Twins behind superb pitching. Eventually, though, their marquee batters must wake up.

Following an offseason marred by controversy, Houston's offense finished with a 99 weighted runs created plus (wRC+), meaning they produced one percent below MLB's average. Once the game's fiercest infield, Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa and Alex Bregman all fell short of expectations during the shortened season.

Those issues only magnified against Oakland. As noted by MLB.com's Brian McTaggart, Houston recorded just 25 runs and a .585 OPS in 10 games versus the new AL West champions. 

That sample size includes three starts against Chris Bassitt, who will take the mound Monday according to Shayna Rubin of The Mercury News. He posted a 2.65 ERA with a pair of well-earned victories in those meetings. The 31-year-old finished the season with an even lower 2.29 ERA before limiting the Chicago White Sox to one run over seven stellar frames in Game 2 of the Wild Card Series.

Per Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle, Bassitt exuded confidence a day before his pivotal start:

The Astros, meanwhile, are not opening with veteran ace Zack Greinke following a rocky wild-card outing:

After missing all of 2019 to recover from Tommy John surgery, Lance McCullers Jr. registered a 3.93 ERA and 56 strikeouts in 55 innings. His only appearance against Oakland yielded a win with just two runs (one earned) allowed over six frames. 

While Oakland hit a .225 during the regular season, it honored its Moneyball reputation by drawing baseball's third-best walk rate. That patience paid major dividends when inducing nine free passes in a win-or-go-home contest against the White Sox. It could work out once again versus a hurler who has ceded 3.5 walks per nine innings during his career.

Look for the A's to work crisp at-bats against McCullers, who may be rusty since he hasn't pitched since September 26. With a full weekend for Liam Hendriks and Co. to rest, a bullpen that notched an MLB-best 2.72 ERA can help them close the door on a close Game 1 win.

Prediction: Athletics 6, Astros 4

Tampa Bay Rays vs. New York Yankees

Odds (Moneyline via DraftKings): Yankees -152, Rays +130

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

The last time Gerrit Cole faced the Rays, he surrendered eight hits, four walks, and four runs in five subpar frames. As a result of the rocky August 31 outing, he entered the final month with a 3.91 ERA, hardly what the Yankees anticipated when awarding him a nine-year, $324 megadeal last offseason.

He has since allowed four runs in his last five starts combined, accumulating 47 strikeouts to just five walks over 34 innings. As the Yankees plastered AL Cy Young favorite Shane Bieber to seven runs to begin the AL Wild Card Series, Cole led them to victory with a 13-strikeout gem.

Since last opposing the Rays, Kyle Higashioka has served as Cole's personal catcher. Per MLB.com's Bryan Hoch, Yankees manager Aaron Boone confirmed that Cole will once again pitch to Higashioka in Game 1 rather than Gary Sánchez.

"Kyle's easy to communicate with," Cole said prior to last Tuesday's win over Cleveland, per Hoch. "He's a really creative thinker, a good pitch framer, a good pitch caller. We've worked out well together."

According to MLB.com's Juan Toribio, the Rays will counter with Blake Snell. The 2018 AL Cy Young Award winner tossed a 3.24 ERA and 31.0 percent strikeout rate in 11 starts before working 5.2 scoreless innings of one-hit ball in a Wild Card Series win over the Toronto Blue Jays.

Yet the Yankees will get a swing at the bullpen, as Snell has yet to finish the sixth inning since July 21, 2019. 

The 27-year-old lefty will also encounter a righty-heavy lineup with ample star power. D.J. LeMahieu led MLB with a .364 batting average, and Luke Voit belted an MLB-high 22 home runs. 

Oh, yeah, they also got Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton back in time for the postseason festivities. The latter went yard in both wins over Cleveland, and few things should scare a major league pitcher more than facing a locked-in Stanton.

While their lineup comparably lacks marquee sluggers, the Rays ranked ninth in wRC+ (109) during the highly irregular regular season. They also, however, struck out more often (26.9 percent) than everybody besides the Detroit Tigers.

An aggressive approach yields more volatility, as perfectly encapsulated by Brandon Lowe's hot-and-cold two months. A revitalized Cole should keep the Rays in check enough for the Yankees to take the opening salvo.

Prediction: Yankees 5, Rays 3

Note: Advanced stats are courtesy of FanGraphs unless otherwise noted.