ohtani-getty-34.png
Getty Images

Thanks to the Blue Jays bludgeoning of the Mariners on Wednesday in Game 3 of the ALCS, we now know there are at least two days left with multiple baseball games in 2025. Game 3 of the Dodgers vs. Brewers NLCS starts at 6:08 p.m. ET on Thursday with Game 4 of the M's vs. Jays ALCS follows at 8:33 p.m. ET. There will be two games again Friday, now that we know the ALCS has to go at least five games

Here in this bets column, my hunch for Game 3 of the ALCS was that the Mariners would win a low-scoring game. That was unbelievably far off. Good thing I noted that I felt confident about neither of those things and wanted to avoid them. As the saying goes, sometimes the best bets are the ones you don't make. The ones we did make? Riding with George Springer and Cal Raleigh and both paid off, so in the actual plays, it was a 2-0 day. 

Let's keep that momentum going, unlike the Mariners in Game 3. Lines courtesy of DraftKings.

Shohei Ohtani 3+ H+R+RBI (+118)

He's just about to break out. I can feel it coming. I'm sure you can, too. Ohtani was 1 for 20 in the previous five games before Game 2 of the NLCS. He struck out to start the game. But then next time up he hit one of the hardest balls of the game, which just happened to be right at Brewers right fielder Jackson Chourio for a lineout. Later in the game, he came through with a single through a drawn-in infield against a left-hander. 

He's coming home and while the expectation is that lefty José Quintana will be the bulk guy for the Brewers, he won't pitch all game and Ohtani has already gotten some looks at Aaron Ashby. Plus, Ohtani isn't even actually bad against lefties (.279/.344/.554 during the regular season) and Quintana allowed a higher OPS to lefties than righties this season. Oh, and in five career at-bats against Quintana, Ohtani has a home run. 

If you have a bonus home run play, you could do worse. I know his odds are always shorter than everyone else's, but I'm feeling a Shohei bomb in this one. 

George Springer over 1.5 H+R+RBI (-106)

I'm riding the hot hand here. OK, so basically every Blue Jays player is "hot" after Game 3, but I'm hot with playing this Springer prop so I'm running it back. The Blue Jays' leadoff man has now scored eight runs in seven playoff games this season with three home runs. He's one of the most prolific home run players in playoff history at this point. He looks locked in at the plate and his early count aggression bodes well in T-Mobile Park with the alternative being trying to fend off two-strike pitches in such a (normally) pitcher-friendly venue. 

Springer in his career against Mariners' starter Luis Castillo is 3 for 15, but he was 2 for 6 with a double this season. 

Max Scherzer over 1.5 earned runs allowed (-115)

Man, what is this? 

I know that Shane Bieber overall threw the ball well in T-Mobile Park against the Mariners' offense in Game 3, but he allowed two runs in the first inning. He had been much better than Scherzer of late. Scherzer had a 9.00 ERA (25 runs on 37 hits in 25 innings) in his last six regular-season starts. He's 41 years old with an extensive injury history and hasn't pitched since Sept. 24. 

The only explanation here is the Blue Jays are using Scherzer for just an inning as an opener with lefty Eric Lauer coming in relief. 

It seems, though, that the Blue Jays are betting on Scherzer being a "gamer" here. He's proven that's the case time and again. I'm not doubting his intestinal fortitude. He's a mental badass. 

Father Time is undefeated against all of sports on a physical level, though, and he's come for Scherzer late this season.