Houston at NY Yankees ALCS Game 3 MLB Odds & Pick

The Baby Bombers found themselves down 2-0 in their American League Division Series against the Cleveland Indians before roaring back to take the series 3-2. Now they find themselves in a similar 2-0 hole in their American League Championship Series against the Houston Astros, thanks to a 2-1 Astros victory on Saturday. Justin Verlander fanned 13 batters while going the distance, and Jose Altuve scored on Carlos Correa’s ninth-inning double to seal the win. Now the series shifts to The Bronx, and the venerable C.C. Sabathia takes the mound for New York, opposite Houston’s Charlie Morton. Can the Yankees halve their deficit in the series, or will the Astros push them to the brink of elimination? Check out our MLB odds for ALCS Game 3 on this Monday night matchup.

Houston at NY Yankees ALCS Game 3 MLB Odds & Pick

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— Houston Astros (@astros) October 16, 2017

When: Monday, October 16, 2017, 8:08pm ET Where: Yankee Stadium, The Bronx, NY TV: FS1 Radio: ESPN Radio Live Stream: MLB.tv MLB Odds: Yankees -135 Pitching Matchup: Charlie Morton (14-7, 3.62 ERA) (HOU) vs C.C. Sabathia (14-5, 3.69 ERA) (NY)

Weather Forecast

• Partyl Cloudy: 12^°C/54^°F
• Humidity: 48%
• Precipitation: 0%
• Wind: 16 mph NNW
• Cloud Cover: 44%
• Type of Stadium: Open

Why should you bet on the Astros?

Charlie Morton posted his best season ERA in four seasons, and he pitched well enough in his ALDS start against Boston, limiting the Red Sox to a pair of runs on seven hits in 4 ⅓ innings, striking out six batters. The Astros will have a fresh bullpen, as none of the relievers have had to appear since Friday night, so even if Morton falters, there should be plenty of help ready to come out to the mound and put out the fire. On the offensive end, Jose Altuve is red-hot this postseason. He has gone 13 for 23 (.565) in the playoffs this year, contrasting with a .154 average in the 2015 postseason. As a team, three of the Astros (Evan Gattis, Marwin Gonzalez and Josh Reddick) have hit home runs off C.C. Sabathia in their careers. Jose Altuve (.333 lifetime average, 2 RBI) and Brian McCann (.286) are also hitting at or above their career averages against the lefthander. If you like the Astros, then you think that their hot-hitting lineup can keep up the work that saw them batter the Red Sox, coming back from their two-run output in Game Two.

Why should you put your money on the Yankees?

C.C. Sabathia beat Cleveland’s ace Corey Kluber not once, but twice, in the ALDS. His slider has been baffling opposing hitters throughout the playoffs. In his career, he has a 9-5 record in 20 playoff starts. In pinstripes, his career playoff record is 7-2 with a 4.46 combined ERA. The Yankees’ pitching staff did something that few teams have done lately — hold the Astros to just a pair of runs in Game Two. If Sabathia and the bullpen can do something similar — and the Yankees can get pitches to hit this time — the Yankees have a great chance to win Game Three. Several of the New York hitters have had success against Morton. Starlin Castro (.333, 3 HR, 8 RBI), Todd Frazier (.389, 2 HR, 6 RBI), Brett Gardner (.750) and Gary Sanchez (.500) all have been able to hit him in the past. If you like the Yankees, you think that the Baby Bombers can shake off postseason pressure once again and deliver a big win against a favored opponent.

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Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

Given that Charlie Morton couldn’t make it out of the fifth inning against Boston, while C.C. Sabathia beat Cleveland’s ace twice, and given the fact that the Yankees get to come home and play in front of their crowd, I see them coming out ahead in this one. While that walkoff win in Game Two will give Houston some momentum, having a young roster will keep the Yankees feeling like they have nothing to lose. I predict a 4-2 win for New York.