This article is part of our MLB Picks series.
MLB Championship Series Picks: MLB Best Bets for Saturday, October 22
RotoWire.com's Juan Carlos Blanco identifies his MLB bets and MLB player props to target today.
Last article: 2-2 (-0.33 RW Bucks)
Season Record: 102-104-4 (-13.45 RW Bucks)
We have two critical LCS games on tap Saturday, and we'll aim to hone in on some profitable wagers for each.
Houston Astros 
at New York Yankees 
Cristian Javier will make his first start of the postseason after only logging a relief appearance during the ALDS against the Mariners, so his talented right arm should have plenty of life in it. Javier famously authored a seven-inning no-hitter that included 13 strikeouts at Yankee Stadium back on June 25, and he similarly stymied New York in a subsequent July 21 start at Minute Maid (5 IP, 2 H, 1 ER). Yankees bats have gone quiet over the first two games of the series with four runs on nine hits overall, and Javier's elite swing-and-miss stuff and ability to keep the ball in the park (12.1 K/9, 0.9 HR/9 on road) gives him a chance to dominate once more.
The Yankees have a high-end counter for Javier in Gerrit Cole, who ironically was the opposing pitcher in that aforementioned late-June no-hit effort. Despite suffering the loss, Cole actually acquitted himself very well in that game — his only encounter with the Astros this season — allowing an earned run over seven innings while recording eight Ks. The talented righty has met the moment in the postseason thus far with a 2.03 ERA and 16:2 K:BB in two ALDS starts against the Guardians, and he's held current Houston bats to a collective .206 average and .554 OPS in 107 career encounters.
MLB Best Bets for Astros at Yankees
- Astros-Yankees Under 3.5 runs – 1st 5 innings (-115 on FanDuel Sportsbook) for 1 RW Buck
San Diego Padres 
at Philadelphia Phillies 
The Padres' Mike Clevinger put together a respectable season overall in his return from Tommy John surgery, but he displayed some undeniable cracks on the road with a 5.46 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and 1.5 HR/9 across 64.1 innings. Clevinger did perform well in his one Citizens Bank Park start this season, limiting Philly to one hit over five shutout innings back on May 17, but the Phillies have hit well this postseason and finished the regular season with a .301 average, .898 OPS and MLB-high .382 wOBA against right-handed pitching at home in the last month.
The Phillies will open the game with young left-hander Bailey Falter, who reports indicate will ideally be able to work three innings before the bullpen takes over. Falter hasn't pitched since firing a scoreless inning as an opener on the final day of the regular season against the Astros, so he'll certainly be operating on plenty of rest. However, he was tagged for a 5.49 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and 2.1 HR/9 in 39.1 home innings this season, and the Padres showed some life against lefties on the road in the second half of the campaign with a .261 average, .750 OPS and .327 wOBA.
MLB Best Bets for Padres at Phillies
- Padres-Phillies Over 4.5 runs – 1st 5 innings (+104 on FanDuel Sportsbook) for 1 RW Buck
MLB Best Bets Today Recap
- Astros-Yankees Under 3.5 runs – 1st 5 innings (-115 on FanDuel Sportsbook) for 1 RW Buck
- Padres-Phillies Over 4.5 runs – 1st 5 innings (+104 on FanDuel Sportsbook) for 1 RW Buck
Visit RotoWire all season long for exclusive sports betting picks from our group of handicappers with their expert MLB picks each day of the campaign. Remember that betting apps vary in terms of odds and available player props, so we have an easy-to-use odds page that allows you to shop for the best lines at DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM and PointsBet.
