The MLB playoffs resume with another pair of excellent ALDS bouts on Monday, with Tigers vs Guardians set to begin the action at 4:08 p.m. ET, followed by Royals vs Yankees at 7:38 p.m. ET. Both Game 2 matchups will air live on TBS, truTV, and Max.
Our staff of baseball experts has locked in ALDS best bets for both games, featuring props for Josh Naylor and Aaron Judge.
Read below for our MLB picks, props, and predictions for ALDS games on Monday, October 7.
MLB Picks, Props, Predictions & Monday ALDS Best Bets
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 7:38 p.m. | |
  | 4:08 p.m. | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our MLB Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
Tony Sartori's Tigers vs Guardians Best Bet: Fade Josh Naylor
By Tony Sartori
The Detroit Tigers hand the ball to left-hander Tarik Skubal in an attempt to even this series on Monday afternoon. The best pitcher in baseball, Skubal posted an 18-4 record with a 2.39 ERA and 0.92 WHIP through 31 starts this season.
His underlying metrics are equally dominant as the southpaw ranks in the 84th percentile or higher in xERA, xBA, average exit velocity, strikeout rate, walk rate and hard-hit rate. This success is likely to continue against the Cleveland Guardians, a team Skubal is 2-0 against in his past four meetings with a 1.80 ERA.
One of Cleveland's hitters who has struggled against Skubal is Josh Naylor, who possesses a .111 BA through nine career plate appearances against the soon-to-be AL Cy Young winner. Naylor has also failed to record a hit in five of his past nine games, posting a .219 BA over that stretch.
Pick: Josh Naylor Under 0.5 Hits (+120)
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Sean Paul's Royals vs Yankees Best Bet: Back Aaron Judge
By Sean Paul
The heat is rapidly intensifying on Aaron Judge to begin to perform in the playoffs. The soon-to-be two-time AL MVP is hitting just .207 with a .758 OPS in 175 career postseason at bats. The series opener for Judge was another game to forget, striking out three times and even caused Yankees' fans to groan after his first inning strikeout with a pair of runners in scoring position.
You won’t catch +130 odds on 2+ total bases for Judge very often. That’s pretty tremendous value considering Judge hit 58 homers and 36 doubles this year.
I don’t believe in the “Judge isn’t a big game player” theory. We have a nearly 1,000-game sample of Judge being one of the top hitters in MLB history, compared to 45 mediocre playoff games. Trust the larger sample.
He’ll eventually right the ship in the playoffs, and think it could begin against Royals' southpaw, Cole Ragans today.
Pick: Aaron Judge 2+ Total Bases (+130)
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