MLB Playoff Picks: Rays vs. Yankees, Padres vs. Brewers

The MLB divisional playoff round begins Saturday with four matchups to kick off four best-of-five series.

The Guardians host the White Sox to start the afternoon action after Chicago swept Houston in the Wild Card round. Cleveland is coming off its fourth division title in the last five seasons.

Later in the afternoon, the Braves look to keep up their domination of the defending champion Dodgers. Atlanta captured five of six regular season matchups with Los Angeles, as the Braves needed three games to eliminate the Phillies in the Wild Card round.

We’ll break down two night plays for the Saturday action. Remember to monitor the odds throughout the day, as the props, sides, and totals market are constantly changing.

Here are the free MLB picks for Saturday, October 3. Odds Courtesy of DraftKings.

Best MLB plays today

• Rays (-137) vs. Yankees
• Padres/Brewers Under 7 Runs (-108)

Rays (-137) vs. Yankees - 6:30 p.m. ET

The Yankees ran through the Red Sox in a two-game sweep in the Wild Card round. However, New York faces a different animal in the ALDS, facing top-seeded Tampa Bay at Tropicana Field.

The Rays send out right-hander Drew Rasmussen in the opener. Tampa Bay is 12-0 in his previous 12 starts. The last time the Rays lost with Rasmussen on the mound came on July 9 at home to the Yankees, but he got revenge in his most recent start with 11 Ks against New York on September 22.

Gerrit Cole counters for the Yankees, who has plenty of experience on the playoff stage in his career. He pitched well against Tampa Bay this season, allowing two runs in 11.2 innings of work. However, the Yankees are 0-4 in their last four road playoff games since 2024.

This should be an excellent series, but Rasmussen should be able to slow down the New York bats, who saw most of its success in the last round against the Boston bullpen.

Padres/Brewers Under 7 Runs (-108) - 8:30 p.m. ET

Milwaukee takes the field for the first time this postseason, hosting red-hot San Diego in the NLDS. The Padres swept the Cubs in the Wild Card round, limiting Chicago to one run in the two victories.

Cy Young favorite Jacob Misiorowski heads to the mound following a tremendous 16-5 record and 1.80 ERA this season. The Mis didn't allow a run in seven innings in his only matchup with the Padres, although San Diego rallied late for a 3-1 win in mid-May.

The Padres acquired left-hander Robbie Ray from the Giants in August, as the former Cy Young winner allowed two runs or less in five of nine starts. In one of those four outings, Ray limited the Brewers to a pair of runs in only four innings of work, but San Diego came away with a 4-3 extra-innings victory.

Milwaukee owns a six-game Under streak in its last six playoff games and Misiorowski should keep this a low-scoring contest in this NLDS opener.