MLB predictions, picks, best bets: Dodgers' Mookie Betts stays hot vs. Mets, Juan Soto lights up for Yankees

Monday hosts two league championship series games

The power of the Yankees is pretty funny, right? The NLCS features two mega-market teams and takes place on the west coast, yet it is still the early game because the Yankees get the primetime game, no matter what. Hopefully as many die-hard Dodgers fans as possible can take the day off work and Mets fans find a way to watch by 4 p.m. 

Meanwhile, let's get a little gambling action. 

Mets at Dodgers, 4:08 p.m. ET

LHP Sean Manaea vs. TBA

Manaea had a 3.09 ERA in his last 12 starts of the regular season and has a 2.25 ERA in his two playoff starts. He took the ball in Game 3 against the Phillies and only gave up one run in seven innings, striking out six. There was some batted ball luck early (all three outs in the first inning were over 106 miles per hour), but he was overall great. The Dodgers faced him on April 19 and he gave up two runs on four hits in five innings. 

The Dodger, hamstrung by injuries, are turning to a bullpen game Monday. Thanks to Jack Flaherty throwing a dominant seven innings Sunday night, the relievers should be relatively well rested.

The play: Mookie Betts over 1.5 hits + runs + RBI (-115)

We hit this one in Game 1 and I'm just gonna stick with it. I've said before that I love his lineup spot, following Shohei Ohtani and in front of Freddie Freeman and Teoscar Hernández. The Dodgers are facing a lefty here and Betts hit over .300 against lefties. Also, he's 10 for 32 (.313) with two doubles, two triples, three homers and eight RBI in his career against Manaea. 

Guardians at Yankees, 7:38 p.m. ET

RHP Alex Cobb vs. LHP Carlos Rodón

I'm not sure the Guardians can continue to lean so heavily on their big bullpen arms here in a seven-game series with just two days off, but heading into Game 1, everyone should be fine after playing just once in the previous three days. Cobb worked only three innings in his ALDS start and it was his first start since Sept. 1. Do the math. We're gonna see plenty of bullpen. 

Maybe from both sides. 

Rodón started off Game 2 with a bang, striking out three in the first. He would strike out seven against zero walks, but allowed four runs on seven hits in 3 2/3 innings. The Yankees' bullpen has been great since switching up the back-end and making Luke Weaver the closer.   

The play: Juan Soto over 1.5 hits + runs + RBI (-115)

We hit on this prop in the first inning of Game 4 against the Royals, so why not just run it back? It's Juan Freaking Soto, so that's a good start. You have to love him in Yankee Stadium with that short right field porch. He has the cushy lineup spot, second, between Gleyber Torres and Aaron Judge. And he's 7 for 11 with a double and two home runs in his career against Cobb (3 for 5 with a homer last year, 3 for 3 with a double and homer in 2022).