MLB Playoffs 2018 Week One Matchups: Braves @ Dodgers

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MLB Postseason Week One Matchups and Betting Odds by Chris Watford for NoLuckNeeded.com

It’s official: the MLB playoffs are upon us. With the regular season coming to a close in spectacular fashion, the playoffs are shaping up to have a similar outcome. For the first time in MLB history we had two 163-game seasons, with a Rockies/Dodgers matchup alongside the Brewers and the Cubs. The Dodgers and the Rockies faced off on October 1st and Walker Buehler shut down the Rockies and performed at his usual level of play - throwing a no hitter through 6 innings. The Rockies attempted to make a comeback in the ninth inning - hitting back to back homeruns - but it was too little, too late. With the regular season officially at a close, let’s take a look at the 2018 MLB playoffs.

Atlanta Braves @ LA Dodgers 10/4 (Series Odds - Braves: +185, Dodgers: -225)

Throughout the season the Dodgers and the Braves have met seven times and the Dodgers took five of those games. The Dodgers have an arsenal of deadly pitchers going into this game one matchup and their choice for a starting pitcher comes off as slightly bizarre. Hyun-Jin Ryu is expected to throw the first pitch for the Dodgers this Thursday over Clayton Kershaw. Ryu has pitched spectacularly since August: boasting a 1.88 ERA. Mike Foltynewicz will be making his first postseason start for the Braves since 2013. Foltynewicz has a 2.85 ERA and lost his only career start this year against the Dodgers, where he allowed four runs in five innings. Watch game one this Thursday, on MLB Network at 8:37 PM ET.

Cleveland Indians (+1.5) @ Houston Astros (-1.5) 10/5

The Cleveland Indians will be taking on the defending champs, the Houston Astros; should they be scared? Well, sort of. The Astros got the better of the Indians during the regular season, with a 4-3 record and outscoring them 45-29. The headline for this game one matchup is the two starting pitchers: Justin Verlander of the Astros and Corey Kluber of the Indians. The name “Justin Verlander” practically speaks for itself, 16-9 record with a 2.52 ERA. Verlander also held a 4-1 record in last years postseason. Kluber isn’t anything to scoff at either. Not only does Kluber have a chance to win the Cy Young award this year, he has a marvelous 20-7 record and a 2.89 ERA. Catch game one this Friday, 10/5, on TBS at 2:05 PM ET.

Colorado Rockies @ Milwaukee Brewers 10/4 (Series Odds - Rockies: +135, Brewers: -155)

The NL Wild Card game had a little bit of everything: every possible player stepping up to bat, a blind umpire, a hug, a Cubs comeback and over four hours of baseball. The starting pitchers for both teams were both off to great starts, but once they were taken out things started to get a little bit sloppy and downright confusing towards the end. The Rockies used six of their pitchers while the Cubs used nine. The Rockies would go on to win this matchup in the 13th inning. Game one of the Rockies/Brewers matchup will be played in Milwaukee this Thursday. The Brewers have gotten the better of the Rockies this season, with a 5-2 record. The last time these two teams met up, the Brewers were setting up to make a miraculous comeback in the ninth inning, scoring three runs to tie it 4-4. However, they would eventually falter in the 11th inning. Antonio Senzatela will be pitching for the Rockies, opposite of Brandon Woodruff. This is the first time that Senzatela will be pitching against the Brewers since the beginning of the season where he threw five shutout innings. Woodruff is sitting on a 3-0 record with a 3.61 ERA and a fantastic outing in the month of september. Tune in this Thursday at 5:07 PM ET on FS1 to see if we’re in for another nailbiter.

Bet on the MLB playoffs at Intertops Sports!

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The article has been updated with new odds as of October 4th.