2022 MLB Playoffs: Betting tips for AL/NL Wild Card games
The 2022 MLB postseason begins on Friday with the start of a new expanded 12-team playoff field and a best-of-3 series. The new format has led to some intriguing matchups over the weekend including a stacked San Diego Padres team with Juan Soto against the 101-win New York Mets and the ageless wonder Albert Pujols and the St. Louis Cardinals facing Bryce Harper and the Philadelphia Phillies.
More games means more opportunities to bet. Our experts tackle some of the most important questions surrounding how bettors should approach all of the AL and NL Wild Card games this week.
Note: All lines are courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook
The Mets, Blue Jays, Guardians and Cardinals are all hosting the best-of-3-series this weekend and all are favored to advance. Which team are you most confident in to advance to the LDS?
Karabell: The Guardians were four games over .500 one month ago. Then they won 21 of 25 games to lock up the Central. Starters Shane Bieber and Triston McKenzie are thriving and the Rays are really struggling to score runs lately. I think the Guardians, with their deep, speedy lineup and strong defense are a serious threat to the Yankees in the next round, too.
Doug Kezirian: Based on the series odds, the Mets are the most likely to advance. A series price of -170 represents a 63% likelihood. However, the question was about my outlook. In a vacuum, yes, the Mets would be my pick. However, I do worry about their psyche, given the late-season fade, and even the recent performances of their aces, although the Padres are also an unreliable unit. I honestly think all these series are evenly matched and do not feel confident with any pick. Yes, it’s a cop-out.
Tristan H. Cockcroft: The Mets, because it’s tough envisioning a Padres team that was league-average in run scoring over the past month upsetting a team that’ll probably be getting two-thirds of its innings from Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer and Edwin Diaz.
On the flip side, where do you see an upset happening?
Eric Karabell: The Phillies certainly didn’t thrive in September but they have the rotation advantage on the Cardinals with top-10 starters Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola in the first two games. Perhaps MVP candidates Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado don’t care, but the Cardinals aren’t great against right-handed pitching. If the Philadelphia bullpen can hold leads, they can advance.
Tyler Fulghum: As a St. Louis native who has thoroughly enjoyed the wild nostalgia this season has provided, I begrudgingly agree with Karabell. The Cardinals kryptonite this season has been high-octane, high-quality RHP. And the Phillies have a couple of really good ones in Wheeler and Nola. Plus, the Cards offense really struggled down the stretch (save for Albert Pujols), and while they have depth on the mound from the 1st inning to the 9th inning, they don’t really have any overpowering pitchers to dominate games (outside of closer Ryan Helsley).
Todd Zola: Pitching can go a long way in a three-game series and the Mariners have a top-three capable of matching up with anyone. Winning two in the Rogers Centre won’t be easy, but Seattle has the starters and bullpen to keep Toronto’s batters in check and with Julio Rodriguez back, they have an opportunistic offense ready to pull the upset.
Cockcroft: The Phillies, and maybe that’s just my memory of so many good-performing, recent Cardinals teams that qualified for October disappointing in early playoff series, but history backs it up, as the Cardinals have lost nine of 13 playoff games and 3-of-4 series in the previous three postseasons. Additionally, Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola and Ranger Suarez represent a superior rotation to whatever the Cardinals roll out there, and the games will be played in the better park for pitching between these teams’ homes. I’ll note that I went with chalk picks in this series with my MLB predictions, but the Phillies were the one upset I was sorely tempted to pick.
The Mets are the biggest favorite at -170 vs the Padres. They blew a 10.5-game division lead that would have avoided this round. Do you see the blown lead impacting this series?
Fulghum: I do not think the blow lead in the division will affect the Mets series with San Diego. Having Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom to pitch these games matters way more to me. It’s not like New York played poorly down the stretch – they won 101 games – it’s just that the Braves went absolutely nuclear down the stretch and chased them down. San Diego, on the other hand, has been a relative disappointment this season after all the Spring Training hype and the midseason addition of Juan Soto.
Cockcroft: There’s too much evidence that says regular-season “momentum” doesn’t matter for me to buy the blown-lead argument. The Mets still have their rotation aligned in their favor, and they have home-field advantage with their opponent traveling cross-country. If there’s anything from their blowing the division race that could influence this series negatively, it’s this silly concept of saving deGrom for a prospective elimination game (Game 2 or 3) rather than making the smart move of simply pitching him in Game 2. Had the Mets taken the division, there wouldn’t have even been this distracting debate.
Which of the eight teams playing in this round do you think has the best chance to win the LCS and is worth a futures play?
Karabell: The Guardians seem like the obvious pick to me against a Yankees team dependent on one slugging hitter and lacking rotation depth and clarified bullpen roles. Maybe they can rely on Luis Severino and Gleyber Torres. Maybe Clay Holmes and DJ LeMahieu are healthy. Seems like a bunch of maybes. The Guardians are solid.
Zola: 100% agree with Eric, but deciding between the Phillies and Mariners for the next best bet. Both have the pitching to pull it off. Seattle has the better defense and bullpen, which is huge in a short series, so I’ll go with the Mariners to upset Houston, a team who hasn’t played a meaningful game in what seems like months, and will have sat for six days between games.
Cockcroft: I’m amazed that the Guardians have as long odds as the Phillies! They’ve got a solid rotational top three, an elite defense (plus-77 Defensive Runs Saved!) and an above-average scoring offense that is by far the most contact-oriented in baseball. Maybe, just maybe, this throwback-style team has what it takes to topple the Yankees, then the pitching-rich Astros. Ultimately, I see tons of value in the Guardians for +3500, so that’s how I’ll pick here.
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Sean Allen, Special to ESPN.com
The midway point of the 2024-25 NHL occurred recently, which led to a slew of content this week: Midseason grades for all 32 teams, the Panic Meter, and the Wyshynski Awards at midseason.
But which fantasy players have been the MVP at this juncture?
In this week’s edition of the Power Rankings, we have identified that player for each club. And a reminder, it’s not too late to sign up for a team!
How we rank: A panel of ESPN hockey commentators, analysts, reporters and editors sends in a 1-32 poll based on the games through Wednesday, which generates our master list.
Note: Previous ranking for each team refers to the previous edition, published Jan. 10. Points percentages and paces are through Thursday’s games.
Previous ranking: 2
Points percentage: 72.22%
Tom Wilson, RW. It’s honestly hard to pick one Capital for this fantasy MVP award, as it’s been such a great season. Logan Thompson, Connor McMichael, Dylan Strome, Jakob Chychrun … even an injury-shortened run from Alex Ovechkin has been epic so far. But Wilson is the team’s fantasy leader as of Wednesday, with one more fantasy point than Thompson, so let’s acknowledge the effort.
Next eight days: vs. PIT (Jan. 18), @ EDM (Jan. 21), @ SEA (Jan. 23)
Previous ranking: 3
Points percentage: 70.65%
Connor Hellebuyck, G. He’s not just the Jets’ fantasy MVP, he’s easily the NHL fantasy MVP this season! Hellebuyck has a 35-point lead on Nathan MacKinnon for the most overall fantasy points and is pushing into territory we haven’t seen in the modern NHL. Carey Price has the 15-year water mark at 313.6 fantasy points in 2014-15 and Hellebuyck is on pace to beat it.
Next eight days: vs. CGY (Jan. 18), @ UTA (Jan. 20), @ COL (Jan. 22)
Previous ranking: 1
Points percentage: 69.32%
Jack Eichel, C. Health has been a big reason why, but it’s still a shock to think that Eichel hasn’t scored more than 82 points in a season. Well, he’s going to blow the doors off that career mark this campaign as he’s well on his way to triple digits!
Next eight days: @ CAR (Jan. 17), @ CHI (Jan. 18), vs. STL (Jan. 20), @ STL (Jan. 23)
Previous ranking: 7
Points percentage: 67.78%
Leon Draisaitl, C. Chicken or egg, we may never know, but Draisaitl is the easy pick from the Oilers even though he’s on a team with the consensus best player on the planet. His fantasy returns are through the roof and he’s dominating in the offensive categories at a per-game rate only eclipsed by two other players. No one is sad even if he was picked first overall at the draft — which he probably wasn’t.
Next eight days: @ VAN (Jan. 18), vs. WSH (Jan. 21), vs. VAN (Jan. 23)
Previous ranking: 8
Points percentage: 64.77%
Jake Oettinger, G. It hasn’t been a straight line to get there, but here at the halfway mark, Oettinger is the top-five goaltender we drafted. That’s worthy of fantasy MVP on a team with most of the other personnel putting up totals that lag behind last season.
Next eight days: @ COL (Jan. 18), vs. DET (Jan. 19), vs. CAR (Jan. 21)
Previous ranking: 5
Points percentage: 64.44%
Kirill Kaprizov, LW. He’s missed 10 games and still has the lead in fantasy points for the Wild, though Filip Gustavsson might catch him). Actually, if Kaprizov wasn’t so extremely dialed in, Gustavsson may have been worthy of the nod here for answering the bell as the unquestioned starter after a down season in 2023-24.
Next eight days: @ NSH (Jan. 18), @ COL (Jan. 20), vs. UTA (Jan. 23)
Previous ranking: 9
Points percentage: 61.70%
Jacob Markstrom, G. Forget fantasy MVP, maybe just plain MVP. The Devils knew they needed a reliable goalie to change their fortunes in the standings, and Markstrom has more than filled that void. It’s a bonus for us in the fantasy game that the results have translated well and he’s (distant, admittedly) second to Connor Hellebuyck among all goalies.
Next eight days: vs. PHI (Jan. 18), vs. OTT (Jan. 19), vs. BOS (Jan. 22)
Previous ranking: 4
Points percentage: 63.04%
Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll, G. Maybe the fantasy MVP should be coach Craig Berube, who brought his defensive stylings to a team that seemed to have had an appetite for it all along. Both Stolarz and Woll have proven to be worthy of fantasy rosters — especially in leagues that allow daily lineup changes to pick the actual starter. They rank fourth and 13th respectively for fantasy points per game.
Next eight days: @ MTL (Jan. 18), vs. TB (Jan. 20), vs. CBJ (Jan. 22)
Previous ranking: 11
Points percentage: 61.11%
Shayne Gostisbehere, D. Averaging half a point per game with the man advantage, Gostisbehere is just what the Hurricanes needed to elevate their special teams this season. He’s not just a great fantasy starter, but he’s lifted all boats for the Hurricanes by making the power play more dangerous. That’s true fantasy MVP status.
Next eight days: vs. VGK (Jan. 17), @ CHI (Jan. 20), @ DAL (Jan. 21), vs. CBJ (Jan. 23)
Previous ranking: 6
Points percentage: 65.48%
Brandt Clarke, D. Though the sun is setting on his time in the spotlight and one could argue it’s been fading since his early season returns, Clarke did a stand-up job of filling in for Drew Doughty as the Kings power-play quarterback until the veteran returns, which for the record, is expected to be soon.
Next eight days: @ SEA (Jan. 18), vs. PIT (Jan. 20), vs. FLA (Jan. 22)
Previous ranking: 12
Points percentage: 59.78%
Nathan MacKinnon, C. One of only two skaters averaging 3.0 fantasy points per game, MacKinnon is a fantasy MVP even relative to his starting value, which couldn’t possibly have been any higher for the top player drafted in most leagues. There are no complaints if you want to give this to Mikko Rantanen or Cale Makar, who are right there with him.
Next eight days: vs. DAL (Jan. 18), vs. MIN (Jan. 20), vs. WPG (Jan. 22)
Previous ranking: 10
Points percentage: 59.78%
Sam Reinhart, RW. Leon Draisaitl, Alex Ovechkin, Dany Heatley … Reinhart? If he keeps up his current pace, he’ll join an exclusive group of players with consecutive 50-goal seasons in the post-lockout era. How’s that for an answer as to whether he can repeat his fantasy value from his contract season?
Next eight days: vs. ANA (Jan. 18), @ ANA (Jan. 21), @ LA (Jan. 22)
Previous ranking: 13
Points percentage: 59.30%
Nikita Kucherov, RW. Life without Steven Stamkos has been just fine for Kucherov, as Jake Guentzel has filled the void on the power play. He joins only Nathan MacKinnon in the rarified air of earning 3.0 fantasy points per game as a skater. Brandon Hagel emerging as a fantasy lock would be another consideration here, but Kucherov is too good to pass on.
Next eight days: vs. DET (Jan. 18), @ TOR (Jan. 20), @ MTL (Jan. 21)
Previous ranking: 15
Points percentage: 55.68%
Jonathan Huberdeau, LW. Cast aside after the terrible fantasy showing last season, Huberdeau was widely available for fantasy teams when it became clear he was having a bounce-back campaign. Rookie Dustin Wolf was an equally eligible choice here as he continues his takeover of the crease.
Next eight days: @ WPG (Jan. 18), vs. BUF (Jan. 23)
Previous ranking: 14
Points percentage: 54.55%
Kevin Lankinen, G. Although the fantasy value is starting to fade as Thatcher Demko creeps back into the picture, Lankinen was a boon to rosters for months as his replacement. And it was a very late replacement, as he wasn’t even on the Canucks roster until after some fantasy drafts. But with Demko still not seemingly 100 percent, maybe the ride isn’t over.
Next eight days: vs. EDM (Jan. 18), vs. BUF (Jan. 21), @ EDM (Jan. 23)
Previous ranking: 18
Points percentage: 55.56%
Zach Werenski, D. Mike Green’s 31 goals in 2008-09 still stands as the 21st century mark to beat for a defender. Werenski picked up two on Tuesday to put him on pace for 28. The results are only made better by the fact that he was a typically an 11th round draft pick in most leagues.
Next eight days: @ NYR (Jan. 18), @ NYI (Jan. 20), @ TOR (Jan. 22), @ CAR (Jan. 23)
Previous ranking: 16
Points percentage: 54.55%
Brady Tkachuk, LW. Five-category forwards are a rare commodity, but Tkachuk checks all the boxes for fantasy production. But he’s not just checking them, he’s filling the boxes in with a permanent Sharpie and signing them. He’s top 10 in both shots on goal and hits!
Next eight days: vs. BOS (Jan. 18), @ NJ (Jan. 19), @ NYR (Jan. 21), @ BOS (Jan. 23)
Previous ranking: 19
Points percentage: 53.26%
David Pastrnak, RW. Like … who else are we going to pick? Jeremy Swayman and Elias Lindholm are falling way short of high hopes, Charlie McAvoy — just placed on the IR — and Brad Marchand are treading water for value. Pasta hasn’t been as dominant as his recent seasons, but you probably aren’t mad you picked him for your team, which is going to have to be good enough for fantasy MVP here.
Next eight days: @ OTT (Jan. 18), vs. SJ (Jan. 20), @ NJ (Jan. 22), vs. OTT (Jan. 23)
Previous ranking: 17
Points percentage: 54.55%
Lane Hutson, D. It took him a little bit of time, but Hutson climbed the depth chart to the top of the blue line and is reaping the rewards. He has been a top-10 fantasy defenseman for the past month with 2.3 fantasy points per game and leads all Habs in fantasy points over that span.
Next eight days: vs. TOR (Jan. 18), vs. NYR (Jan. 19), vs. TB (Jan. 21), @ DET (Jan. 23)
Previous ranking: 22
Points percentage: 52.27%
Moritz Seider, D. With the way the offense has turned around after the coaching change, this answer might be different in a couple of weeks (Patrick Kane?), but for now, Seider returning the top-five defenseman value we hoped for is fantasy MVP-worthy.
Next eight days: @ TB (Jan. 18), @ DAL (Jan. 19), @ PHI (Jan. 21), vs. MTL (Jan. 23)
Previous ranking: 20
Points percentage: 52.17%
Dylan Holloway, C. After getting modest chances in Edmonton with the likes of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, it was far from expected that Holloway would start producing once he escaped them. Holloway ranks third on the Blues in total fantasy points and has only been improving his output as the season progresses — as in, this might not even be the ceiling yet.
Next eight days: @ UTA (Jan. 18), @ VGK (Jan. 20), vs. VGK (Jan. 23)
Previous ranking: 25
Points percentage: 51.14%
Will Cuylle, LW. Frankly, Cuylle shouldn’t be on fantasy rosters anymore since his early-season hot streak inevitably petered out, but giving him the fantasy MVP nod here is a message to the rest of the Rangers. No one has met, let alone exceeded fantasy hopes on this roster this season. Vincent Trocheck is just starting to get to a good place, but it’s thumbs down all around after him.
Next eight days: vs. CBJ (Jan. 18), @ MTL (Jan. 19), vs. OTT (Jan. 21), vs. PHI (Jan. 23)
Previous ranking: 24
Points percentage: 50.00%
Travis Sanheim, D. While Travis Konecny is the team leader for fantasy, he was also a popular pick at drafts. Sanheim was a bench addition defenseman in most leagues — if he was even drafted at all. Well, here he is, sandwiched between Quinn Hughes and Roman Josi for total fantasy points from the blue line at the halfway mark.
Next eight days: @ NJ (Jan. 18), vs. DET (Jan. 21), @ NYR (Jan. 23)
Previous ranking: 21
Points percentage: 48.86%
Ian Cole, D. Cole is easily having the quietest fantasy campaign in the league. He ranks 19th in fantasy points among all defensemen, yet remains available in 60% of leagues. The fuel for his performance are his 124 blocked shots, which rank second overall to Jacob Trouba. Cole even has more fantasy points than any forward on Utah’s roster.
Next eight days: vs. STL (Jan. 18), vs. WPG (Jan. 20), @ MIN (Jan. 23)
Previous ranking: 23
Points percentage: 47.83%
Rickard Rakell, RW. He was on radars at the start of the season, but he may not have even been in many top-five lists for Penguins with the most fantasy potential. So to have Rakell not only doing well, but leading the entire team in fantasy points — by a healthy margin — is fantastic news for those that picked him up in the early going. Heck, Rakell is 11th among all skaters in fantasy scoring!
Next eight days: @ BUF (Jan. 17), @ WSH (Jan. 18), @ LA (Jan. 20), @ ANA (Jan. 23)
Previous ranking: 26
Points percentage: 46.59%
Anders Lee, LW. With only Lee and Noah Dobson approaching 2.0 fantasy points per game — and barely — across the Islanders’ entire roster, we don’t really have a choice but to go with Lee for the fantasy MVP, as we expected more from Dobson. But long story short, if Ilya Sorokin isn’t the fantasy MVP in an Isles season, we know things aren’t going to plan.
Next eight days: vs. SJ (Jan. 18), vs. CBJ (Jan. 20)
Previous ranking: 28
Points percentage: 44.57%
Joey Daccord, G. Look, the Kraken are an example of playing above the sum of its parts, but it means there are no superstars here. No player averages more than 1.7 fantasy points per game, which means some shallow leagues might be better off with no Kraken on any rosters. That said, Daccord has been an above average secondary fantasy goaltender when deployed with focus.
Next eight days: vs. LA (Jan. 18), vs. BUF (Jan. 20), vs. WSH (Jan. 23)
Previous ranking: 27
Points percentage: 46.67%
Jackson LaCombe, D. Before the season, if you had to guess the young defender that would the Ducks’ fantasy MVP at the halfway mark, LaCombe might have been your third guess. He’s playing top-pair minutes with Radko Gudas and patrolling the blue line on the power play to the tune of 1.9 fantasy points per game.
Next eight days: @ FLA (Jan. 18), vs. FLA (Jan. 21), vs. PIT (Jan. 23)
Previous ranking: 29
Points percentage: 44.32%
Jason Zucker, LW. A prime choice in deep-league fantasy games, Zucker has a lot going for him amongst a disappointing showing from his teammates in fantasy. A freebie pickup with 1.7 fantasy points per game? Nice. Gets most of his points on the power play? Excellent. Eligible at both LW and RW for leagues that use those? Beauty!
Next eight days: vs. PIT (Jan. 17), @ SEA (Jan. 20), @ VAN (Jan. 21), @ CGY (Jan. 23)
Previous ranking: 30
Points percentage: 42.05%
Roman Josi, D. Even though he ranks ninth among blueliners for fantasy points and is behind his pace from last season, Josi is as close to a fantasy MVP as we’ll get with this club. Maybe better days are ahead, but the Predators are a lesson in not betting too strongly on fantasy returns based on offseason moves.
Next eight days: vs. MIN (Jan. 18), vs. SJ (Jan. 21), @ SJ (Jan. 23)
Previous ranking: 32
Points percentage: 36.17%
Jake Walman, D. An extraordinarily pleasant surprise on the Sharks’ blue line, Walman is running the power play, firing shots, scoring goals and blocking shots. He wasn’t on any preseason shortlists as a sleeper, so to be getting quality production out of him as a free-agent addition has been helpful to those who jumped on board.
Next eight days: @ NYI (Jan. 18), @ BOS (Jan. 20), @ NSH (Jan. 21), vs. NSH (Jan. 23)
Previous ranking: 31
Points percentage: 34.44%
Alex Vlasic, D. The results are dipping of late, but Vlasic was a solid play overall this season, especially when Seth Jones was out of the lineup. Vlasic ranks second on the team in fantasy points and was even tied with Connor Bedard for the lead as recently as Dec. 27.
Next eight days: vs. VGK (Jan. 18), vs. CAR (Jan. 20)
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Chris Low, ESPN Senior Writer
LSU freshman quarterback Colin Hurley was found unresponsive but breathing by LSU police and the Baton Rouge Fire Department just before 3 a.m. on Thursday following a car crash near the gates of the LSU campus, according to a crash report.
Hurley was taken out of his Dodge Charger by EMS and fire department personnel and transported to a Baton Rouge area hospital.
The cause of the crash has not been released. LSU school officials said they were unable to comment because Hurley, 17, is still a minor. Hurley’s parents were on their way to Baton Rouge.
“We are working through proper protocols with his family before we can have any comment,” LSU senior associate athletic director and chief communications officer Zach Greenwell told ESPN via text message.
Hurley, who is from Jacksonville, Florida, signed with LSU as part of the 2024 recruiting class and did not play this season as a true freshman.
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