After a thrilling Game 1 finish, Game 2 of the World Series between the Yankees and Dodgers promises more intense action. With New York’s Carlos Rodon set to face rookie Yoshinobu Yamamoto, here are the top Game 2 betting picks, including Yankees moneyline, Rodon’s strikeouts, and Juan Soto's all-around production.
Yankees ML at Dodgers (+124, FanDuel)
Last night’s walkoff grand slam by Freddie Freeman overshadowed the fact that the Yankees led the game going into the bottom of the eighth inning and led the game going into the bottom of the tenth inning before the heroic moment. New York SP Carlos Rodon pitched well in his two ALCS starts against the Guardians and the Yankees won both games as he combined for this line: 10.2 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 15 K, 1 BB. Yoshinobu Yamamoto has thrown no more than 73 pitches in his first three playoff starts and even though Los Angeles has won all three times he took the hill, he’s been far from dominant with this line: 12.1 IP, 11 H, 7 ER, 11 K, 4 BB. Keep in mind that he’s also a rookie playing the sport’s most historically-dominant team on the biggest stage, so nerves could also be a factor.
Carlos Rodon Over 4.5 Strikeouts (-150, FanDuel)
Rodon has had his strikeout stuff working in the postseason. Posting seven strikeouts in 3.2 innings against the Royals and then nine strikeouts in 6.0 innings against the Guardians followed by six strikeouts in 4.2 innings against the Guardians, he is in a great spot to miss some more bats in Game 2. In 81 career at-bats, active Dodgers hitters have hit for power against Rodon (.519 slugging percentage), but have managed a low average (.198) and on-base percentage (.293) and have struck out 17 times (21% of the time). To add, Mookie Betts (1-for-19, 4 K) and Teoscar Hernandez (1-for-9, 3 K), two guys that have traditionally crushed left-handed pitching, have struggled mightly against Rodon, which is a positive sign for the southpaw.
Juan Soto Over 1.5 Hits + Runs + RBI (-115, BetMGM)
Soto has hit this prop in six of his last eight postseason games and is slashing .333/.457/.639 in the playoffs. He recorded a hit and a run in Game 1 and at this price, he’s a solid bet in every game moving forward.