Chris Boline
Things are really heating up when it comes to the chase for the World Series, as we’re down to four teams left in the hunt. Which teams will end up meeting in the Fall Classic? On Tuesday night, we had Game 1 of the NLCS, and now people can’t wait for the Yankees and Astros to meet this week as well. That’s right, Houston vs. New York with a trip to the title series on the line. In this piece, we have our MLB ALCS pick for the 2022 season, with the Yankees and Astros ready for war.
Astros are the favorites over the Yankees in the ALCS
As you might have been able to imagine, the Astros are the favorites over the Yankees in the ALCS. Houston has seen its MLB betting odds skyrocket ever since the Los Angeles Dodgers were eliminated by the San Diego Padres. Because of this, Houston actually holds the top World Series odds leading up to the ALCS going up against the Yankees. It’s hard to argue with that fact, as they have an insane amount of talent.
When it comes to hitting, all eyes are going to be on guys like Yordan Alvarez, Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman. Those are the main stars with a bat in their hands for this team. In the pitching department, everyone is always going to think about Justin Verlander, as he’s been sensational once again this season. This comes after he missed the entire 2021 campaign due to injury. Now, he’s back.
| MLB ALCS odds |  |  |  |  |
| Astros to win | -115 | -115 | -115 | -115 |
| Yankees to win | +145 | +145 | +145 | +145 |
| Over 6 games | -110 | -110 | -110 | -110 |
| Under 6 games | -110 | -110 | -110 | -110 |
With the Yankees, this team nearly blew it in the ALDS, as they were down two games to one against the Guardians. However, the Bronx Bombers won Game 4 in Cleveland and then they were able to come out on top in the series-deciding Game 5 at Yankee Stadium. In that matchup, Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton both went yard for the Yankees, which was of course amazing to see for the fanbase.
According to the best-rated MLB betting sites, the Astros hold -115 MLB betting odds to win the ALCS and move on to the World Series. The Yankees are slight underdogs, as their odds have been set at +145. Just about everyone assumes that Houston will get past New York once again and get back to the World Series for the second consecutive year. From our chair, though, we see things a bit differently.
A Stantonian Blast 💥 #RepBX pic.twitter.com/NGJnpm1fJW
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) October 19, 2022
The Yankees are our pick to win the ALCS this season
Call it a potential upset, but the Yankees are our pick to win the ALCS this season. We know this might be a bit of a stretch, but trust us, the Yankees are out for revenge and they’re going to be extra motivated to beat up on Houston this time around. As you’ve probably read about, the 2017 series between these two teams is still fresh in a lot of minds over in the Bronx leading up to the series.
Houston is known for cheating in 2017 and they beat the Yankees in the postseason that year. Everyone has remembered Altuve’s walk-off home run vs. Aroldis Chapman during that postseason. Yankees fans were heartbroken and to make matters worse, Altuve was named AL MVP that season and Judge came in second. Judge 100 percent deserved the MVP honors that season.
Instead, it was Altuve who captured all of the glory that year. Judge wants revenge, Aaron Boone wants revenge and the fans as a whole want revenge. The history in this case feels fresh and New York wants to remind Houston of how great they can be. The odds are against them, sure, but something tells us that the Yankees will be up to the task. It could come down to pitching, but we like NY’s chances. We’re going with the Yankees as our pick.
Yankees are also our pick to win the World Series
For a lot of baseball supporters, the belief is that whoever wins the American League pennant will go on to win the World Series. That’s why the Yankees are also our pick to win the World Series this fall. No disrespect to the Phillies or Padres, but with the Los Angeles Dodgers eliminated from the postseason, it’s hard to imagine a team from the National League will be able to go all the way here.
Champagne Poetry 🍾#RepBX pic.twitter.com/WRKb7R4Ezv
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) October 19, 2022
If the Yankees, who hold +275 World Series odds, are to capture another title, they’re going to have to step their game up both at the plate and in the rotation. With the rotation, Gerrit Cole needs to look like the ace of this staff. He looked fantastic in Game 4 of the ALDS vs. Cleveland, allowing only two runs. He’ll need to be even better when facing off against Houston.
At the dish, Judge and Stanton are going to need some help. Look for Anthony Rizzo, Gleyber Torres and Harrison Bader to try and deliver with some timely hits in the ALCS. If those guys can help out Judge and Stanton, then New York has a great chance of not only winning the ALCS, but the World Series as well.
