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There are a couple of spots that bettors will always have circled on their calendars every season. One of those moments has arrived on Wednesday as two teams that clinched their respective divisions on Tuesday, the New York Yankees and St. Louis Cardinals, are in action 24 hours later.

Sitting at 95-59 and now officially the division champs, the Yankees have all but assured themselves of the No. 2 seed in the American League playoffs. That leaves very little to play for over the next week, other than staying on form and getting Aaron Judge his 61st and 62nd home runs. Judge is +240 to go deep on Wednesday night against Mitch White.

And while no professional athlete will ever admit to taking their foot off the pedal, you could see the reasoning for doing it in this spot. The Yankees have played 154 games and likely spent the night reveling in the fact that they won the AL East, so this could be a game where a lot of regulars get the night off (Judge excluded, of course). 

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  Gerrit Cole Getty Images Gerrit Cole Getty Images

Still, nothing in betting is a sure thing, and the extenuating circumstances are likely baked into the odds since the Yanks are sitting as -126 favorites with their ace Gerrit Cole on the mound. 

Although Cole has not been in great form, his 4.94 ERA in the month of September looks quite inflated when you put it next to his 2.32 xFIP over that same span. That’s been the case for Cole all season, as the 32-year-old owns a 3.49 ERA and 2.79 xFIP in 188.1 innings of work this season.

The fact that Cole is due for positive regression and a red-hot Yankees offense is a little scary, but the Blue Jays are no pushovers and boast one of the best offenses in baseball. If the Yankees are sleep-walking even just a little, the Jays should be there to take advantage.

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  Willy Adames Getty Images Willy Adames Getty Images

It’s a similar situation with the Cardinals and Brewers. After wrapping the NL Central on Wednesday night, the Cards locked themselves into the No. 3 spot in the National League bracket. Meanwhile, the Brew Crew are fighting for their season and sit 1.5 games behind the Phillies for the final Wild Card spot. 

The Brewers are -156 favorites at home against the Cardinals, but they’ve got a significant edge with Brandon Woodruff on the mound against Jose Quintana. 

Nothing in betting is ever guaranteed, and just because the Yanks and Cardinals were likely celebrating well into Tuesday night doesn’t mean they’re just going to lose, but these types of situations only pop up a few times a season, and they’re quite fun, which is the point of gambling for 99% of bettors.

MLB pick, parlay today

A Blue Jays/Brewers moneyline parlay pays out +241 on BetMGM Wednesday night.

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