Make New York Post a Preferred Source Chicago White Sox's Miguel Vargas celebrates with teammates in the dugout after scoring on a Munetaka Murakami single during the first inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, in Chicago. AP Photo/Paul Beaty The Houston Astros needed all 162 games to punch their ticket to the MLB playoffs.
They outlasted their division rival Texas Rangers to win the AL West crown with an 81-81 record and will host a Wild Card series at Daikin Park Tuesday afternoon against the Chicago White Sox.
The ‘Stros are -125 on the moneyline in Game 1 of the series, with the Over/Under sitting at 8 total runs.
The Astros won the season series handily with a 5-2 record over the seven games and they have the benefit of hosting despite having a worse regular season record thanks to winning their division.
However, Game 1 will still be a tough one for their pitching staff.
Because the Astros needed to use so many pitchers this weekend to get into the postseason, they’ll start relief pitcher AJ Blubaugh in the series opener.
It also means their relief options will be limited a bit for Game 1.
Blubaugh led all Major League relievers in innings pitched with 96, but he maxed out at 3 ⅔ innings back in May. He has some experience as a starter — three starts as a rookie — but he has pitched four or more innings just four times in his short career.
Houston Astros pitcher AJ Blubaugh (69) reacts after getting out of the seventh inning with the Arizona Diamondbacks leaving a man in scoring position at Daikin Park in Houston, Texas, Saturday, September 5, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect He’ll be asked to toe a tricky line of pitching enough to preserve Houston’s bullpen but not too much that he can’t be used again in this series, while dealing with the nerves of his first playoff action.
The White Sox are also a group of young pups with little playoff experience, but I’m eyeing Miguel Vargas as one of the key players in this game.
Vargas has never played in a playoff game but was a member of the Dodgers for two of their playoff runs.
This season he blossomed into an All-Star and leader for the Southsiders. He finished eighth in the AL in OPS (.837), fifth in total bases (279) and third in walks (101).
In the most recent series against the Astros, Vargas was one of the few bright spots in an otherwise poor showing for the White Sox. He’ll need to take advantage of an Astros pitching staff in a precarious position.
I’ll bet on Vargas to go Over two total bases in their Game 1 clash.
The Pick: Miguel Vargas 2+ Total Bases (+150, BetMGM)
Malik Smith has been immersed in the sports betting industry since 2017. He’s a data nerd with a particular focus on the NBA and combat sports. He spends his weeknights in the winter looking for edges on plus-money NBA player props.
