This article is part of our MLB Picks series.
MLB Bets at FanDuel Sportsbook Today: MLB Picks, Player Props and Parlays for Wednesday, October 5
RotoWire.com's Juan Carlos Blanco identifies his MLB bets and MLB player props to target on FanDuel Sportsbook today.
Last article: 0-5 (-5.40 RW Bucks)
Season Record: 95-95-4 (-11.09 RW Bucks)
With this being the final day of the regular season – and thus one of the trickier MLB betting days of the year – it's a good time to take a moment and reflect on the general unpredictability of baseball betting before getting on to today's picks.
My last slate of picks is a fitting example of how thin the line can be between cashing and clunking on a given night. The 0-5 mark for Saturday that's noted above is largely the byproduct of:
- The Brewers, still in the hunt for a wild-card spot at that point, going into the ninth inning with a lead at home and the game set to go under (the parlay that was my first wager) and then blowing it against the non-contending Marlins
- Milwaukee also taking a one-run lead in the sixth inning, one frame too late for my Brewers -0.5 in first 5 innings wager to hit.
- The Mets taking a 2-1 lead into the bottom of the fifth and then giving up two runs to the Braves, blowing my first 5 innings bet of New York -0.5.
- Max Scherzer having what may have been his poorest outing of the season, leading to him getting the hook after just 5.2 innings and falling well short of his strikeout prop.
The lesson is that it's a new world each day in MLB and embracing the fact your betting fortunes can turn with one swing of the bat is essential to remaining sane and still hopefully coming out on top over time.
That said, the variance can be especially high on the final day of a season where postseason positioning is already set in stone.
With some uncertainty as to who'll be in the lineup for certain contenders as of this writing, I'll stick to two games between non-contending teams.
If you're not yet signed up at FanDuel Sportsbook, use RotoWire's FanDuel Promo Code to take advantage of a $1,000 no-sweat first bet offer.
Los Angeles Angels 
at Oakland Athletics 
The Angels are 12-6 straight up against the A's this season going into Wednesday's finale, and Shohei Ohtani has two of those victories. The dominant right-hander comes into the start with a 2-1 mark, 0.92 ERA and 22 strikeouts in 19.2 innings against Oakland this season, including 10 in his most recent start on Thursday. He's posted at least seven Ks in 18 of 27 starts as well, making a bet on both the Angels moneyline and him exceeding 6.5 strikeouts against a team he's consistently dominated both highly worth considering.
The A's' Ken Waldichuk has had a couple of rough outings in his first six big-league starts, but the young lefty has arguably pitched better than his 6.18 ERA would imply. Waldichuk turned in an especially encouraging outing against the Mariners on the road in his most recent turn when Seattle was still battling to finalize its playoff fate, racking up eight strikeouts over five innings while allowing only one run. The Angels have also been mostly harmless against lefties on the road in the second half (.202 average, .587 OPS, .258 wOBA), making the probability of a low-scoring game a bit stronger.
MLB Player Props and Best Bets for Angels at Athletics
- Angels moneyline and Under 6.5 runs (+210) for 1 RW Buck
- Shohei Ohtani Over 6.5 strikeouts thrown (-140) for 1 RW Buck
Minnesota Twins 
at Chicago White Sox 
Louie Varland has been a bit up and down over his first four big-league starts, leading to a 4.71 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 1.7 HR/9 and middling 6.9 K/9 across 21 innings. The right-hander faces a White Sox team trying to put a positive finish on a disappointing season, but it's one he pitched fairly well against his last time out at Target Field by allowing two runs on three hits over five innings. Jose Abreu has already been announced as out for Chicago as of this writing, and the same holds true for Eloy Jimenez and Luis Robert (wrist), leaving what has already been an underachieving lineup even less potent.
Davis Martin has been one of the brighter spots for the ChiSox in 2022, with the rookie's 3-5 record offset by a solid 3.65 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and modest 0.9 HR/9. Martin shut the Twins down at Guaranteed Rate Field the one previous time he saw them, authoring a five-inning shutout on three hits Sept. 2. He also comes in riding high, having pitched to a 1.99 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and 0.4 HR/9 across his last four starts, a streak that began with the outing versus Minnesota.
MLB Best Bets for Twins at White Sox
- Under 4.5 total runs - 1st 5 innings (-120) for 1 RW Buck
- Twins moneyline (+104) for 1 RW Buck
MLB Best Bets Today Recap
- Angels moneyline and Under 6.5 runs (+210) for 1 RW Buck
- Shohei Ohtani Over 6.5 strikeouts thrown (-140) for 1 RW Buck
- Twins-White Sox Under 4.5 total runs - 1st 5 innings (-120) for 1 RW Buck
- Twins moneyline (+104) for 1 RW Buck
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