MLB Online Bet – Focus Remains On Competitive AL East Heading Into Weekend

With the annual Kentucky derby betting race right around the corner, the Major League Baseball season is still very young, but the first couple of weeks have provided quite the surprise in baseball’s toughest division. The New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays were expected to compete at the top of the American League East, but the Boston Red Sox were projected to be right there with them fighting for a pennant. The Fenway faithful have watched their team open the year in the division basement, as the focus remains on getting back on track as the AL East race takes the spotlight this weekend.

New York Yankees @ Baltimore Orioles

Friday, 7:05 PM ET

After a hot start to their season the Orioles have come crashing back down to earth in a major way, and it won’t get any easier for the team that finished fifth in the AL East a year ago when they host New York. The Yankees will send ace CC Sabathia to the mound to take on Brad Bergeson, who hasn’t helped Baltimore to a victory yet this season. The Orioles are 0-3 in games that he starts, and Bergeson hasn’t pitched more than five innings in any of those losses. Sabathia doesn’t have a win on his record for 2011 just yet, but the Yankees are 2-2 in games he starts and his 2.52 ERA is every indication that a win is overdue.

MLB Betting Pick: New York Yankees

Kansas City Royals @ Texas Rangers

Friday, 8:05 PM ET

The defending AL champions have looked very good early on this season, and while they have long been known for their power hitting it’s the phenomenal play of their young pitching staff that has stolen all of the headlines early on this year. Derrick Holland will get the call on Friday for the series opener against Kansas City, and has been one of those solid contributors. The 24-year old is 2-1 with a 3.66 ERA, and will look to bounce back from a rough start against the Yankees. Holland will pitch against Jeff Francis, who hasn’t been bad this season but hasn’t gotten the run support he needs.

MLB Betting Pick: Texas Rangers

Tampa Bay Rays @ Toronto Blue Jays

Saturday, 1:07 PM ET

The Rays will hope that ace David Price can continue to perform in his last sports betting outing, a 5-0 win over the Chicago White Sox in which he threw nine strikeouts over eight shutout innings of work and allowed just four hits for the win. He’ll get the chance to counter Toronto starter Brandon Morrow, who will make his first start of the season coming off of injury.

MLB Betting Pick: Tampa Bay Rays

Boston Red Sox @ Los Angeles Angels

One of the deepest pitching staffs in baseball has started the MLB betting year very slow, but if they can continue to get contributions from the bottom of that lineup including Daisuke Matsuzaka they should find their rhythm. Matsuzaka threw seven scoreless innings in a 9-1 win over Toronto in his last outing, and will need to be good again to buy time for his hitters against Angels’ starter Ervin Santana.