MLB Sportsbook Picks – Our Picks For A Trio Of American League Matchups This Week
Sports betting players know that summer is on its way as baseball season is underway, and in the American League this week, we’ll see a couple of Cy Young candidates (although one didn’t look like it in his 2011 debut), a Rookie of the Year candidate, and a possible shootout in Cleveland on Thursday.
Twins Yankees Betting – Tuesday, 7:05 PM ET
The Yankees will be favored at home against the Twins, who have lost nine of their last 10 in the Bronx. It doesn’t figure to get any easier on Tuesday in the second of a four-game set as the Yankees give the ball to C.C. Sabathia (0-0, 3.00), who earned a no-decision in a 6-3 win over Detroit on Opening Day. Sabathia gave up three runs (two earned) on six hits over six innings with seven strikeouts and a pair of walks in a duel with Justin Verlander, and he’s 13-8 in 28 starts against the Twins with an ERA of 3.05. On the other side, Brian Duensing (10-3, 2.62) will start the 2011 campaign in the rotation after taking Nick Blackburn’s place in the second half of last season, but he has a 0-1 mark in four relief appearances against the Yankees with an ERA of 8.10, and an ERA of 9.00 in New York.
The Twins didn’t look good in losing two of three in Toronto to start the season, and in particular, it looks like it’s going to take Justin Morneau to get his timing down after missing the second half of 2010 with a concussion. Go with the home team and Sabathia.
Betting Edge: New York Yankees
Angels Rays Betting – Wednesday, 1:10 PM ET
The Angels may actually be favored on the road by MLB betting odds as they’ll go with Dan Haren (0-0, 1.29), who was excellent in a 2-1 loss at Kansas City by scattering a run on six hits over seven innings, striking out six without a walk. The Rays will counter with rookie Jeremy Hellickson (4-0, 3.47 in 2010), who was a late-season call-up for Tampa Bay last year and pitched very well. Some are calling him the favorite for American League Rookie of the Year, but…..small steps. He faced the Angels once last season, allowing a homer in two innings of work, while Haren is 5-2 in nine career starts against the Rays with a 2.74 ERA. Neither team got off to a good start on the weekend, and the news got worse for Tampa Bay as Evan Longoria is on the disabled list with an oblique injury.
Many people are high on Hellickson, but Haren looks focused and we know what he can do when he is on top of his game, so go with the Angels on the road.
Betting Edge: Los Angeles Angels
Red Sox Indians Betting – Thursday, 12:05 PM ET
The Red Sox should be the MLB betting favorites on the road despite a poor Opening Weekend, and they’ll send Jon Lester (0-0, 8.44) out to the mound. One of the favorites to win the Cy Young award, Lester was bashed in Texas for five runs on six hits over 5.1 innings, and the Rangers took him deep three times in a 9-5 loss in which he didn’t strike anyone out. Lester usually has trouble early in the season, so there is no reason to withdraw your Cy Young bet, but keep an eye on him just the same. The lefty is 3-1 in eight starts against the Indians, but he is 1-0 in four starts at Progressive Field despite a 6.85 ERA. Cleveland’s Fausto Carmona (0-1, 30.00) would have loved to have Lester’s 2011 debut as he was hammered for 10 runs on 11 hits in three innings of a 15-10 loss at home to the White Sox, although he did manage to strike out five batters with a walk. He’s been up and down against the Red Sox, going 2-3 in seven games (five starts) with a 4.25 ERA, and he has a career 5.10 ERA in April, so like Lester, he’s no stranger to slow starts.
This could be a shootout, but we’re backing Lester to shake off his bad start quicker than Carmona, so take Boston in your online betting picks.
Betting Edge: Boston Red Sox
