Best MLB Bets Today: Yankees and Red Sox Set to Renew Their Rivalry Today

We have a pair of great betting opportunities for you today. The first comes from baseball’s biggest rivalry as the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox face off. The second involves a battle between the Tampa Bay Rays and Atlanta Braves.

Below, we will share our favorite bet for both of the above games. We’ll use odds taken from FanDuel Sportsbook, which offers new players a welcome bonus of $200 in Bonus Bets when they sign up and make an initial winning wager of $5+.

For more betting opportunities, check out our list of the best MLB betting sites and our curated list of MLB promos and bonuses.

Best MLB Bets Today: Yankees vs Red Sox (6:30 PM EST)

Yankees -1.5 (+100) at FanDuel Sportsbook

The Boston Red Sox have been better than expected in 2024, but they are in store for a rough night tonight. A big reason is New York's starting pitcher, Luis Gil (8-1, 2.04 ERA), who has been one of the top pitchers in baseball this season. The 26-year-old had a shaky start to the season but bounced back to win all six of his starts in May while posting an ERA of 0.70. 

Gil will be up against a Boston lineup that has been solid in 2024. Boston ranks in the league's top half in both batting average and runs scored, but they haven’t seen many pitchers like Gil this year. That's been a problem for most of the pitcher’s opponents, who are batting just .143 the first time they see him, .132 the second time, and .140 the third time. Those are very impressive numbers that show how much teams are struggling to figure Gil out.

The Red Sox will have Cooper Criswell (3-3, 4.13 ERA, 1.21 WHIP) making the start opposite of Gil. The righty was incredible to start the season but owns an ERA of 5.48 since May 1. While his first start in June was strong, he regressed last week when he allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits and a walk across 4 ⅓ innings against the White Sox. The Yankees offense is far better than the White Sox, so we expect another ugly result tonight.

New York continues to have one of the best lineups in all of baseball. They lead the league in runs scored while ranking fifth in batting average. The addition of Juan Soto has been a significant boost, but Aaron Judge is leading the way over the last month and a half. The former MVP leads all of baseball in home runs, RBIs, and OPS while showing no signs of slowing down. We expect he and Soto to stay hot against a struggling Crisweel tonight.

Bet on Yankees -1.5 (+100) at FanDuel

Best MLB Bets Today: Rays vs. Braves (7:20 PM EST)

Under 8.5 (-110) at FanDuel Sportsbook

This matchup features two teams struggling in a major way. The Rays’ struggle was somewhat expected, with Wander Franco and Shane McClanahan missing the season. The Braves' struggles are far more surprising, even after losing 2023 NL MVP Ronald Acuna Jr. and ace Spencer Strider. The cold streaks have both involved offensive slumps, which is bad news as they face off against two good pitchers tonight. 

The Rays will have Zack Littell (2-4, 3.63 ERA) starting in Atlanta tonight. While the 28-year-old isn’t an ace, he has become a reliable piece of the Rays’ rotation. He has posted three straight quality starts, two of which came against a great Orioles team. Littell has been far from perfect but has excelled at preventing baserunners from scoring when he gets in trouble.

As impressive as the Braves lineup is, they have been lost since losing Acuna. Even though the superstar wasn't hitting well, he was a significant threat at the top of the lineup. The team has also seen Austin Riley take a major step backward, with just six home runs and a .225 batting average. The third baseman hasn’t shown any sign that he is turning things around, making him much less of a threat against Littell tonight.

The Braves will have a seven-time All-Star on the mound tonight in Chris Sale (8-2, 3.01 ERA, 0.94 WHIP). The 35-year-old saw injuries mar his career over the last few seasons, but he has bounced back in 2024. He was near perfect during June, allowing just two runs over five starts. The Rays don’t have the offense they used to, ranking in the bottom ten of the league in batting average and runs scored. Considering how well Sale is pitching, we expect another quiet night from Tampa tonight.

Bet on Under 8.5 (-110) at FanDuel

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