Best MLB Bets Today: Baseball’s Biggest Rivalry is Back

We have a great pair of bets for you heading into the weekend. The first comes from baseball’s biggest rivalry as the Boston Red Sox visit the New York Yankees. The other is from an AL West battle between the Houston Astros and Los Angeles Angels.

Below, we will share the bets we love from both games, sharing odds taken from FanDuel Sportsbook. If you are new and looking to start using FanDuel, use our custom link to earn $200 in Bonus Bets+ 3 Weeks of NFL Sunday Ticket if your initial wager of $5+ wins!

Best MLB Bets Today: Red Sox vs. Yankees (7:05 PM EST)

Yankees -1.5 (+136) at FanDuel Sportsbook

There are many reasons to love this bet, but Boston starter Tanner Houck (8-10, 3.24 ERA, 1.17 WHIP) is among the biggest. The veteran was an All-Star this season but has been struggling lately. Since the All-Star game, Houck has gone 0-4 with a 4.83 ERA, and the Red Sox have lost eight of his last nine starts.

On top of his recent struggles, Houck has also been dealing with the dreaded “dead arm” over his last few starts. That forces the team to rest him longer, but it doesn’t seem to be helping. Expect the righty to deliver another ugly outing against Aaron Judge and the Yankees tonight.

Houck’s fatigue is a big problem, considering how bad the Boston bullpen has been. They have the fifth-worst ERA in baseball at 4.58. That will be a big problem against a New York team that has scored the second-most runs in baseball.

The Yankees will have Clarke Schmidt (5-3, 2.34 ERA, 1.13 WHIP) on the mound against the Red Sox. The veteran is having the best season of his career but missed three months due to a strained right lat. He made his first start back last weekend and looked as good as ever, shutting the Cubs out on the road over 4 ⅔ innings.

Schmidt will likely be on a minutes restriction tonight, but we have confidence in the Yankees bullpen. While the Red Sox play at the plate has been fantastic, the Yankees have a top-ten bullpen capable of sealing the win once the starter leaves.

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Best MLB Bets Today: Astros vs. Angels (9:39 PM EST)

Over 9 (-102) at FanDuel Sportsbook

There is no denying that Yusei Kikuchi (8-9, 4.31 ERA, 1.24 WHIP) has been a better pitcher since joining the Astros, but we still don’t trust him. The former Blue Jay was 4-9 with a 4.75 ERA when he was traded but went 3-0 with a 2.57 ERA for the Astros in August. 

While his numbers in August are impressive, that momentum did not carry into his first start of September. Kikuchi allowed four runs on seven hits over six innings. That is the pitcher we saw earlier this season and for most of his career. The Angels' offense isn’t great, but they have some dangerous bats that will do some damage to Kikuchi.

The Angels offense has been better over the last week. They are averaging 4.9 runs over their previous eight games, much of which came against good pitching. A big reason for that is young star Zach Neto, who has a .324 average in September.

The Angels will have a rookie on the mound tonight: Samuel Aldegheri (1-1, 2.45 ERA, 1.27 WHIP). The 22-year-old has looked good in his two career starts, but those came against offenses that rank in the bottom of the league. Now, he’ll face an Astros team with the league's third-best batting average.

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