Keeping up on who’s hot, and who’s not, is a full-time job for handicappers focusing on MLB betting. It seems like it was just yesterday the Red Sox were in control of the American League East, but life has changed in baseball’s toughest division.

The Yankees are seeing strong public action on the baseball futures board, and they should be because they lead second-place Boston by seven games. Looks like the BoSox will have to settle for the AL Wild Card, as long as they can stay ahead of both the Rays and Rangers.


NY Yankees at Boston
Don’t let Boston’s 8-4 record against New York this year fool you, because the Yankees (76-45, +7.10 units) have the advantage against the Red Sox (68-51, +3.13 units) heading into their three-game set beginning on Friday night.

Boston cashed the first eight games in the season series, but New York swept the BoSox in a four-game series earlier this month in the Bronx. Red Sox backers are the first to tell you those games were played at Yankee Stadium, but that doesn’t mean the Bombers didn’t outscore their rivals 25-8 in the four games.

The Yanks are one of the hottest wagers in baseball, with seven moneyline paydays over their last nine contests. New York has also been profitable on the road lately, going 8-2 in its last 10 ballgames away from Yankee Stadium.

Texas at Tampa Bay
With the BoSox dealing with the Yankees, both the Rangers (67-52, +17.47 units) and Rays (65-54, +0.71 units) have a prime opportunity to make some noise in the AL Wild Card race in their three-game tilt this weekend.

Texas went into Thursday night’s game against Minnesota only one game behind Boston, while Tampa Bay was three games back prior to its finale at Baltimore. The Rays figure to get off on the right foot in Friday night’s Game 1 with Scott Kazmir taking the hill: Tampa Bay is 7-1 in the lefthander’s last eight starts against Texas.

The Rangers took all three games from the Rays when the teams met in Texas in July, outscoring Tampa Bay 20-7 in the series. Texas comes into the weekend hitting only .243 on the road this season, although the Rangers are batting .301 over their last 10 outings.

Chicago Cubs at LA Dodgers
It’s hard to believe, but the struggling Dodgers (71-50, +11.71 units) are in jeopardy of losing their grip on the National League West coming into their four-game battle with the Cubs (61-57, -7.95 units) starting on Thursday night at Chavez Ravine.

Los Angeles had nearly a double-digit lead in the division at the All-Star break, but the Colorado Rockies were only 3.5 games back heading into Thursday night’s action. The Dodgers simply haven’t been winning games: They’re only 4-8 against the MLB moneyline over their last 12 contests.

Only 3-7 over its last 10 games, Chicago could be just what the doctor ordered for L.A. bettors. The Cubs are hitting only .243 away from Wrigley Field this season, as Lou Piniella has struggled to find the right mix for the lineup card.

Florida at AtlantaWhile the Cubs have almost played themselves out of the NL Wild Card chase with their play of late, both the Marlins (64-56, +8.96 units) and Braves (63-57, -2.41 units) have done the opposite. The clubs meet for a three-gamer beginning on Friday night with a playoff berth well within their grasp.
Atlanta had cashed eight of their last 11 games before Thursday night’s contest with the Mets, while Florida had taken nine of 12 rolling into its clash at Houston. Four games back of the Rockies and one behind the Marlins coming into Thursday, the Braves have made a push largely because of their profitability at home since the All-Star break: Atlanta is 15-6 at Turner Field in its last 21 games there.
Totals bettors should take a close look at this series. The Fish are 9-3 O/U during their recent streak, during which they’ve torched opposing pitchers at a .348 clip. Florida could be doused off by Atlanta’s underrated arms, who have put up a 3.10 team ERA during the Braves’ recent climb up the MLB moneylist.


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