Ricky Dimon
The week in Major League Baseball concludes with a full 15-game slate on Sunday. It includes Rays vs Cubs, Rangers vs Mets, Royals vs Phillies, Dodgers vs Giants and Yankees vs Red Sox. The Pickswise team is on an 31-15 run in this MLB best bets series. Let’s build on that momentum and hopefully deliver some more winners today!
Make sure you also check out our MLB picks for every game on Sunday, September 14.
MLB best bet: Texas Rangers +1.5 over New York Mets (-155)
Odds available at Bet365 Sportsbook at time of publishing
New York is close to an automatic fade every time it takes the field at this point in time. As such, I’m tempted to back the Rangers as sizable outright underdogs. However, they also have great value on the +1.5 run line. There is no reason why the visitors shouldn’t be able to keep it close on Sunday.
Texas has taken the first 2 games of this series, extending its winning streak to 6 overall. Don’t look now, but manager Bruce Bochy’s club has surged into contention in both the American League West and the wild-card race. The Mets, on the other hand, might just play themselves out of the playoffs. They are on a ridiculous 8-game losing streak and may soon get passed by both the Giants and Reds. During this skid New York hasn’t scored more than 4 runs on any occasion and has scored more than 3 only once. Jacob Latz has been outstanding for Texas as a starter this season and should be able to keep a struggling Mets offense in check.
MLB best bet: Boston Red Sox ML over New York Yankees (-152)
Odds available at FanDuel Sportsbook at time of publishing
This is a huge Sunday Night Baseball showdown between 2 arch rivals who are battling for the top wild-card spot in the American League and possibly for home-field advantage in a potential head-to-head ALDS matchup. In this series finale the Red Sox should quite simply be much bigger favorites in this one. You have to feel good about their chances with Garrett Crochet on the mound. Crochet got cooked at home by Cleveland earlier this month, but that was an aberration as opposed to the rule. The southpaw is generally dominant, as he has been in his last 2 starts against the Yankees. In those 2 outings he gave up just 2 runs in 15.1 innings with an 18-to-2 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Boston won those contests by a combined 14-2 score.
The Yankees are countering with Will Warren, who is way worse on the road (5.43 ERA) than he is at home (3.28 ERA). Warren has been horrendous in 2 starts against the Sox this season, surrendering 9 earned runs in 9.1 innings while recording almost as many walks (7) as strikeouts (8). The Red Sox have not gotten swept in a series of at least 3 games since June 23-25 by the Angels. I feel very good about them avoiding one against the Yankees.
