MLB Betting – American League Preview

MLB betting heads into a busy holiday weekend. The American League has more than a few must-bet matchups on the board for the Fourth of July stretch. Here’s an inside look at the AL weekend slate:

Toronto Blue Jays at New York Yankees

Two of the biggest swinging teams in the American League flex their muscles in the Bronx this weekend. But while the Blue Jays and Yankees thrive at crushing the baseball – ranked first and sixth in home runs – both teams have struggled to back up those bats.

Toronto’s staff has struggled for most of the year, posting a 4.17 team ERA. However, they have performed better over the last week, posting a collective 3.10 ERA. The Jays wrapped a four-game set with the Cleveland Indians on Thursday, having lost the first three games of the series and eight of their last 10 outings.

The Yankees had also hit a bit of a snag, losing the first two games of their three-game home set with the Seattle Mariners. Heading into Thursday’s finale, New York had just one win in its last four games. The Yankees’ pitching stumbled during this recent skid, allowing 29 total runs over those four contests. Over the past week, the team lugs an ERA north of 5.00 and has watched opponents hit .287 against during that time.

Tampa Bay Rays at Minnesota Twins

The Rays are trying mightily to stop their slide in the AL East, losing six of their last 10 heading into Thursday’s series closer with the Boston Red Sox. Tampa Bay might have taken a step in the right direction on Wednesday with a 9-4 win over the Red Sox, scoring six runs in the eighth innings to pull away for the victory. The Rays’ hitting has been off and on during this recent skid. They’ve scored one or fewer runs in four of those six losses and are hitting just .222 over the past week.

Minnesota hosts Tampa Bay for four games this weekend, marking the first time the Rays will head to the brand new Target Field. Last season the teams split the season series 3-3. The Twins took two of three games against the Detroit Tigers at home this week, outscoring their AL Central rivals 21-12 over the course of the series. Minnesota has been a solid MLB moneyline wager at home this year, going 25-14 in their new digs.