The Daily Sweat: Rays go for 10 wins in a row to start the season
Maybe it's time for the 1987 Milwaukee Brewers and 1982 Atlanta Braves to start worrying.
In 1987, the Brewers set an American League record with 13 wins in a row to start the season. That tied the MLB record, set by the 1982 Braves. The Tampa Bay Rays still have a ways to go to match that, but they've got the first nine wins out of the way.
The Rays are 9-0 to start the season, and the streak is even more impressive than just the record. In terms of run differential and consecutive wins by four or more runs, they're off to the most dominant start since the 1884 St. Louis Maroons.
The Tampa Bay Rays are the first team since 1884 with a run differential of more than 50 over their first nine games of the season, according to @ESPNStatsInfo.
In 1884, the mound was 50 feet from home and it was the first year pitchers were allowed to throw the ball overhand.— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) April 9, 2023
The Rays go for 10-0 on Monday and are -160 favorites over the Boston Red Sox at BetMGM.
The Rays have gotten some breaks with their schedule. They started the season against the Detroit Tigers, Washington Nationals and Oakland A's, arguably the three worst teams in the league. But beating bad teams by wide margins is still a sign of strength, and the Rays have done that with a barrage of home runs and strong pitching.
It's never too wise to go against a winning streak, and I wouldn't be fading the Rays. It's not like the 5-4 Red Sox are off to a great start. Even if the Rays will come back to the pack a bit when the competition gets tougher, they look legit so far. Next up is to see if Boston can stop Tampa Bay before it reaches 13 wins to start the season.
Here's the first look at the sports betting slate for Monday:
MLB has a busy Monday
With the NBA taking the day off before the play-in tournament, MLB fills in with an almost full schedule. There are 14 games Monday, including one in the afternoon.
The matinee has the Chicago White Sox at the Minnesota Twins. The White Sox are -115 favorites because Dylan Cease is on the mound, but I don't mind the Twins as a slight home underdog.
The two New York teams start fun early-season series Monday. The New York Mets host the San Diego Padres. The Mets are -140 favorites, but Max Scherzer has looked off in his first two starts, and the Padres looked really good against the Atlanta Braves last weekend. The New York Yankees are +125 underdogs at the Cleveland Guardians, who have Shane Bieber on the mound. It's rare to get the Yankees at a number like that.
NHL finishes regular season this week
The NHL has a few days left in the regular season, which concludes Friday. There are 10 games Monday. Among the teams in play are the Carolina Hurricanes and New York Rangers, who are in a three-way battle for the Metropolitan Division title with the New Jersey Devils. The Hurricanes lead the division with 109 points, the Devils are second with 108, and the Rangers have 106. On Monday, the Hurricanes are -190 favorites over the Ottawa Senators, and the Rangers are -195 favorites over the Buffalo Sabres.
What's the best bet?
Max Scherzer has looked very hittable this season, with a 6.35 ERA. I don't believe the New York Mets star is showing signs of massive decline at age 38, but something is not right. Perhaps this is the game Scherzer locks in and dominates, but it won't be easy against the Padres. And San Diego is going with Yu Darvish, who is pretty good himself. I'll take some of those Jon Rahm winnings and put it on the Padres as an underdog.
