The Daily Sweat: Red Sox need to figure things out, or miss playoffs altogether
The Boston Red Sox can't be focusing on winning the AL East. They're in danger of losing out on the wild card and missing the playoffs altogether.
Boston was in control of Tuesday's series opener against the Tampa Bay Rays, leading 4-1. Then the bullpen got involved. The Rays rallied to tie it in the seventh, then got to closer Matt Barnes in the ninth. The Rays put up four in the ninth and won 8-4.
It was a great win for the Rays, who were +100 underdogs on Tuesday and now lead the AL East by five games. It was the continuation of a free fall for the Red Sox.
Boston has lost 10 of its last 12. They're -120 favorites at BetMGM over the Rays for Wednesday's game, but how can you trust them?
Boston's slump has put their playoff spot in jeopardy. In the wild-card race the Red Sox lead the New York Yankees by two games and Toronto Blue Jays by 2.5 for the final spot. The biggest issue lately has been the bullpen. On Tuesday night, normally reliable Garrett Whitlock gave up two runs in 1.2 innings, then Barnes was charged with four earned runs while getting just two outs. Boston doesn't have a great starting rotation, and it's not going to work out well for them if the bullpen struggles.
Last year the Red Sox had a bad season, but there were plenty of weird things that happened in 2020. Boston looked very good through the first half of this season, taking a lead in the AL East, but they've given back all those early-season gains. The division has four quality teams and a two-week slump like this can be damaging. Boston is favored Wednesday and can't afford to keep losing ground.
Here's the first look at Wednesday's sports betting slate:
Anything but baseball yet?
You'll have to wait until Thursday for some preseason football. There are two games on the schedule Thursday. Chelsea and Villarreal play in a UEFA Super Cup final Wednesday (Chelsea is +150 on the three-way line). NBA Summer League is going on, if that's your jam. There's your typical exotic or foreign sports.
But, mostly just baseball.
OK, so what do we have for MLB?
The best series this week could be the Philadelphia Phillies versus the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers are -145 favorites on Wednesday. It's hard to bet against them because their best is better than anyone else, but the Phillies at +120 against Dodgers starter David Price might have some value. The Dodgers took the first game of the series 5-0.
The AL East might be the most interesting division in baseball, with four legitimate playoff contenders. The New York Yankees are -125 favorites in an afternoon game against the Kansas City Royals, and the Toronto Blue Jays are -190 at the Los Angeles Angels.
Who cashed tickets on Tuesday?
Some underdogs in MLB paid off for bettors. The Angels (+145) won Game 1 of a doubleheader against the Jays, the Royals (+125) beat the Yankees and the Minnesota Twins (+135) slowed down a red-hot Chicago White Sox team. It's a reminder that even with the huge gap between the playoff hopefuls and the teams that sold everything at the deadline, underdogs will still win some games. You just have to pick the right spots for them.
What's the best bet?
The Cincinnati Reds have had a rough start to the week, losing two games on the field and two games in the standings to the first-place Milwaukee Brewers, who swept a doubleheader over the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday. But the Reds have been very good lately, Wednesday's starter Wade Miley has been effective all season and they're a +100 underdog at the Atlanta Braves. It's a good spot to take them.
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