Another lazy Sunday is here, so why not plop down on the couch and bet some baseball?
We've got game spread out across the afternoon prior to Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN between the Mets and Angels. Our analysts have one pick early and another for the nationally televised broadcast tonight.
Here are our best bets from Sunday's Major League Baseball slate.
MLB Odds & Picks
Chicago Cubs vs. New York Yankees
Jules Posner: It’s very hard to bet against the Yankees, and it will continue to be hard to bet against them because they are unequivocally the best team in baseball right now. Although Jameson Taillon is not the team’s ace, you could make an argument that he’d statistically be the ace of more than half of the pitching staffs in MLB.
The Cubs are 4-6 over their last 10 games and 12-15 on the road. The Yankees are 9-1 in their last 10 and 25-7 at home. Things just don’t look good for the Cubs.
The Yankees’ moneyline is approaching -300 territory, so the best bet here is the run line. That is -105 right now and that's great value all the way down to the -130 range.
New York Mets vs. Los Angeles Angels
Tanner McGrath: It’s tough to pick a side in this game. It’s rare you get both teams at -110. The total feels slightly high at 9, but the wind is blowing straight out at almost 10 mph.
I lean toward the Angels at home with Patrick Sandoval on the mound, but I don’t feel like fading the Mets when they have advantages in the bullpen. However, the Angels grade out well on defense (sixth in Outs Above Average), so it’ll be tough for the soft-hitting Mets’ lineup to crack through the infield.
When guys break out of a slump, they often get hot quickly. Re-instilling confidence in your swing after a rough month does wonders for hitters, who suddenly see the ball better than they have in years.
I think we’re about to get that with Mike Trout, who cashed his bases total in both games against Boston and has the perfect track record for a big game on Sunday Night.
Trout is a whopping 10-for-16 lifetime against Taijuan Walker with three home runs and a triple. His ridiculous 100.5-mph average exit velocity has produced a .458 xBA and a 1.025 xSLG.
Plus, with the weather report calling for wind blowing out, those hard-hit balls are going to get some extra carry. You could even target Trout to homer on national TV Sunday Night.
Sometimes you have to pay a Trout tax when backing him in player prop markets, but his recent slump may grant us a valuable discount. I think it’s worth it to bet his bases if we can get a reasonable price around -130.
If you feel compelled to bet this game in different ways, I lean Angels (-110) and the under 9 (-115). But Trout is my best bet for this week’s edition of Sunday Night Baseball.
