With another Boston Red Sox loss to the lowly Baltimore Orioles, the American League Wild Card race remains the only interesting MLB betting spotlight to keep an eye on heading in to the final weekend of the regular season. The fact that the Tampa Bay Rays struggled against the New York Yankees left the gap at 2.5 games in the Wild Card race, but the hunters have the chance to close on the Red Sox this week as they return home for a favorable matchup.

Boston Red Sox @ New York Yankees

Saturday, 4:10 PM ET

After watching the Rays struggle as the Yankees locked up their division, the Red Sox now make the trip to New York hoping to avoid the same embarrassment handed to them by the lowly Orioles this past week. Boston lost three of a possible four games including a 6-4 loss on Wednesday night in a game that they led 4-1 at one point, and are very fortunate that the Yankees took care of Tampa Bay. New York has already locked up the AL East title but has not confirmed its playoff rotation, which makes this an important sports betting start for AJ Burnett at home against Boston’s Tim Wakefield.

MLB Betting Free Pick: New York Yankees

Seattle Mariners @ Texas Rangers

Saturday, 4:10 PM ET

The Rangers will not be able to close the gap between them and New York, but they should be able to lock up the AL West title as they host the Mariners this weekend. Texas faces a tough test against Felix Hernandez on Saturday, but with Alexei Ogando on the mound they should have a strong chance as long as they can punch in some runs.
MLB Betting Free Pick: Texas Rangers

Toronto Blue Jays @ Tampa Bay Rays

Saturday, 7:10 PM ET

The Rays fought hard to remain in contention despite such a relatively small payroll, and while they may not have enough left in the tank to clinch a Wild Card spot, they will throw everything that they have at Toronto to close that gap this week. Tampa Bay will turn to the hot hand in veteran Jeff Niemann on Saturday to counter the Blue Jays’ ace Ricky Romero, and if he can parlay his performance from consecutive wins the Rays should be able to take advantage.

MLB Betting Free Pick: Tampa Bay Rays

Oakland Athletics @ Los Angeles Angels

Saturday, 10:10 PM ET

Although they will continue to go bass fishing for that top spot in the AL West this weekend, it will come down to a case of too little, too late for the Angels, who send the undefeated Jerome Williams to the mound on Saturday against the Athletics’ Guillermo Moscoso. Los Angeles has gone just 5-5 over their past 10 games entering this series, but they should be able to salvage a couple of key best sportsbook promo home games to go out on a high note.

MLB Betting Free Pick: Los Angeles Angels

As the MLB betting regular season month of September continues to wind down, teams across the league are moving closer to clinching their respective divisions. While the National League has never really seemed very close, there is still some excitement to look forward to in the American League down the stretch. Here is a quick look at four matchups for this week.

Baltimore Orioles @ Boston Red Sox

Monday, 7:10 PM ET

The Red Sox are the most talented team in baseball not to have already put themselves in prime position to lock up a playoff spot, as they continue to concede games that they are favored to win in September and allow the Tampa Bay Rays to stay within reach of the AL Wild Card spot. The New York Yankees have pulled away with the pennant and division title, but that doesn’t mean that Boston can afford not to finish strong. Veteran Jon Lackey gets the ball on Monday as he continues to struggle through one of the worst seasons of his career, and if he can’t get the job done on Monday, then his offense better do everything they can to bail him out as the Red Sox open a series they need to have at Fenway Park.

MLB Betting Free Pick: Boston Red Sox

Milwaukee Brewers @ Chicago Cubs

Monday, 8:05 PM ET

Once upon a time the Brewers were in a close race for the AL Central title alongside the St. Louis Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates, but those days are far back in the rearview mirror and now Milwaukee is cruising towards clinching the division. Milwaukee hasn’t been the best road team this season which makes home field that much more important in the playoffs, and they can help their cause by finishing strong away from home this MLB betting season continuing with Shaun Marcum on the mound Monday against the Cubs.

MLB Betting Free Pick: Milwaukee Brewers

Tampa Bay Rays @ New York Yankees
Tuesday, 7:05 PM ET

Despite their ridiculously low payroll and that they dealt with a ton of turnover from the previous season, the Rays have somehow managed to remain in the race for the AL Wild Card with the combination of outstanding pitching and timely hitting. Tampa Bay still has a ways to go to complete the comeback, and a series on the road this week against the New York Yankees is crucial. 26-year old Wade Davis will get the call against AJ Burnett Tuesday, and he will need to bring his best stuff as every game is now considered a must-win.

MLB Betting Free Pick: Tampa Bay Rays

Texas Rangers @ Oakland Athletics
Tuesday, 10:05 PM ET

The Rangers have traded wins and losses with the Los Angeles Angels to stay ahead of them in the AL West this September, and will now get the chance to take advantage of a crucial road series against an inferior opponent. Derek Holland will get the call against Rich Harden looking for his 15th sports betting bonus decision of the season.

MLB Betting Free Pick: Texas Rangers

With the MLB betting season winding down, the race to the postseason is heating up with the Los Angeles Angels and Tampa Bay Rays doing what they can to make this interesting in the American League. With the National League races all but complete, the AL is where the spotlight will shine this weekend, with a few key matchups to pay attention.

New York Yankees @ Toronto Blue Jays

Saturday, 1:07 PM ET

The Yankees have been wildly inconsistent this season, but a powerful offense has put them in position to clinch both the AL East and the AL pennant. New York has built a comfortable lead over second-place Boston as the Red Sox continue to struggle through the month of September, and can move even closer to securing home field advantage for the AL postseason with a win over the Blue Jays on Saturday. Bartolo Colon will get the call for New York against 21-year old Henderson Alvarez, and he should be in line to get back to .500 with his ninth sports betting decision.

MLB Betting Free Pick: New York Yankees

Tampa Bay Rays @ Boston Red Sox

Saturday, 4:10 PM ET

A streak of seven wins in 10 games that included a three-game sweep of the Red Sox the last time these teams met has put Tampa Bay in contention for the AL Wild Card spot, but it will take an even better effort this weekend at Fenway Park for them to close the gap. That means that there will be best sportsbook promo pressure on Jeff Niemann to provide a solid outing against Boston’s Jon Lester on Saturday. While the Rays have done an excellent job of closing the gap without much pressure on whether they succeed or not, they have now heightened expectations and could be due for a letdown against a Red Sox team that is far too talented to struggle the way that they have.
MLB Betting Free Pick: Boston Red Sox

Los Angeles Angels @ Baltimore Orioles

Saturday, 7:05 PM ET

While the Rays have come back to make things interesting in the Wild Card race, the Angels are barely staying alive in the West where they continue to chase the defending AL champion Rangers. Los Angeles had won seven of 10 entering play on Thursday night, but as long as Texas continues to win they will only lose more time. Regardless, all the Angels can focus on at this point is their schedule, and that includes a game they absolutely have to win on Saturday with Ervin Santana on the mound against the Orioles.
MLB Betting Free Pick: Los Angeles Angels

Texas Rangers @ Seattle Mariners

Saturday, 7:10 PM ET

The Rangers have shown their depth on both offense and in the rotation this season, and will look to finish the year off strong as they attempt to avenge last year’s World Series disappointment. Texas will turn to Colby Lewis on Saturday hoping that the veteran can provide another solid outing like his last, when he allowed just three runs over 7.1 innings to get his 12th win of the year. Lewis has been inconsistent, but as long as he can keep his ERA down in this game the Rangers’ bats should be able to do enough to get him win No. 13 as they go up against Seattle rookie Anthony Vasquez.

MLB Betting Free Pick: Texas Rangers

While Auburn barely survived an upset bid in week one of the season, the Tigers’ existence doesn’t get easier in week two. A talented Mississippi State team is up next on the slate.

Mississippi State Bulldogs @ Auburn Tigers – Saturday, September 10

Sports betting line: Mississippi State -6

Why Mississippi State Will Win

The Utah State Aggies came within an eyelash of stunning the 2010 national champions of college football, and they did so in Jordan-Hare Stadium on the Alabama Plains. Utah State rolled to a 21-7 lead in the second quarter, withstood a 21-3 Auburn surge, claimed a 38-28 lead with 3:38 left in regulation, and was in position to stun the Tigers by simply collecting an onside kick with roughly two minutes left in regulation. Auburn had scored a touchdown to make the score 38-35, but since the Tigers had only one timeout left, an onside kick recovery would have virtually guaranteed a triumph for head coach Gary Anderson and the rest of his Aggies.

There was just one small problem: Auburn kicker Chris Brooks executed the best onside kick ever seen. The ball reached a height of roughly 20 feet and was snatched out of the air by the Tigers’ special-ops onside kick recovery unit (to invent a new term). The rest, as they say, was history, but the fact remained that Auburn got pushed around. The Tigers gave up 227 rushing yards to a team that’s not supposed to contend for the Western Athletic Conference championship. How much more damage Mississippi State should be able to do against an Auburn front seven that is without NFL-caliber lineman Nick Fairley. Mississippi State should be able to do what it wants on offense.

Why Auburn Will Win

The community of MLB baseball betting experts in the Deep South probably caught a portion of the Utah State game and was shocked to see the Tigers get tested so severely. However, you don’t have to be a football expert to realize that Auburn simply wins close games under current coach Gene Chizik. With or without Nick Fairley, and with or without former quarterback Cameron Newton, the Tigers just have a knack for pulling tough games out of the fire. Auburn was held at knifepoint last season but still managed to beat Clemson, Kentucky, Alabama, and – in the BCS National Championship Game – the Oregon Ducks. If Mississippi State, a program that still has to show it can remain a factor in the SEC West Division on a regular basis – shows any degree of discomfort, the Bulldogs will not be able to land a knockout punch in the early stages of competition. This will allow Auburn to hang around on its home field, and if Auburn does hang around, recent history shows that the Tigers will find a way to win, as was the case against Utah State.

Who Will Win

When you consider a best best sportsbook in this SEC West showdown, the reality of the Utah State game is too overpowering to ignore. Auburn’s defensive line just doesn’t have anyone that can be a run-stuffing stud. Mississippi State should be able to control the line of scrimmage and come away with a solid victory in this contest.

College Football Betting Free Pick: Mississippi State -6

The first MLB betting weekend in September means that the postseason races are beginning to tighten up, and with a couple of divisions still up for grabs it will be interesting to see how things play out in the rivalry games coming up. In the American League, the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees continue to fight for the pennant, while the defending AL champion Texas Rangers are looking to become part of that conversation once again. Meanwhile in the National League, the defending World Series champions are battling for their division, but this year they have become the hunted.

Toronto Blue Jays @ New York Yankees

Saturday, 1:05 PM ET

The power in the Yankees’ order has managed to keep them in the hunt for a playoff spot, but after Wednesday’s loss to the Boston Red Sox they still haven’t proven their merit against the consensus MLB betting World Series favorites. New York will look to regroup at home this weekend with a visit from the Blue Jays, and while Toronto has been very inconsistent so far this year, the pinstripes will have to be careful not to underestimate their potential. Veteran Bartolo Colon will get the call against the Blue Jays’ Ricky Romero Saturday, and the Yankees’ offense will need a big performance to get through.

MLB Betting Free Pick: New York Yankees

Texas Rangers @ Boston Red Sox

Saturday, 4:10 PM ET

Despite a couple of losses the Red Sox have had the Yankees’ number all year, and that is why they are now in the driver seat to lock up the division, pennant, and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. The bigger picture has Boston and New York alone at the top of the pennant race, with the Rangers six games back heading into this series. Texas will go looking for that top spot this weekend as they look to close the gap between them and first place, but they will need more from Colby Lewis on Saturday after he allowed 12 earned runs combined through his past two starts. Erik Bedard gets the call for Boston, and though he hasn’t been much better, he did look good in his last start.
MLB Betting Free Pick: Boston Red Sox

Arizona Diamondbacks @ San Francisco Giants

Saturday, 9:05 PM ET

A year ago at this time it was the Giants that chased down the San Diego Padres for the division in the final weeks of the regular season. Fast-forward 12 months and it is the Diamondbacks that have blown past the defending World Series champions, and looking for the same type of playoff success that San Francisco had a year ago. A nine-game winning streak pushed Arizona up to six games head of the Giants for first in the NL West, and with the Wild Card out of reach the only hope for San Francisco is through the division. Ace Tim Lincecum will get the call against Joe Saunders on Saturday, representing their best sports betting bonus chance to gain some ground in the weekend series.

MLB Betting Free Pick: San Francisco Giants

Most sports betting players tuning into the race in the American League East aren’t surprised that it is going to come down to Boston and New York, and as of Monday, the Red Sox were two games up on the Yankees before the pair squares off in the latest edition of their rivalry. Boston should hold serve at home and come away with a series win to give themselves some breathing room.

What: MLB Betting
When: Tuesday, August 30th-Thursday, September 1st
Where: Fenway Park, Boston, MA
Free Pick: Boston Red Sox

Tuesday, 7:10 PM ET – C.C. Sabathia (17-7, 2.99) vs. John Lackey (12-9, 5.98)

Sabathia is a MLB betting contender for the Cy Young as he has been every year, but Boston has been his Achilles Heel in 2011, losing all four of his starters against the Red Sox with a 7.20 ERA. He has dropped both of his starts at Fenway, posting a 6.17 ERA, and now Sabathia has career records of 6-9 in 19 starts against the Red Sox with an ERA of 4.19, and 2-4 with a 4.47 ERA in nine starts at Fenway. On the other side, Lackey has been fortunate to have the Boston offense behind him as they have scored at least six runs in eight of his last 10 starts, and this is important because Lackey has won both of his starts against the Yankees this year despite racking up a 7.36 ERA. The 32-year-old is now 8-8 in 21 starts against New York with a 4.67 ERA, and he is 7-5 in 13 starts with a 6.16 ERA.

It’s baffling why Sabathia has struggled against the Red Sox this season, but he’ll pull it together enough to give the Yankees a win as they try to stick with Boston in the American League East. Unless Lackey pitches a gem (which is unlikely, looking back at his performances over the last 10 outings), the Yankees should take the series opener as Sabathia avenges a loss against Lackey in early August.

Betting Edge: New York Yankees

Wednesday, 7:10 PM ET – Phil Hughes (4-4, 6.46) vs. Josh Beckett (11-5, 2.43)

Hughes was lit up in his last start, allowing six runs in 2.2 innings against Oakland, but he was bailed out by a record three grand slams in a 22-9 romp, and prior to that he had given up two runs or less in his last five starts. The 25-year-old is 0-1 in two games (one start) against the Red Sox with an outlandish 27.00 ERA, and now he is 2-4 in 15 games (seven starts) with a 6.25 ERA against the Red Sox, posting a 2-2 mark with a 8.83 ERA in seven games at Fenway. Beckett has won his last two starts and outside of a shaky start in Seattle of all places earlier this month, he has been solid pretty much all season. What’s more is that Beckett has owned the Yankees this year, going 3-0 in four starts with an ERA of 1.00 and now he is 13-7 in 26 starts against New York with a 5.37 ERA. He is also 4-1 in 11 starts at home with a 1.95 ERA.

Hughes should bounce back from his poor outing against the Athletics, but Beckett has the Yankees’ number (three of his wins have come against Sabathia) this year and he’ll lead the Red Sox to an MLB betting win in your best sportsbook on Wednesday.

Betting Edge: Boston Red Sox

Thursday, 7:10 PM ET – A.J. Burnett (9-11, 5.31) vs. Andrew Miller (6-1, 4.42)

Burnett has been just terrible as of late, as he has been knocked for 16 runs in his last two starts, spanning 6.2 innings. This is the matchup you really have to confirm in your best sportsbook because Burnett could get yanked from the rotation. He allowed seven runs in 5.2 innings in his lone start against the Red Sox, taking his career mark to 5-4 in 16 starts with a 5.16 ERA, and he is 3-3 in nine starts at Fenway Park with a 6.04 ERA. Miller is starting to settle in, allowing a single run in his last two starts, and he has made two appearances against the Yankees in his career (including a start), and while Miller doesn’t have a decision, he has a 10.13 ERA against New York. The 26-year-old southpaw is 1-0 four games (three starts) at home with a 6.88 ERA.

While Miller doesn’t have great splits against the Yankees or at home, there is no way that you can put your faith in Burnett right now because we’ve seen it before: when things go bad for the Yankees’ $82 million man, they go really bad and last year, manager Joe Girardi had to take Burnett out of the rotation for the playoffs. That’s why Boston is the pick on Thursday, and they should take a series win in your online betting book.

Betting Edge: Boston Red Sox

As the final weeks of the 2011 MLB betting season continue to wind down, there is still a lot to be determined in the American League. While the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox head into the weekend fighting for first place in the AL East with the loser in position to take the Wild Card, the Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Angels are putting it all on the line in Arlington as the fight for first place in the AL West.

New York Yankees @ Baltimore Orioles

Saturday, 1:05 PM ET

The Yankees will turn to Ivan Nova once again on Saturday, and there is no reason not to like his chances at 13-4. Not only has he done a terrific job this season at keeping his ERA numbers down, but Nova has also won with consistency and provided a solid presence in the rotation behind ace CC Sabathia as AJ Burnett has continued to falter. New York will likely provide a ton of run support against an Orioles’ team that has been absolutely awful this season, and that should make this one an easy pick as the pinstripes attempt to close on Boston for first place.

MLB Betting Free Pick: New York Yankees

Oakland Athletics @ Boston Red Sox

Saturday, 1:10 PM ET

While the Yankees are taking care of MLB betting business on the road, the Fenway faithful will be on hand to watch as All Star Jon Lester does his thing against the Athletics. Lester is 13-6 this season with a 3.16 ERA, and has allowed just one earned run in each of his last two starts. Oakland will turn to 27-year old Guillermo Moscoso to counter Lester, and it might be appropriate to say that he could be in trouble against the Red Sox offense.

MLB Betting Free Pick: Boston Red Sox

Detroit Tigers @ Minnesota Twins

Saturday, 4:10 PM ET

The Tigers will move one step closer to locking up the AL Central when they send Cy Young award favorite Justin Verlander to the mound against Carl Pavano for the Twins. Verlander is 19-5 with a 2.28 ERA, and is arguably the biggest reason why Detroit is in first place in the division this season. Minnesota’s lineup has been devastated by injuries this season, and they won’t be able to survive this sports betting bonus contest.

MLB Betting Free Pick: Detroit Tigers

Los Angeles Angels @ Texas Rangers

Saturday, 8:05 PM ET

The most intriguing matchup of the weekend features the two teams fighting for first place in the AL West, as Texas looks to move one step closer to clinching if they could hold off the Angels in their three-game set. Saturday’s contest will see veteran Joel Pineiro get the call for Los Angeles against CJ Wilson for the Rangers, and it should provide one of those classic Saturday night games at Arlington. It’s a good thing that this game is scheduled for under the lights considering how hot it has been in Texas over the past few days, but that won’t help the Angels’ chances against a determined Rangers’ team.

MLB Betting Free Pick: Texas Rangers

Monday August 22, 2011

Seattle Mariners @ Cleveland Indians

The sports betting baseball fans in Cleveland could almost see the playoffs just a couple of months ago. But a recent three-game losing streak, coupled with a series of losing streaks since the All-Star break, has put the Indians four and a half games behind the AL Central leading Detroit Tigers. The Seattle Mariners come to town just in time to offer Cleveland a chance to win some games and make up ground. Seattle starting pitcher Jason Vargas is coming off one of his worst performances of the season and could be serving up just what the Indians need.

Free Pick: Cleveland Indians

Tuesday August 23, 2011

Arizona Diamondbacks @ Washington Nationals

The MLB betting world was wondering if the Arizona Diamondbacks would be able to maintain its comfortable lead in the NL West over the defending World Series champion San Francisco Giants. The Diamondbacks have lost five in a row and its lead has dwindled to only a game and a half. Luckily for the Diamondbacks, the Giants are not playing very well at all and cannot capitalize on Arizona’s misfortunes. Arizona puts pitching ace Ian Kennedy on the mound to try and take one from the Nationals who have really been picking up the winning pace lately.

Free Pick: Washington Nationals

Wednesday August 24, 2011

Boston Red Sox @ Texas Rangers

The Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees are neck and neck in the race for the AL East pennant. Just when one team builds up a lead, it hits the skids and the other team takes over. The Red Sox have enjoyed some of the best offense in the majors this season to go along with adequate pitching. Prior to the season starting, the Red Sox starting rotation was getting all of the press, but the dominance of Red Sox pitching has yet to pan out. But the Red Sox and Rangers are both still part of World Series betting this year, and the Rangers have hit a bit of a slump lately. In this game, the inconsistent Josh Beckett faces off against the struggling Matt Harrison. This could be a pitchers’ duel or a blow out, but it will be a Boston win either way.

Free Pick: Boston Red Sox

Thursday August 25, 2011

Houston Astros @ San Francisco Giants

The defending World Series champion San Francisco Giants finds itself in a very tight situation. The Atlanta Braves are running away with the NL wild card spot, so the only hope the Giants have to defend its title is to win the NL West. With the Arizona Diamondbacks struggling right now, the Giants have their chance with a home series against the lowly Houston Astros. To make things better for the Giants, Ryan Vogelsong takes the mound with his 6-2 home record.

Free Pick: San Francisco Giants

Friday August 26, 2011

Florida Marlins @ Philadelphia Phillies

Late last week, the Atlanta Braves turned what looked like an insurmountable Phillies lead in the NL East into a potential race for the pennant. When the Phillies went on a short losing streak, the Braves won four in a row. The Phillies need to dominate the Florida Marlins if Philadelphia wants to regain control of the NL East. There are not many games left in the regular season, but if Philly sits back to coast into the playoffs, it could do so as the NL wild card and not the NL East champion.

Free Pick: Philadelphia Phillies

With the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees both struggling somewhat over the past couple of weeks, things have opened up in the MLB betting race for the American League pennant, as the defending AL champion Texas Rangers have crept back into the picture. The Rangers had won six straight heading into their weekend series against the Chicago White Sox, moving them to just 2.5 games back of the Yankees for first in the AL.

Boston Red Sox @ Kansas City Royals

Saturday, 7:10 PM ET

Consecutive losses to the Tampa Bay Rays pushed Boston back to a half-game back of the Yankees for first place in the AL East, and while they should have no problem getting into the postseason as the comfortable Wild Card, the Red Sox will not want to settle with the chance at a pennant and home field advantage on the line. Boston has an excellent opportunity to make up the ground that they lost this past week with a weekend series visiting one of the worst teams in baseball, especially considering that two of their better pitchers will get the chance to throw. Veteran Tim Wakefield will once again aim for his 200th career win on Saturday when he throws opposite of Felipe Paulino, who is 1-9 this season with a 4.30 ERA.

MLB Betting Free Pick: Kansas City Royals

New York Yankees @ Minnesota Twins

Saturday, 7:10 PM ET

While the Red Sox look to take advantage of the Royals, there is no sports betting reason to think that the Yankees won’t keep pace as they battle the Twins on the road. AJ Burnett has struggled with his consistency all season, but for the most part he has been able to give the team five innings with no more than three or four earned runs allowed. That should be more than enough to allow the New York offense to pick up the slack against Francisco Liriano, who is 8-9 with a 5.12 ERA this season. The Yankees have scored more runs than any other team, and had 29 in the four games before this series opened on Thursday.
MLB Betting Free Pick: New York Yankees

Texas Rangers @ Chicago White Sox

Saturday, 7:10 PM ET

The Wild Card in this race has to be the Rangers, who can very well take over top spot in the next week if they can keep their hot streak going. Texas will turn to ace Alex Ogando on Saturday to battle Jon Danks of the White Sox, and while Ogando has struggled somewhat lately, he still has a 12-5 record with a 3.33 ERA. Even despite his recent struggles the team has bailed him out as Texas’ offense has come alive for three straight wins in games that he has started and it wouldn’t be a MLB betting bonus surprise to see them get another.

MLB Betting Free Pick: Texas Rangers