Saturday MLB Best Bet: Yankees vs. Orioles

Written by Jake Thompson
Saturday, 23 April 2011 17:20

Saturday’s MLB best bet will be between the Yankees and the Orioles.

The game between the New York Yankees (10-6) and the Baltimore Orioles (8-10) has been selected as Saturday’s MLB best bet, and this one should be a nice money maker if you choose the right side.  Online sportsbooks have the road-team Yankees as large betting favorites and most tracked sports bettors think that New York is the bet to make in this 7:05 PM ET game.  We’ll take a look at how both teams are performing in an effort to make sure that our readers are making the correct decision with their bet on this American League East clash.

A big reason why the Yankees are such large road favorites is because New York has won 9 of their last 10 games against the Orioles when C.C. Sabathia (0-1, 1.36 WHIP, 2.52 ERA) is on the mound.  The big lefty simply knows how to get guys out and allowed just 8 earned runs over the 21.2 innings he pitched in Baltimore last season.  That being said, this year’s Orioles squad has much more pop and Sabathia is battling the flu and might not be feeling great when he takes the mound this evening.

Baltimore will counter with right-hander Bradley Bergesen (0-2, 1.22 WHIP, 3.38 ERA), and the youngster gave up 11 earned runs in 3 losing starts against the Yankees over the last two seasons.  Bergesen has been much sharper in 2011 but still gives up lots of home runs which could be a problem against a heavy-hitting Yankees’ squad.  Baltimore’s 4.34 bullpen ERA doesn’t inspire much confidence that they’ll be able to keep New York off the scoreboard if Bergesen has to leave early.

Ultimately, the Yankees deserve to be such large favorites despite being on the road because Sabathia will pitch solid innings and I can’t say the same for Bergesen.  The Baltimore starter simply isn’t on a level where he is capable of slowing down New York at this stage in his career, and I think it will be a minor miracle if he lasts to the 5th inning before getting pulled in favor of that iffy bullpen.  Look for Sabathia to go 7+ innings while allowing 2 or 3 runs, and that is all he should have to do to ensure a win.

Yankees 6

Orioles 3