Andrew Ortenberg
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The MLB season is back in full swing after the All-Star break, and it’s been long enough for us to more or less know where things stand. We have a nice slate on Wednesday, and we have a division rivalry AL East matchup as the Tampa Bay Rays host the New York Yankees. It should be a great one, broadcasted widely by ESPN.
What better way to celebrate this nationally televised showdown than by betting a same game parlay? We also have thoughts on the side and total, which you can find out in our full game preview.
New York Yankees -1.5 (+184)
Yandy Diaz to record 2+ hits (+350)
Parlay odds: +1299
We’ve got a simple two-leg parlay here, one which pays out just shy of 13/1 with FanDuel Sportsbook. Let’s break it down:
New York Yankees -1.5 (+184)
The Yankees have caught a lot of flak this season, and deservedly so. But they’ve been pretty impressive over the past couple of weeks. Despite dealing with a lot of adversity, like a mini COVID outbreak, they’ve gone 6-3 in their past 9 games. They also won the opener of this series. Aaron Judge hit the COVID list, but now is back in the lineup, which is a huge boost. Yankees starter Nestor Cortes has been a pleasant surprise this season, entering with a 1.95 ERA through 10 appearances and 2 starts.
On the other hand Michael Wacha, who will start for the Rays, has been a disaster. In 7 starts with the Mets last year Wacha had a 6.62 ERA, and it turns out that wasn’t a fluke. Through 17 appearances and 12 starts this season, he has a 5.16 ERA. He even got hit hard by the Orioles his last time out. New York should be able to keep their recent momentum going here.
Yandy Diaz to record 2+ hits (+350)
We get a huge odds boost by combining this with the Yankees covering, when I don’t think it conflicts much. Diaz has recorded multiple hits in five of the last 11 games he’s been in the starting lineup for, so just blindly I think getting +350 has a lot of value. He’s also hitting about 20 points higher against lefties like Cortes this year than righties. Cortes’ numbers this season look good, but they probably won’t last. In previous stops with the Orioles, Yankees, and Mariners, he never showed much.
His last time out, Cortes got chased after only two innings while giving up three runs to the Red Sox. Diaz is also 2/5 with a double and a home run in his career against Cortes, so that certainly doesn’t hurt. Getting 13/1 when all we need is a reasonably high-scoring game to cash this feels like a steal.
What is a Same Game Parlay?
Check out our guide on what is a same game parlay and where can I bet it?
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