The New York Yankees and Los Angeles Angels begin a three-game series tonight in the Bronx that will showcase the top three AL MVP favorites in Shohei Ohtani, Mike Trout and Aaron Judge, all of whom already have won the award.
The series is of particular interest in the New York sports betting, world, with the 10-6 Yankees off to a nice start, but already 3.5 games back of the record-setting Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East. The Angels, meanwhile, are 8-8 in what will be the make-or-break season to convince Ohtani to sign long-term with the franchise before his pending free agency.
Yankees Favored in Series Opener
Over at BetMGM New York, the Yankees are the -1.5 favorites for the series opener with a -150 moneyline. Clarke Schmidt takes the hill for New York; the former first-round pick is due for a solid outing. He currently has an ERA of 8.44 ERA over three starts. Meanwhile, the Angels will go with lefthander José Suarez, who hasn’t fared much better this season. He’s 0-1 with a 10.80 ERA in two starts.
It looks like it could be a high-scoring affair this evening.
Where MVP Odds Board Stands
Unfortunately, New York bettors are unable to place wagers on awards determined by voting across NY sports betting apps, a restriction that will be on full display as Ohtani, Trout and Judge make their case on the same diamond for more hardware come the end of the regular season.
EmpireStakes.com looked at where the AL MVP odds stand entering the season in markets outside New York, and let’s just say baseball fans are in for a treat this week.
Ohtani is the current favorite at most sportsbooks with odds around +125. Ohtani, who doubles as both the Angels’ ace and one of the best hitters in MLB, simply has a dynamic skillset that is unmatched across the league. Unfortunately - or maybe fortunately, if you’re a Yankees fan - Ohtani is not expected to pitch in this series, as he started Monday in Fenway Park against the Boston Red Sox.
Trout, meanwhile, is the second favorite at most sportsbooks with odds hovering around +750. Now 31, Trout is off to a decent if not stellar start to 2023, with a line of .278/.435/.972 coming into the Yankees series. Trout did receive an off-day yesterday against the Red Sox, so expect the three-time MVP to be ready ago tonight against Schmidt.
Finally, there is Judge holding the third-best MVP odds at most books around +900. Coming off a career season with 62 home runs, Judge isn’t far off that same pace through 56 at-bats so far in 2023. He’s gone deep five times already, the sixth most in the league for now. He’s the biggest reason the pinstripes are +900 to win the Fall Classic at DraftKings Sportsbook NY, behind only the Braves and Dodgers (both +650) and Astros (+700).
EmpireStakes.com provides frequent updates on the Yankees and the Mets, as well as NY sportsbook promos.
