MLB weekend betting preview: AL East odds up in air

Many of the best pitchers in the game are in action this weekend, providing baseball bettors with many tempting wagering situations.

And in the AL East, hard-charging Toronto - winners of 8 of their past 10 games at Fenway - visit Boston for an important four-game set.

Do bettors jump on the bandwagons, and back the big names at the big prices? Or should they go against some of the big dogs, and shoot for some winners at underdog prices, maybe investigating the updated World Series odds?

Here’s a quick look at some of what’s happening around the MLB betting world this weekend.

Max Scherzer (11-0, 3.05) puts his perfect record on the line for Detroit Friday night at Tampa Bay. Matt Harvey (7-1, 2.05) goes for the Mets Friday night at home against Washington.

And hard-luck James Shields (2-6, 2.92), who hasn’t been credited with a victory since April, even though the Royals have won his last five starts, goes for KC at Minnesota.

Also Friday Cincy’s Johnny Cueto (4-1, 3.21) hits the hill for a series opener at Texas; and in a pair of good late-night pitching match-ups Oakland’s Bartolo Colon (10-2, 2.93), who ranks fifth on the MLB pitchers’ money list at plus $915 this season, goes against St. Louis and Shelby Miller (8-5, 2.35); and Travis Wood (5-6, 2.85) faces off against Hisashi Iwakuma (7-3, 2.26) as the Cubs open a series in Seattle.

As of Friday morning Scherzer and the Tigers were favored by -145 at the Rays; Harvey and the Mets were favored by -165 over the Nationals; Shields and the Royals were chalked at -140 at the Twinkies; Cueto and the Reds were favored by -110 at the Rangers; St. Louis and Miller were favored by -110 at the A’s; and Iwakuma and the Mariners were chalked at -145 over the Cubbies.

Looking ahead to Saturday, Jorge De La Rosa (8-4, 3.19) and the Rockies host Matt Cain (5-4, 4.54) and the Giants; Francisco Liriano (6-3, 2.30) and the Pirates host Milwaukee; CC Sabathia (8-5, 4.09), who ranks 10^th on the pitchers’ money list at plus $650, goes for the Yankees at Baltimore; Justin Verlander (8-5, 3.90), who’s struggled his last two times out, throws for the Tigers at the Rays; Adam Wainwright (10-5, 2.31) goes for the Cardinals at Oakland; and in the best pitching match-up of the day Hyun-Jin Ryu (6-3, 2.85) and the Dodgers host Cliff Lee (9-2, 2.51) and the Phillies.

Sunday Yu Darvish (7-3, 2.95) goes for Texas against Mat Latos (7-1, 3.05) and Cincy; and Chris Tillman (9-2, 3.72), who’s seventh on the pitchers’ money list at plus $830, throws for the O’s against Hiroki Kuroda (7-5, 2.77) and the Yanks.

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