Blue Jays, Yankees American League Best Bets for August 29

There are multiple games tonight on the American League schedule, and there’s value to be found. Below, you can find our AL best bets from FanDuel Sportsbook.Chicago Cubs (+205) vs. Toronto Blue Jays (-250) Total: 9.5 (O -104, U -118)

The Toronto Blue Jays are set to play host to the Chicago Cubs for a three-game series from the Rogers Center. The Cubs enter this series after losing two-of-three games to the Milwaukee Brewers over the weekend, while the Blue Jays were swept by the Los Angeles Angels. After losing their series, the Blue Jays have fallen back to the third Wild Card position in the American League but still hold a 6-4 record over their past ten games, while the Cubs are 4-6 over that same sample size. The Blue Jays have been inconsistent in 2022 with the amount of talent they have on their roster, making targeting them more difficult.

Pitching from their home turf of the Rogers Center has benefited the Blue Jays, and their starter tonight has a significant discrepancy between his home and road splits. The Blue Jays will send veteran righthander Jose Berrios to the mound, while the Cubs will see Javier Assad make his second big league start. Assad has been impressive in the minor leagues, and his call-up is warranted, owning a 5-3 record with a 2.66 ERA and 111 strikeouts. Berrios’s numbers stick out poorly, posting a 9-5 record, paired with a 5.28 ERA and 123 strikeouts. With that, the righty has been much better at home, owning a 6-1 record and a 4.10 ERA. Still, those numbers aren’t impressive after signing a big deal this offseason with the club. Still, he’s coming off two starts where he combined to allow just three earned runs, so don’t be surprised if his impressive play continues. 

The Blue Jays struggled over the weekend, but this series with the Cubs should be exactly what they need to get them back in the race for the top two Wild Card seeds. With Berrios much more equipped to find success at home and the Blue Jays bats likely being able to feast on a pitcher with limited experience, siding with Toronto on the run line makes a lot of sense at -126. 

Best Bet: Blue Jays run line (-126)

The New York Yankees and Los Angeles Angels will face off for a three-game series beginning tonight from Angel Stadium. The Yanks most recently split a four-game set over the weekend with the lowly Oakland Athletics, while the Angels are coming in hot after sweeping the Toronto Blue Jays. The Bronx Bombers own a 5-5 record over their past ten games, while the Angels are 4-6 over that same sample size. Before their victories over the Blue Jays, the Angels were in a big funk, so it will be interesting to see if they can continue to play well against an inconsistent Yankees team. New York’s AL East lead is down to 7.5 games over the Tampa Bay Rays while also sitting 3.5 games behind the Houston Astros for the top seed in the American League. 

Pitching has been an issue for both clubs of late, which should make things interesting with the total set at eight. The Yankees were buyers at the trade deadline, acquiring arguably the top pitcher on the market in Frankie Montas, but he hasn’t come as advertised up to this point. Montas will face a familiar team in the Los Angeles Angels, who’re expected to send Jose Suarez to the bump. Montas has a 4-10 record, paired with a 3.84 ERA and 123 strikeouts, while Suarez is 4-6 with a 4.19 ERA and 71 punchouts. If there were a scenario for Montas to figure out his struggles, this is a favorable matchup to do so.

Montas will continue to get his starts in the Yankees in their rotation, but looking at him on the board, this could be the last stand for him if he doesn’t get his act together. The Angels struggle offensively, and the familiarity of Montas should be a factor here, so siding with the Yankees on the run line could be the play at -113. 

Best Bet: Yankees run line (-113)