AL East Betting Preview: Buying Both Red Sox, Yankees In 2023?

With Opening Day nearly upon us, let’s examine three bets to make for the toughest division in Major League Baseball, the American League East. Let’s start with the Red Sox.

(All betting lines from DraftKings Sportsbook)

Red Sox over 77.5 wins (-115)
From a national media perspective, there is seemingly a dark cloud of skepticism surrounding this season’s Red Sox team. The offseason loss of Xander Bogaerts and the overall talent level of the other teams in the AL East seemingly left the Red Sox shunned. The betting market responded with a win total set at 77.5 for a team that won 78 games last season while dealing with injuries. I’m going to pounce on that value and bet on this current team to stay healthy. Both Chris Sale and Corey Kluber are proven commodities if they can stay healthy, and the Red Sox have high expectations for their offseason signings, including Kenley Jansen and Masataka Yoshida. If you are going to bet on the Red Sox to go over this win total, you also are a firm believer that Rafael Devers will continue to elevate his game to a higher level and achieve ultimate production. From a manager standpoint, Alex Cora is one of the game’s most steady-handed and accomplished managers. I have faith in Cora to lead this group and I’ll bet on a healthy season for this team.

Red Sox to make playoffs (+370)
If you are going to be over for the win total this season for the Red Sox, you should also consider them to make it to the postseason. The AL East is top to bottom the best division in MLB. Both the Yankees and Blue Jays won over 90 games last season while the Rays and Orioles both won over 80. You could also point to the busy offseason of all the teams in the division, as well, and make the case that they improved in key areas. From a talent standpoint, the Yankees and Blue Jays are a cut above the rest, but the Orioles, Rays and Red Sox are all vying for that next tier of success in the AL East. If the Red Sox can finish above both Tampa Bay and Baltimore, that third-place finish could be good enough to secure a wild-card spot in the postseason. The betting market has responded more favorably to the O’s and Rays; therefore, you can get great value on Boston.

Yankees to win AL East (+105)
My final bet for the AL East is on the team that won it last season to do it again. The Yankees have reloaded and are ready to defend this division. Perhaps the biggest offseason move for the Yankees was retaining the generational talent of Aaron Judge. Although I don’t believe Judge will duplicate his historic run of last season, I do believe he will still be one of the game’s brightest stars and put up eye-popping stats. Couple that with one of the game’s best starting rotations and the continuity of this team with manager Aaron Boone, and I will put my money on the Yankees to win the East again.