Sports Betting Week: Red Sox Face a Rival

Baseball’s biggest rivalry takes center stage again this week as the Boston Red Sox continue their playoff push at home against the New York Yankees.

In nine previous matchups between the Yankees and Red Sox this season Boston has the edge at 6-3. They last clashed in the middle of July when Boston took two of three and all three games went UNDER the posted total. Overall the last four games in the series have all gone UNDER the total, and the UNDER is 6-2-1 this season.

In interleague play this week the red-hot Chicago Cubs play host to the Los Angeles Angels. Heading into the series opener on Tuesday the Cubs have won seven straight and 10 of their last 11 games. The Angels are on a four-game losing streak and have lost nine of their last 11 games on the road.

Earlier this season the Cubs and Angels met for a quick two-game series and the Cubs won both games, outscoring the Angels 15-1. At home at Wrigley Field the Cubs are on a four-game winning streak with an 8-1 mark in their last nine.

After the cancellation of the Hall of Fame Game over the weekend the NFL finally makes its return on Thursday night with the kickoff of Week 1 of the preseason slate.

There are six games on tap on Thursday night highlighted by the New Orleans Saints at the New England Patriots, and the Denver Broncos at the Chicago Bears.

At online sportsbook Bovada the Patriots are a 3.5-point favorite versus the Saints. Tom Brady is eligible to play as his suspension doesn’t kick in until the regular season. Jimmy Garoppolo may see more action, though, as he prepares to fill in for Brady to start the season for New England.

The Broncos open the preseason as a 1.5-point underdog versus the Bears. Denver also has to break in a new quarterback with Mark Sanchez replacing the retired Peyton Manning and the departed Brock Osweiler.

Thanks to the Olympics the PGA Tour will be missing a lot of big names this week when it heads to TPC Deere Run for the John Deere Classic.

And defending champion Jordan Spieth also isn’t in the field this year, so the favorite at Bovada is Zach Johnson at +650; Johnson won the John Deere in 2012. Steve Stricker, who won this tournament three consecutive years from 2009-2011, returns as a +1200 underdog.