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The Daily Sweat: Is it time to bet the Yankees to win the World Series?

For the last 10 games, the New York Yankees look like everyone thought they should have looked all season.

The Yankees team that was one of the preseason World Series favorites with the Los Angeles Dodgers has finally showed up. New York beat the Atlanta Braves 5-1 on Monday night for its 10th straight win. The Yankees are four back of the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East, 21 games over .500. Hitting the preseason win total of 96 isn't out of the question anymore. Not bad for a team that was 41-41 after losing the first game of a July 4 doubleheader.

Despite the winning streak, the Yankees are +110 against the Braves on Tuesday at BetMGM. The Braves just had a nine-game winning streak snapped Monday so they've been hot too and are a fine favorite, but it's still surprising to see the hottest team in baseball as an underdog.

More than an individual game, perhaps it's time to look at a futures bet on the Yankees.

The Yankees, who are 2.5 games ahead in the wild-card race and could presumably start Gerrit Cole in a wild-card game if it comes to that, are tied for the fifth-best World Series odds at BetMGM. They're +900 to win it all. You would have gotten a better number on July 4 or before the 10-game winning streak, but +900 on this Yankees team isn't terrible.

Trade deadline additions and getting a little healthier have helped. Their pitching has been great. The Yankees have allowed two or fewer runs six times in the streak. The Rays, Houston Astros and Chicago White Sox are good teams in the AL but obviously none is unbeatable. The risk in betting the Yankees to win the World Series or the AL (+450) is if they're in a one-game elimination situation immediately to start the playoffs as a wild card. It's also not like they're a lock to get in the playoffs yet. But if they can get past the wild-card game, or pass the Rays to win the AL East, they're as good as anyone. We've seen that over the last 10 games.

Aaron Judge and the Yankees are on a roll. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
Aaron Judge and the Yankees are on a roll. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) (Todd Kirkland via Getty Images)

Here's a first look at the sports betting slate for Tuesday:

Wait, a Tuesday afternoon game for MLB?

And it's not a bad one either. The Seattle Mariners rallied to win Monday night against the Oakland A's, cashing a ticket as an underdog. The Mariners have been a good bet lately and are still hanging around in the wild-card race. Seattle is three games back of the final spot, held by the shaky Boston Red Sox. On Tuesday at 3:37 p.m. Eastern they face the Oakland A's, who are one game behind Boston in the wild-card race. The A's are -155 favorites, and Seattle should be a solid underdog again.

What about the rest of MLB?

The Rays and Philadelphia Phillies start a series with both teams in playoff races. The Phillies are +100 and have to find some consistency if they're going to make a run for the NL East. The Rays are the better bet Tuesday.

The Toronto Blue Jays won a tight game Monday and are -125 against the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday. Another important series is the Cincinnati Reds (+155) at the Milwaukee Brewers in what could be the Reds' last shot to make the NL Central race interesting. The Brewers are leading the division by 7.5 games and have Cy Young candidate Corbin Burnes on the mound.

Who cashed tickets on Monday?

The Jacksonville Jaguars rallied for a backdoor cover, getting a late touchdown and two-point conversion to cover the 4-point spread. The New Orleans Saints won 23-21. The real story of the game was either Jameis Winston looking good and perhaps winning the Saints' starting quarterback job, or the Jaguars looking absolutely dreadful so far under Urban Meyer.

Tony Finau got his second PGA Tour win after a five-year drought, taking down the Northern Trust after Jon Rahm fell apart late and Cameron Smith's drive on the first hole of a playoff went out of bounds.

West Ham United is 2-0-0 in the English Premier League after a 4-1 win over Leicester City. Leicester City got a red card and West Ham was able to cruise after that. West Ham was +150 on the three-way line.

What's the best bet?

I like this Blue Jays team, and Jose Berrios has been mostly good since being acquired at the deadline. He has had three good starts in four times out for the Blue Jays, and I think Toronto is the right side Tuesday as a -125 favorite. It's not too late for them to make a playoff push.

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