The lengthy MLB season can cause some games to get lost in the shuffle, but MLB.TV provides fans with a Free Game of the Day throughout the regular season that can also be seen on FanDuel TV+ here, or also available on Apple TV, Roku, Android TV, Fire TV, and FanDuel Sportsbook.

Why not add to the viewing excitement by getting in on the MLB odds over at FanDuel Sportsbook?

For this article, we've got you covered with a betting guide for each Free Game of the Day. With that, let's take a look at some of the best bets for today's free game.

Note: Lines are subject to change throughout the day after this article is published. All stats come from FanGraphs and Baseball Savant unless noted otherwise. Please check here to make sure you're seeing the most updated projections.

MLB Betting Picks

Red Sox vs. Athletics Betting Odds: Spread, Total, and Moneyline

• Time: 9:40 p.m. ET
• Spread: Red Sox -1.5 (+114)
• Total: 8.0
• Moneyline:
  • Red Sox: -154
  • Athletics: +130

Best Bet

Red Sox -1.5 (+114)

We're not even a week into the MLB season and the Oakland Athletics already have a -18 run differential (tied for worst).

A long season awaits, but treating Oakland as a punching bag should be a mainstay of 2024.

The Boston Red Sox aren't all that impressive, either. But, they split their first series with the Seattle Mariners (+2000 World Series odds; tied for eighth-shortest) while losing by just one run in both defeats.

I think Boston is ready to cover this spread tonight, especially with Joe Boyle on the mound for the A's.

Boyle is about as inexperienced as it gets, having started just three games in his Major League career. In 16 IP, he let up four runs and five walks while punching out 15 batters.

While his brief time in the majors hasn't been bad, we don't have a lot to go off of with him. All three of his 2023 starts were against teams that ranked in the bottom 12 of batting average and on-base percentage.

Boston has some batters who hit well against righties, namely Jarren Duran (.296 BA, .359 wOBA, and 123 wRC+ versus righties in 2023), Triston Casas (.370 wOBA, .865 OPS, and 131 wRC+), and Masataka Yoshida (.293 BA, .342 wOBA).

Add Rafael Devers and Tyler O'Neill, who has already hit a pair of home runs this season, to the mix, and it seems Boston could give Boyle a difficult time.

Oakland's relief struggles with the league's fifth-worst SIERA entering the night while their SIERA mark was at a league-worst in 2023. The pitching won't get any prettier past Boyle.

Tanner Houck will be on the bump for the Red Sox. Houck was pretty bad last year, posting a 5.01 ERA through 106 IP. With that being said, only 2 of his 21 starts came against teams that did not rank in the top 16 of runs scored by the season's end. He had a very rough go of it opponent-wise, which won't be the case tonight.

The A's ranked dead-last in runs scored during their 2023 campaign, and they've mustered just 11 runs through four games this season. Houck's 4.33 SIERA in 2023 indicates he was not as bad as his ERA may have suggested. Now, he'll have an opportunity to kick off his season against one of the worst lineups in baseball.

Past Houck, it doesn't hurt that Boston holds most of their pitching strength in the bullpen. I'm happy to back the Red Sox under tonight's circumstance and lay these +114 odds.

Best Prop

Triston Casas To Record 2+ Bases (+145)

After placing third in the 2023 AL Rookie of the Year voting, Triston Casas has had a quiet start to this season, managing only one hit through four games.

I think we'll see him turn things around tonight.

As mentioned, Casas was solid against right-handers in 2023. He ended the year with a .370 wOBA, .865 OPS, and 131 wRC+ versus this handedness.

Against lefties, he walked at an 18.6% rate and struck out at a 32.0% rate. But, against righties, he walked at just a 12.8% rate and struck out at a 23.5% rate.

We should see Casas put the ball in play against Joe Boyle. Though Boyle's 2023 numbers are anything but thorough, he did struggle much more against left-handed bats than right-handed bats.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.