Why not relax and enjoy the Boys of Summer?

The second half is underway and the American League features an important divisional clash between the Yankees and Tigers this weekend. Will the Yanks start their playoff push or will the Tigers prove they’re for real?

Friday, July 17, 7:05 p.m. ET

Luke French (1-0, 1.93) vs A.J. Burnett (8-4, 3.77)

As much as baseball fans (well, Blue Jay fans) love to hate Burnett, he’s been far from a bust in 2009. He’s striking out guys left and right and he’s quietly posted ERAs below 3.00 in June and July after a shaky start to his pinstripes career. Though the Tigers really, really have his number all-time (Burnett’s ERA against Detroit: 8.04), I like the Yankees’ baseball odds for Friday. Burnett is 3-1 at home and he’s pitching well enough to overcome a poor past history against Detroit.

More importantly, Burnett should get a ton of run support. Rookie Luke French has started nicely, but he did his damage against Oakland, Kansas City and Minnesota. Let’s see how the young lefty does in the Bronx against righty bashers like A-Rod, who is heating up.

Daily sports pick: Yankees

Saturday, July 18, 1:05 p.m. ET

Justin Verlander (10-4, 3.38) vs C.C. Sabathia (8-6, 3.86)

“Pretty good” would best describe C.C. Sabathia’s Yankee career thus far. He hasn’t dominated but he’s pitched well enough to justify being at the top of a Major-League rotation. He hasn’t been great against Detroit in his career – 13-10 with an ERA north of 4.00 – but he can handle the current Tigers’ lineup. Miguel Cabrera dominates him but Magglio Ordonez’s good history against C.C. goes out the window since he’s not the same player anymore.

Justin Verlander is a bona fide ace….at home. On the road, he’s 4-4 with a 4.98 ERA compared to 6-0 with a 1.34 ERA at home. He’ll be in tough against the lefty New York bats swinging for the short right field porch.

Daily sports pick: Yankees

Sunday, July 19, 1:05 p.m. ET

Edwin Jackson (7-4, 2.52) vs Joba Chamberlain (4-2, 4.25)

Careful with your betting management here. It’s natural to pick Joba on Sunday; after all, he’s owned the Tigers in his career (0.82 ERA), but numbers can be deceiving. Most of his success came as a reliever; he’s only actually started against the Tigers once, so the sample size is small. He also has a 7.88 ERA and .429 opponents average in July, so he’s nowhere near the top of his game right now.

Edwin Jackson sparkled in the first half and is primed for a fall, but it doesn’t have to start right away. He’s great on the road, sporting a 2.33 ERA, and he’s simply pitching better than Chamberlain right now. Go for a Tigers upset when you make your weekend baseball predictions.

Daily sports pick: Tigers

The Toronto Blue Jays will make the trip to New York this weekend for a four-game set. The Jays started off the season guns a blazing but have cooled off since. They find themselves in fourth place in the division with a minimal chance of winning it, and we just hit July.

Meanwhile, the Yankees have been the exact opposite. They are as strong as they’ve been in the win column this year and they’ll look to keep on building on it.

They’ll have a couple of hurdles this weekend as both Roy Halladay and Ricky Romero will pitch for the Jays.

MLB betting: Tigers, Twins Square Off Square Off At Metrodome

The Detroit Tigers hold a three-game lead in the American League Central but that lead could shrink to nothing by the end of the weekend.

The Tigers have slowed a little bit as the calendar has flipped to July. While Magglio Ordonez is trying to regain his power (went 150 at-bats in between home runs), the lineup seems to be in flux as manager Jim Leyland is moving batters up and down.

The Twins entire starting rotation is on fire right now from Kevin Slowey, to Nick Blackburn, to Scott Baker, which is more bad news for the Tigers bats. Look for the Twins to take advantage and gain some ground on the weekend. The sportsbook odds makers should have them favored throughout the weekend.

MLB Betting: Last-Place A’s Meet Last-Place Indians

A few years ago, sports picks on this series would handicapping a matchup of two playoff contenders. Not nowadays as both teams are a combined 64-93.

The A’s are usually a scrappy bunch but injuries have taken a big bite out of their production. They have put 12 players on the disabled list already this season and they simply don’t have the depth to compete when it gets that’s bad.

The season hasn’t been much brighter for the Indians who have lost five straight and are just 2-8 in their last 10 games. The Indians are having problems scoring runs, especially with Travis Hafner’s pop disappearing over the last two seasons.

The Indians are off a sweep at the hands of the White Sox and have been outscored 38-13 in their last five games. I’m betting management wasn’t expecting that with a lineup consisting of Grady Sizemore, Victor Martinez and the aforementioned Hafner.