The Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees are set for an AL East rivalry doubleheader on Saturday at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx.
Boston and New York enter Saturday in firm command of the AL wild card race. With an overall record of 76-58, the Yankees are in the top wild card spot with an 8.5-game cushion, while Boston owns a record of 73-61 to hold a 5.5-game cushion over the Cleveland Guardians in the final wild card place.
The Yankees took the first game of this series 1-0 on Friday night, which snapped a four-game losing streak to the Red Sox this season.
Game 1 of Saturday’s doubleheader is slated for 1:05 p.m. ET while Game 2 is set for 7:15 p.m. ET on FOX. For this preview, we are taking a look at Game 2.
Red Sox vs. Yankees betting picks and predictions
Yankees ML (-120)
New York will send veteran left-hander Max Fried to the mound in Game 2. He will be making his return to the rotation after missing a few weeks with an elbow issue. He last pitched on August 13 against Seattle and tossed 5.0 innings of one-run ball.
Despite missing his last few starts, the Yankees should still have plenty of confidence in Fried in this matchup. Fried has been a reliable force all season long, as he owns a strong 2.81 ERA and 1.00 WHIP over the course of 15 starts and 86.1 innings of work. He’s been especially sharp in August, owning a 1.08 ERA through three starts.
An official starter for the Red Sox has yet to be named, but the likely starter is Brayan Bello. If that is the case, Boston could be in a tough spot.
Bello has done most of his work out of the bullpen this season, and hasn’t been pitching deep into games very often. Specifically, he hasn’t thrown more than 5.0 innings since July 22.
With a doubleheader on the docket today, Bello’s inability to provide length could put the Boston bullpen in a less-than-ideal situation. That problem will only be exacerbated if Jake Bennett has a rough outing in Game 1.
With so much up in the air for Boston, New York seems to have the advantage in this one.
Over 8.5 (-120)
Fried has been great this season, but as previously mentioned, he hasn’t pitched since August 13 due to an elbow injury. Thus, it wouldn’t be surprising to see just a little rust that opens the door for the Red Sox to find some success at the plate.
If Fried’s rhythm is off even just a little bit, Boston is capable of taking advantage. The Red Sox hit lefties well, as they rank fourth in MLB with a team OPS of .770 against southpaws this season. After getting held scoreless in Friday’s contest, look for Boston to be more aggressive at the plate against the veteran left-hander.
Boston’s bullpen situation heavily relies on how Bennett performs in Game 1. If he can’t provide length and eat up some innings, then the Red Sox could be in trouble. New York thrives at home, owning a .750 OPS and ranking third in home runs (96) this season.
It’s also worth mentioning that Bello’s ERA jumps from 3.80 at home to 5.48 on the road while his BAA goes from .258 to .292.
All things considered, it’s tough to know what to expect from Boston on the mound in this one, which puts the Yankees in a decent spot to do some damage.
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Red Sox vs. Yankees odds
Red Sox | +110 |
Yankees | -120 |
Run Line | NY Yankees -1.5 |
Total | O/U 8.5 |
Red Sox vs. Yankees player props
Player home run odds
Willson Contreras (BOS Red Sox) | +375 |
Wilyer Abreu (BOS Red Sox) | +400 |
Paul Goldschmidt (NY Yankees) | +425 |
Heliot Ramos (NY Yankees) | +425 |
Jahmai Jones (BOS Red Sox) | +500 |
Cody Bellinger (NY Yankees) | +575 |
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
