It is time for the best rivalry in baseball as the Boston Red Sox visit the New York Yankees to begin a three-game series in the Bronx. It's time to continue our MLB odds coverage with a Red Sox-Yankees prediction and pick.

 

The Red Sox are coming off a horrific series against the Tampa Bay Rays, where Tampa Bay took all four games from them. The Sox are 2-8 over their last 10 games. Also, they are 2-8 in their last 10 road games. Boston will attempt to right the ship against their most hated rivals. 

The Yankees lost two of three at home to the Cincinnati Reds, one of the worst teams in baseball. Tuesday's loss was historic, as it was the first time a team below .400 had rallied from three runs in the ninth inning to defeat a team above .700 this late into a season. The Yankees still have the best record in the league but are 4-6 over their last 10 games. 

The Yankees lead the season series 4-3. The teams split the four-game series at Fenway Park last weekend, with the Yanks winning the first two and the Sox winning the final two. 

Nathan Eovaldi returns from a month-long back inflammation injury to make the start against New York. Before his injury, Eovaldi went 2-0 in two starts, not allowing an earned run. Overall, he is 4-2 with a 3.16 ERA this season. Eovaldi faced the Yankees one time this year, going five innings, while allowing three earned runs on five hits, including two home runs. He is 3-4 with a 3.76 ERA in 16 games (13 starts) against the Yankees throughout his career. Likewise, Eovaldi is 1-3 with a 3.86 ERA in nine games (eight starts) at Yankee Stadium. 

Jordan Montgomery takes the hill for the Yankees. Montgomery is 3-2 with a 3.19 ERA this year. He tossed 5 2/3 innings in his last start, allowing two earned runs on five hits in his last start. Additionally, Montgomery is 2-1 with a 3.38 ERA in seven starts since June 1. He is 2-0 with a 3.19 ERA in eight starts at home. Montgomery has faced the Red Sox twice this season and is 0-0 with a 5.00 ERA. Also, he is 1-2 with a 3.90 ERA in 13 starts against the Sox in his career. 

Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Red Sox-Yankees odds:

MLB odds: Red Sox-Yankees Odds  

Red Sox: -1.5 (-142)

Yankees: +1.5 (+118)

Over: 8.5 (-102)

Under: 8.5 (-120)

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Why The Red Sox Could Cover The Spread

The Red Sox have two weapons in Rafael Devers and Xander Bogaerts. Devers is 6 for 22 with one home run and two RBIs against Montgomery in his career. Likewise, he is batting .278 (5 for 18) with three home runs, seven RBIs, and four runs scored over five games against the Bronx Bombers this season. Devers smashed two home runs against Gerrit Cole, who he will see on Sunday. He is batting .250 (3 for 12) with one home run, two RBIs, and two runs in three games in the Bronx in 2022. Additionally, he is batting .235 with seven home runs, 22 RBIs, and 18 runs in 42 games at Yankee Stadium in his career. 

Bogaerts has hammered Montgomery, batting .484 (15 for 31) with two RBIs. Subsequently, he is batting .308 (8 for 26) with two RBIs and five runs through seven games against the Yankees this year. Bogaerts is batting .364 (4 for 11) with an RBI and three runs in three games at Yankee Stadium in 2022. Alternatively, he is batting only .248 with 11 home runs, 30 RBIs, and 37 runs scored all-time at Yankee Stadium. 

The Red Sox will cover the spread if Eovaldi can keep the Bronx Bombers at bay. Moreover, the Red Sox need to produce offensively and cannot afford to fall behind. 

Why The Yankees Could Cover The Spread

The Yankees have plenty of weapons that can hurt the Red Sox. Ultimately, the weapons that may sting the most are Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. 

Judge is batting .391 (9 for 23) with one home run and two RBIs against Eovaldi in his career. However, he has not been as good against Boston this season, batting .250 (7 for 28) with one RBI and four runs in six games. Judge has yet to hit a home run. However, he has performed better at home, batting .308 (4 for 13) with two runs in three games at Yankee Stadium. Judge has career marks of .279 with 10 home runs, 22 RBIs, and 29 runs in 37 career games against the Red Sox at home in his career. 

Stanton is batting .267 (8 for 30) against Eovaldi with three home runs and eight RBIs. Likewise, he has kept steady numbers against the entire Boston pitching staff, batting .280 with three home runs, six RBIs, and four runs in six games against the Red Sox in 2022. Stanton is batting .385 with two home runs, four RBIs, and two runs over three home games against the Red Sox this year.

The Yankees will cover the spread if they can get a great performance out of Montgomery. Consequently, it could help him if the bats power up. 

Final Red Sox-Yankees Prediction & Pick

Can we trust Eovaldi in his first start back from injury? The Yankees and Red Sox are struggling recently, with each team trying to outdo the other. However, the pain may continue for Boston as they have to play in front of a hostile crowd while the Yanks can recharge in front of their fans. Expect the Yankees to cover the spread. 

Final Red Sox-Yankees Prediction & Pick: Yankees: +1.5 (+118)