Subscribe
Follow Us
The New York Yankees will host the Boston Red Sox for the first of a four-game set at Yankee Stadium on Thursday night. It’s time to continue our MLB odds series and make a Red Sox-Yankees prediction and pick.
New York enjoyed a much needed break after blowing a five run lead in the ninth inning of their last game against Houston. The Yankees had a disappointing first half of the season and now sit eight games back of the Red Sox with a 46-43 record. Boston, on the other hand, had a tremendous first half of the season. The Red Sox hold a 1.5-game lead in the AL East with a 55-36 record heading into the back half of the regular season.
Here’s how sportsbooks have set the opening Red Sox-Yankees odds.
MLB Odds: Red Sox-Yankees Odds
*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (click for free trial)*
Boston Red Sox +1.5 (-127)
New York Yankees -1.5 (+103)
Over 8.5 Runs (-115)
Under 8.5 Runs (-105)
Why The Red Sox Could Cover The Spread
The Boston Red Sox are hoping to get off to a hot start in the second half as they lost their last two games against the Phillies heading into the break. The Red Sox currently hold a 1.5 game lead over the Tampa Bay Rays in the division and have a great opportunity to build on that lead in this series. Boston will continue to lean on their explosive offense as they continue to position themselves for a postseason run.
Boston is currently averaging the fifth-most runs and third-most hits per game in the Majors. Their offense has seen a slight dip in production in road games, but that didn't seem to affect them in their last series at Yankee Stadium. The Red Sox put up at least five runs in each of their three wins against the Yankees back in June. They have a +0.59 average run differential in road games this season.
Article Continues Below
The Red Sox will turn to left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez for the series opener. Rodriguez is 6-5 with a 5.52 ERA and 104 strikeouts through 17 starts. The southpaw allowed four runs on nine hits in a losing effort against the Angels to close out his first half. The Red Sox starter has a 5.70 ERA in 12 starts and 60 innings of work on the road this season.
Why The Yankees Could Cover The Spread
The New York Yankees are thrilled to have a clean slate heading into the second half as the first half ended horribly. The Yankees blew a huge ninth-inning lead with a chance to sweep the Astros on the road on Sunday. New York is tied for third-place in the AL East, currently trailing the Red Sox by eight games in the division. They are 4.5 games behind the Oakland A's for the second wild card spot as well.
The Yankees lineup has to improve in the second half if they want to play into October. The Bronx Bombers averaged just 4.16 runs per game during the first half, which was good for 20th in the league. Their defense was above-average, but a +0.01 average run differential isn't going to win you games consistently. Aaron Judge is leading the way in every major offensive statistic and if his guys can follow his lead, the Yankees may just find a way.
New York will turn to left-hander Jordan Montgomery for the series opener. Montgomery is 3-4 with a 4.16 ERA and 95 strikeouts through 17 starts. The southpaw allowed three runs on four hits in a no-decision effort against the Mariners in his last start. The Yankees starter has been great at home with a 2-2 record and 2.96 ERA at Yankee Stadium.
Final Red Sox-Yankees Prediction & Pick
We saw some great signs from the Yankees in their last series against Houston and although they lost the finale, they outplayed the Astros for 26 innings. They are 5-2 over their last seven games and should carry some momentum into the second half. This team is way too good to be this bad and I expect them to surprise people in this series and down the stretch. The Red Sox are 1-4 over their last five games and Eduardo Rodriguez hasn't done them any favors in road games this season. New York will get off to a hot start in the second half of the season.
FINAL RED SOX-YANKES PREDICTION AND PICK: New York Yankees ML (-123)
