Red Sox Enter Much-Anticipated Series Vs. Yankees As Betting Favorites
The Boston Red Sox will look to extend their lead atop the American League East standings when they open a three-game series with the rival New York Yankees on Friday night as -140 home betting favorites at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Boston enjoyed a day off Thursday after sweeping a two-game interleague series with the St. Louis Cardinals this week, and now has won 10 of 12 going into Friday night’s Yankees vs. Red Sox betting matchup at Fenway Park.
Boston’s current run has widened its lead atop the AL East to four games over the second-place Yankees, and moved them to within 4.5 games of the Houston Astros for the best record in the American League. Boston’s rise in the standings has been built on strong play at Fenway, where it has won 12 of 17, giving it an AL-best 38-21 home record.
The club’s continued strong play, though, has done little to boost its World Series odds, which sit at +700, slightly off from the +600 odds it sported in mid-July, and well back of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who have emerged as massive +240 chalk to claim their first World Series crown since 1988.
The Red Sox have continued to generate solid offense during their current tear, averaging almost 7.1 runs per game over their past 12, but have seen the run total finish under in four of their past six home contests.
These two clubs met last weekend at Yankee Stadium, with the Red Sox taking two of three from New York, including a decisive 10-5 win as +153 underdogs Saturday. Drew Pomeranz picked up his second straight victory in that contest, surrendering seven hits and three earned runs over 6 2/3 innings of work, and gets the call in Friday’s series opener.
However, Red Sox batters will have to face Yankees southpaw Jordan Montgomery on Friday for the second time in a week. Montgomery allowed one earned run on two hits over 5 1/3 innings Sunday, avoiding the losing decision in Boston’s 3-2 win as -156 road chalk, and now has surrendered just a single earned run in three of his past four starts.
The Yankees travel to Boston on a high after taking all four games in this week’s home-and-home series with the crosstown New York Mets, including Thursday night’s 7-5 victory as -190 road chalk.
New York also has taken four of six from the Red Sox in Boston this season, according to the OddsShark MLB Database. Those meetings have tended to be low-scoring affairs, with the two clubs combining to score more than five runs on just one occasion.
Thumbnail photo via David Butler II/USA TODAY Sports Images
