Red Sox, Yankees Open Three-Game Set With First Place In AL East At Stake

After taking two of three games from the Toronto Blue Jays this week, including a 4-1 win Wednesday as strong moneyline favorites, the Boston Red Sox close out the month of April with a middling 12-10 record but remain a strong 12-1 wager on the odds to win the World Series.

Boston’s victory over Toronto marked its first series win since the Sox opened their home schedule with a pair of wins over the Washington Nationals. Following a day off on Thursday, Boston opens a three-game weekend series with the arch-rival New York Yankees.

New York enters Friday’s Yankees-Red Sox betting matchup at Fenway Park sitting atop the American League East division standings with a record of 13-9.

The surprising Yankees, who opened their regular season at distant 33-1 World Series odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com, are an impressive 10-3 in their last 13 games, lifting their futures odds to 20-1.

However, the Bronx Bombers struggled earlier this month against Boston, as the Red Sox took two of three at Yankee Stadium in the first week of the season.

Justin Masterson is expected to get the start for the Red Sox on Friday. The 30-year-old is 2-0 on the season, giving up three runs in seven innings of work in his last start but avoiding the loss in the Baltimore Orioles’ 5-4, 10-inning victory.

CC Sabathia is the likely starter for the Yankees on Friday. The veteran left-hander has struggled in the early going, taking the loss in each of his first four starts, including a dismal nine-hit, five-inning performance in an 8-2 beating by the New York Mets last weekend that inflated his ERA to 5.96.

The Red Sox then wrap up their current nine-game homestand with three games against the Tampa Bay Rays, starting Monday.

The Rays, who dropped two of three to the Yankees this week, find themselves in the unusual position as the visiting team on home turf this weekend after their road series with the Orioles was moved to Tropicana Field.

Tampa Bay joins the Red Sox at 12-10 in the AL East standings, but the Rays still remain a distant 50-1 bet to emerge as World Series champions after opening at 66-1.

The AL Central-leading Detroit Tigers continue to lead all American League teams in World Series betting at the online sportsbooks with 15-2 odds, while the red-hot Kansas City Royals have improved to a strong 10-1. The Royals join the Nationals, whose 9-13 start has slipped them to 10-1 after opening the season as 6-1 World Series favorites.

Thumbnail photo via Mark L. Baer/USA TODAY Sports Images