BookMaker is the only online sportsbook where you can get the earliest MLB moneylines, runlines, totals and props. If you want to wager on baseball odds like the pros do, you need to join BookMaker today! The ballgame between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox will take place Sunday, August 20, 2017, at 1:35 p.m. ET at Fenway Park. The contest will be broadcast nationally on TBS.
The Yankees and Red Sox will wrap up their weekend series on Sunday afternoon, leaving these rivals just four more head-to-head games this year. While the Sox have mounted a sizable division lead over the slumping the Yankees, New York will look to take advantage of a head-to-head advantage that’s netted them seven wins in 12 games heading into the weekend set.
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ODDS ANALYSIS
The Red Sox won two of three against the Yankees in their series last week. That extended their lead in the AL East and narrowed New York’s lead in the season series to two games.
For Boston, the biggest weakness has been the offense, particularly when it comes to power. The Red Sox have outscored the Yankees in August by 20 runs as New York tries to find its way with Aaron Judge struggling along with several other players.
Boston is 10-2 since the start of August and the Sox are also 37-21 at home while the Yankees are 6-8 in August and several games under-.500 away from the Big Apple.
PROBABLE PITCHERS
The pitching probable for Sunday haven’t been announced, but Sonny Gray and Doug Fister would be in rotation to make the starts.
Gray is more likely to pitch than Fister who could be skipped for Rick Porcello who would be pitching on normal rest.
For Gray, it would be his fourth start in a Yankee uniform. He pitched six innings, allowing two-runs against the Mets in his last start, earning his first win since coming over from Oakland. In his prior two games for the Yankees, he was 0-2, giving up seven runs in 12 innings although only four of those runs were earned.
In his career, Gray has faced the Red Sox four times and the results haven’t exactly been awe-inspiring. He’s allowed 13 runs in 22.2 innings against the Sox. That’s a 5.16 ERA.
The good news for the Yankees is he was pitching well before the trade and has looked like the same pitcher since. He’s just pitched in a bit tougher luck until his most recent outing.
On the other side, Chris Sale and Drew Pomeranz are slated to pitch earlier in the series.
If Fister gets the start, he would be doing so with a 2-6 record and 5.56 ERA. Even though the Sox are surging, they’re just 3-7 in the ten games he’s made an appearance. They lost his last start and are 3-4 in the games he’s started.
If the Sox opt to skip the fifth starter, Porcello offers a slightly better alternative. Porcello is only 6-14, but his mid-4 ERA is a run better than Fisters and he is a former Cy Young Award winner.
LIVE BETTING
As noted, Judge’s bat has gone cold which has slowed the entire offense. Judge has been striking out way more than when he was on fire and his average continues to drop.
Judge’s struggles are not isolated to just him. Matt Holiday, Jacoby Ellsbury and others are cold.
While the Yankees offense is a big question right now, the pitching is strong in the bullpen, though Aroldis Chapman came close to blowing a save on Tuesday, allowing a pair of runs to the Mets in the ninth.
Chapman is the point of weakness for the Yankees bullpen right now which should tell you more about the strength of the pen than the weakness of the big Cuban flamethrower.
For the Sox, the bullpen has the opposite questions. Craig Kimbrel is lockdown in the ninth, but getting to him could be a question. Joe Kelly has shown weakness lately and Addison Reed has had issues adjusting to the new team.
QUICK PICK
The Red Sox offense was a weak spot without David Ortiz, but there are more than enough talented players on this team that it should be able to score consistently.
Right now, Rafael Devers is a major spark for this team. He and Eduardo Nunez have really helped the offense come alive in August just as the Yankees’ offense has begun to fade.
For New York, there’s still enough offensively with Didi Gregorius raking and Gary Sanchez and Judge still hammering long balls.
The pitching matchup certainly favors the Yankees. Look for them to steal a game in this series on Sunday on the strength of their pitching, including the arms in the backend.
MLB Odds: Yankees 7, Red Sox 4
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