When the 2020 MLB season started there were realistic concerns about COVID-19 and changing plans on the fly. Take the case of the New York Yankees. The Yankees had four scheduled games this past week against the Philadelphia Phillies wiped out because the Phillies were coming off a series against the Miami Marlins, who had 18 team members test positive for the coronavirus. To the credit of MLB, they have not cracked or panicked and are working around the issue. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has not buckled, at least not yet, and has determined that the ship has set sail and the journey must go on.
Boston Red Sox at New York Yankees
Date and Time: Sunday, August 2, 2020, 7 p.m. ET
Location: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York
Red Sox vs. Yankees Odds: Check Back Later
Red Sox vs. Yankees TV Coverage: ESPN
Red Sox at Yankees Betting Odds Analysis
No team in baseball caught more offseason heat than the Red Sox. Boston’s trade of Mookie Betts to the Dodgers was seen as quitting before the season even began. Pitching will be a significant Red Sox liability. With that in mind and more the Yankees are likely to be a strong favorite for this matchup. There is nothing seen to date to change public perceptions of either team. Boston is traditionally one of the most public teams on the board. This year fans and gamblers are apathetic.
Red Sox Overview Probable Starter and Bullpen
Boston flopped out of the gate with four losses in their first six games. Only two of their games went over the total.
Left hander Matt Hall is the Red Sox probable starter. Hall is 0-1 with a 10.13 earned run average after getting lathered in his first start. In 2.2 innings pitched he allowed three hits, and three earned runs. The seldom used Hall has 14 career innings for Boston in three years with a 9.53 ERA.
Last year Brandon Workman emerged as the Red Sox closer. He was 10-1 with a 1.88 ERA striking out 104 batters in 71.2 innings of work. Workman saved 16 games and hold 15 more. To start the 2020 campaign the Red Sox bullpen ranked 20th for ERA. Boston simply has one of MLB’s worst staffs.
Yankees Overview Probable Starter and Bullpen
New York won three of their first four games to start the year with a mark of 2-2 on totals.
Left hander James Paxton is the scheduled starter for the Yankees. Last year Paxton was 15-6 with a 3.82 ERA. He struck out 186 batters in 150.2 innings of work. Paxton is a former Seattle Mariner that joined the Yankees in 2019. In his first 2020 start Paxton was shelled for five hits and three earned runs in an inning of work.
Left hander Zach Britton has had to stand in as closer due to Aroldis Chapman testing positive for COVID-19. Britton was 3-1 with 29 holds and a 1.91 ERA for 2019. Most important for this situation he has previous experience as an effective closer for the Orioles.
Stanton Stands Out
DH Giancarlo Stanton has powered the Yankees in the early going with a .417 average, 1.533 OPS, with one double, two home ruins and five runs batted in.
Boston Red Sox at New York Yankees Betting Trends
The Boston Red Sox are:
12-8 on the road
7-2-1 over the total away from home
6-14 in their last 20 games at Yankee Stadium
3-7 under the total at New York
2-10 in their last 12 away games vs. the American League East
6-3-1 over the total at the American League East
The New York Yankees are:
13-7 at Yankee Stadium
5-7 under the total in home games
15-4 in their last 19 games against Boston
10-5 over the total head to head with the Red Sox
17-3 at home against the American League East
7-3 over the total when hosting American League East teams
Red Sox at Yankees Prediction
Our pick: Yankees Run Line
New York will be priced far too high on the money line. But their lineup and pitching advantages make the run line a solid play.
Check out the latest MLB betting odds.
