Yankees vs. Red Sox Betting Line August 31
Carrie Stroup here with your Yankees vs. Red Sox betting line for August 31
NEW YORK YANKEES (72-57) at BOSTON RED SOX (60-70)
Sportsbook.ag Line: New York -103, Boston -107, Total: 9.
The Yankees will be going for their fourth straight victory when they face the Red Sox in Boston on Monday.
The Yankees are coming off of a three-game sweep over the Braves in their last series. The offense was dominant in that set, averaging 12.7 runs per game and putting up an insane 20 runs in the 20-6 victory that earned the team a sweep. New York now faces a Boston team that has won eight of its past 12 and would love to spoil the Yankees’ chances of taking a lead in the AL East.
The Red Sox have not had much success in this matchup on the year, going just 4-8 against the Yankees this season and a lousy 1-5 in Boston as well. Four of the six games played between these teams at Fenway have gone Under the total.
On the mound for the Yankees in this one is the struggling RHP Ivan Nova (5-6, 4.50 ERA, 39 K) and he’ll be going up against LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (7-5, 4.39 ERA, 69 K) of the Red Sox. Playing in the Yankees’ favor in this game is the fact that they are 45-30 against the money line when the money line is +125 to -125 this season. They’re also up against a Red Sox team that is just 6-17 against the money line in home games when revenging a loss where the team scored one or less runs over the past two seasons. Boston is, however, 10-1 against the money line after three straight games versus an interleague opponent over the past two seasons.
1B Mark Teixeira (Leg) is doubtful for the Yankees in this game and C Ryan Hanigan (Calf) and LF Hanley Ramirez (Shoulder) are questionable for the Red Sox, who are already without 2B Dustin Pedroia (Hamstring) and RP Koji Uehara (Wrist) indefinitely.
Ivan Nova will be taking the ball for the Yankees in this game and he has been lousy in his past few starts. He pitched just four innings against Houston in his last appearance, allowing seven hits and seven earned runs with four walks. He has pitched less than six innings in three of his past four starts and will need to be better moving forward. In his last meeting with Boston, Nova went 6.2 innings and allowed four earned runs on eight hits. The one thing he has working for him is that he has been better on the road this season, going 3-2 with a 3.60 ERA away from Yankee Stadium.
Not many Yankees have faced Eduardo Rodriguez very often in their careers, but OF Jacoby Ellsbury (.278, 7 HRs, 30 RBIs) is 4-for-7 with two homers and two RBIs in his meetings with the Red Sox pitcher. Ellsbury has been hot as of late as well, getting two hits in four of his past seven games. SS Didi Gregorius (.263, 7 HRs, 42 RBIs) and 3B Chase Headley (.277, 10 HRs, 57 RBIs) have been swinging hot bats for New York, combining to go 16-for-30 with three homers and 17 RBIs over the past four contests. C Brian McCann (.247, 23 HRs, 82 RBIs) has also racked up seven RBIs over the past three games and could be the x-factor for his team in this series.
The Red Sox have been playing a lot better recently and they’ll now send Rodriguez to the mound to go for a series-opening win over the Yankees. He has been pitching very well recently, allowing just three earned runs in his past 14 innings of work. Rodriguez was also extremely solid in both of his starts against the Yankees this season, allowing just four earned runs in 13.1 innings against the team. He’ll need to pitch similarly well in this outing in order to slow down the red-hot New York lineup.
DH David Ortiz (.264, 28 HRs, 79 RBIs) has homered in two of the past three games for Boston. He has dominated Nova in his career, going 8-for-22 with a homer, four RBIs and four walks in the matchup. SS Xander Boegarts (.315, 4 HRs, 61 RBIs) is just 1-for-8 with no homers or RBIs against Nova and will need to turn that around in this meeting with the pitcher. He is one of the team’s most reliable hitters and comes into this game after going 14-for-40 over the past 10 contests.
- Carrie Stroup, Gambling911.com Senior Reporter
