Betting Matchup Preview
Game Details
- Who: Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees
- When: Thursday, Sept. 22
- Time: 7:15 p.m. EDT
- Where: Yankee Stadium (Bronx, NY)
Betting Odds Summary
- Moneyline: Red Sox +130, Yankees -154
- Runline: Red Sox +1.5 (-140), Yankees -1.5 (+116)
- Total: Over/Under 8.0 Runs (-110/-110)
Note: Odds and lines are current at the time of writing and subject to change.
After 11 hits and nine runs on Tuesday, the Yankees pounded out 11 more hits in Wednesday’s 14-2 rout of the Pittsburgh Pirates. The New York offense seems to be back after taking a hiatus in August.
Led by Aaron Judge, who now leads or is tied for the lead in each triple crown category, the Bombers are getting hot at the right time, prepping for an October run for the pennant.
The Boston Red Sox have pride to play for, nothing else. The team is in danger of its first losing record (in a full season) since 2015. The Red Sox lost to the Reds in Cincinnati on Wednesday, but there were a few silver linings. Both Rafael Devers and Xander Bogaerts had two hits, and the bullpen put together three solid innings.
A few weeks ago, this series was circled as a potential playoff decider for both teams. But the Red Sox collapsed (two four-game losing streaks and a three-game losing streak between August 21 and September 9), and the Yankees righted themselves and fended off challenges to their AL East lead. The Yankees’ magic number is now eight.
Starting Pitchers
- Michael Wacha (11-1, 2.61 ERA, 92 Ks) vs. Jameson Taillon (13-5, 4.04 ERA, 132 Ks)
Boston manager Alex Cora loves to see Michael Wacha on the mound. “Every five days is a solid start,” Cora said earlier this season in praise of his veteran right-hander. Wacha has allowed two earned runs or less in 15 of his 20 starts in 2022.
Not surprisingly, the Sox are 15-5 when he toes the rubber. That includes an August 14 victory over the Yankees at Fenway Park, when Wacha tossed seven shutout innings. He fanned nine that game, his season best.
Since August 1, Jameson Taillon has been susceptible to the longball; he’s allowed 10 homers since, with at least one in eight of his last nine starts. Earlier in the season, Taillon got excellent chases on his four-seam fastball. But in his last six starts, the chase rate has dropped for that pitch, which helps the righty against left-handed hitters. Keep an eye on the Taillon vs. Rafael Devers matchups on Thursday.
Hot Hitters
Gleyber Torres had three hits and five RBI against the Pirates on Wednesday, including a grand slam. The Yankee infielder has a 10-game hitting streak, in which he’s batting .400 with 18 hits, six of them for extra bases.
Aaron Judge is even hotter than Torres. The AL home run and RBI leader is batting .476 with 10 multi-hit games in September. He’s now in a tie with Xander Bogaerts for the batting title, both players at .317, without going to the decimal places.
Oswaldo Cabrera has two homers in his last three games, and the rookie is batting .412 in his last five. He’s playing himself into a key role for the postseason. He’s gaining a stranglehold on the right field job for Aaron Boone.
Bogaerts is making his charge for the batting crown too. The Red Sox shortstop is hitting .377 in September. He had two more hits on Wednesday in a 5-1 loss to the Reds.
Our Best Bet Today
- Anthony Rizzo To Record 2+ Hits (+250 via FanDuel Sportsbook)
We won our Best Bet for a second straight day on Wednesday, for $120 on a $100 wager. Let’s keep it going with a pick for the power-hitting left-handed first baseman for the Yankees.
Rizzo has three home runs and is hitting .420 in 50 career at-bats against Michael Wacha. Rizzo went deep in his return to the lineup from the Injured List on Tuesday. He doesn’t seem fazed by the migraines that kept him off the field for more than two weeks.
While we’re tempted to go for the +330 odds on Rizzo hitting a home run, we’ll stick with the 2+ hits as our Best Bet pick. At +250, a $100 wager would win you $250 plus your original wager back.
Our Same-Game Parlay
A $100 winning bet on our Fanduel same-game parlay would pay out $363 plus your original wager. This same-game parlay has odds of +363:
- Aaron Judge To Record a Hit (-250)
- Harrison Bader To Record a Run (+135)
- Michael Wacha Under 4.5 Strikeouts (-142)
We like FanDuel giving us +363 with two legs of our parlay looking more than reasonable (Judge to get at least one hit and Wacha’s Ks). The Yankees offense has 22 hits and 23 runs the last two games, and are famously patient in games against rival Boston. We see another good evening for the New York lineup and Wacha knocked out before he can get to five strikeouts.
Harrison Bader made his Yankee debut on Wednesday, and he was in the mix in many of the run-scoring rallies. Bader was acquired at the trade deadline in July but has been sidelined with plantar fasciitis.
Bader’s feet are integral to his game, which is built on the foundation of great outfield defense and his aggressive baserunning. Bader had two hits and scored a run in his first game for the Yankees, and he also drove in three. We expect Bader to fit nicely into the New York lineup.
