First place in the American League East will be on the line this weekend at Fenway Park in Boston as the division-leading New York Yankees (13-9) visit the Red Sox (12-10) in the opener of a three-game series on Friday.
Despite losing five of their past eight games to fall out of first place in the AL East, Boston remains one of the favorites to win the AL Pennant at 11-2 odds on the MLB betting futures. New York has improved slightly to 10-1 from 18-1 on April 15.
The Yankees have won 10 of their last 13 games to put themselves into position to contend for the division crown this year after taking two of three from the Tampa Bay Rays, who are tied with the Red Sox for second place.
New York saw its three-game winning streak come to an end Wednesday following a 3-2 home loss to the Rays, with the under cashing for totals bettors on the baseball betting lines for the third straight time in the series.
Boston has been involved in a lot of high-scoring games recently but saw its over streak end at five after a 4-1 victory against the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday. There had been an average of a little more than 15 combined runs scored in each of the previous five Red Sox games.
Recent history between the two fierce division rivals also suggests a high-scoring game and series, with the past five meetings all going over the total along with nine of the previous 11 games between the teams, according to the OddsShark MLB Database.
Boston starting pitcher Justin Masterson (2-0, 5.16 ERA) has seen the over cash in three of his four starts this season as well. The Red Sox lost for the first time in Masterson’s four starts this year in his last outing, as he allowed three runs and seven hits in seven innings of an eventual 5-4 loss to the Baltimore Orioles April 25 for a no-decision.
The Yankees will send CC Sabathia (0-4, 5.96) to the mound still looking for his first victory of the season. Sabathia got hit hard last time out on Saturday against the New York Mets, surrendering a season-high seven runs and nine hits, including three home runs, in five innings with no walks and two strikeouts.
Sabathia has seen the under cash in two road starts, while the over has gone 2-0 in his two at home. Sabathia’s previous trip to Fenway last season saw the total go way over the closing total of 8.5 runs, however, in a 14-5 road victory last April 24.
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