The New York Yankees have made three previous appearances in the American League Wild Card Game, losing to Houston in 2015 before defeating Minnesota in 2017 and Oakland the following year. New York hosted all three of those contests but won't have that advantage Tuesday, when the Yankees visit the rival Boston Red Sox. By going 10-9 in the 2021 season series, the Red Sox earned the right to have the game take place on their field. But the Yankees have the momentum as they won the final six meetings between the AL East rivals, including three at Fenway Park less than two weeks ago.
First pitch is scheduled for 8:08 p.m. ET. New York sends AL wins leader Gerrit Cole (16-8, 3.23 ERA) to the mound against former Yankee Nathan Eovaldi (11-9, 3.75). New York is the -135 favorite (risk $135 to win $100) on the money line in the latest Yankees vs. Red Sox odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over-under for total runs scored is eight. Before making any Red Sox vs. Yankees picks, you need to see what Sportsline's No. 1 rated MLB expert John Bollman has to say.
Bollman combines MLB front-office experience with a deep statistical background. Bollman, who has a master's degree in biostatistics, worked in the Toronto Blue Jays' analytics department in 2018, focusing on high-performance sports science and player development.
In his last 276 MLB money-line picks, Bollman has gone 161-115, returning more than $5,100 to $100 bettors. Anyone who has followed his MLB picks has seen huge returns.
Now, Bollman has dialed in on Yankees vs. Red Sox and just released his coveted American League Wild Card Game 2021 picks and predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see Bollman's picks. Here are the MLB odds and betting lines for Red Sox vs. Yankees:
- Yankees vs. Red Sox money line: New York -135, Boston +125
- Yankees vs. Red Sox run line: New York -1.5 (+125)
- Yankees vs. Red Sox over-under: 8 runs
- NYY: The Yankees are 8-0 in their last eight games following an off-day
- BOS: The Red Sox are 8-1 in their last nine playoff games as underdogs
Why you should back the Yankees
Having to face Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton back-to-back would make any pitcher nervous, as the sluggers combined for 74 home runs and 195 RBIs this season. Judge led New York with 39 and 98, respectively, which were his highest totals since he recorded 52 and 114 in 2017 en route to the AL Rookie of the Year Award. The 29-year-old has hit safely in six of his last seven contests while driving in eight runs over that span.
Stanton had trouble endearing himself to Yankees fans during his first three seasons in the Bronx but earned their respect in the playoffs last year, when he batted .308 with team highs of six home runs and 13 RBIs. A two-time home run champion and former MVP in the National League, the 31-year-old had a monster series in New York's last series at Fenway, going 7-for-12 with four homers and 10 RBIs in the three-game sweep. Gleyber Torres went deep four times and drove in 13 runs in 16 games against Boston this year while Gio Urshela is hitting .305 with six blasts and 27 RBIs in 46 career contests versus the Red Sox.
Why you should back the Red Sox
Prior to his last outing against New York, Eovaldi pitched extremely well in five turns versus the club this season. In those five meetings, the 31-year-old right-hander went 2-1, allowing just seven earned runs and issuing only two walks over 31 ⅓ innings while recording 34 strikeouts. Eovaldi bounced back from the rough outing against the Yankees by scattering four hits and fanning seven batters in six scoreless frames en route to victory at Baltimore on Friday.
Rafael Devers had a tremendous 2021 regular season as he led the Red Sox with a career-high 38 home runs and 113 RBI, two shy of his personal best. The 24-year-old Dominican third baseman finished strong as he belted a solo homer at Washington on Saturday before finishing 4-for-5 with two blasts and four RBI in the season finale, launching a two-run shot in the ninth to snap a tie and give Boston a 7-5 victory after it trailed by four runs after five innings. Devers was productive against the Yankees this year, recording five homers and 18 RBI in 19 games.
How to make Yankees vs. Red Sox picks
Bollman is leaning under on the run total and has discovered a critical X-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the money line. He's sharing that pick and the rest of his MLB playoffs predictions only at SportsLine.
So who wins Red Sox vs. Yankees in the 2021 AL Wild Card Game? And what critical X-factor makes one side of the money line a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the money line to jump on, all from the MLB expert who's brought in more than $5,100 to $100 players, and find out.