The New York Yankees open up a pivotal four-game series in the Bronx against the Boston Red Sox on Thursday night. The Yankees won last night against the Royals and extra innings, increasing their divisional lead to two games.
Meanwhile, the Boston Red Sox would love nothing more than to spoil the New York Yankees season. The Red Sox are not officially eliminated from the wild-card race, but if they get extremely hot down the stretch, they may earn a wild-card birth.
Cooper Criswell is on the mound for the Sox, and Nestor Cortes will oppose him for the Yankees. Oddsmakers have the Yankees as -165 favorites on the money line, with the total set at 9.
I built a three-leg SGP for tonight’s game, which pays out nearly 8 to 1 on your original investment. Here are the three legs below:
Parlay Odds: +779 (FanDuel)
Remember to bet responsibly — this is a long shot for a reason.
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Red Sox vs. Yankees, 7:15 p.m. ET
Aaron Judge has not hit an HR in 12 games, and tonight, I have a hunch he is in for a big night. Judge draws a matchup against Cooper Criswell, who typically relies on allowing softer contact.
He does not generate many whiffs or chases, which is a dream for a hitter like Judge. Judge's ability can overmatch any pitcher in the game, but it's a plus that he gets to face a guy who wants you to make contact with the ball.
I'd be stunned if Judge did not break out of his slump tonight, and we are getting a bargain price for his total base prop. If he does not hit an HR, I expect at least an extra-base hit or multiple hits against Criswell or the horrific Sox bullpen.
Pick: Aaron Judge Over 1.5 Total Bases -120
Red Sox vs. Yankees, 7:15 p.m. ET
Refsnyder has returned from injury and is certainly excited to see he will oppose Nestor Cortes tonight. Refsynder is a staple in the Sox lineup against left-handed pitching, and his numbers against Cortes are outstanding.
Refsynder is 8-16 lifetime against Cortes, with multiple extra-base hits. He's also batting .304 with 15 extra-base hits against lefties in 2024.
Cortes has pitched better as of late, but he is still a guy who allows a lot of contact. He will not light up the radar gun, and that is the exact pitcher portfolio that Refysnder will take advantage of.
+140 is a joke of a price, and I would not be surprised to see Refsnyder go yard tonight against his former team.
Pick: Rob Refsnyder Over 1.5 Total Bases +140
Red Sox vs. Yankees, 7:15 p.m. ET
The Sox are +140 to win outright tonight, and that is probably due to the fact their bullpen has been a massive problem all season long. The Yankees bullpen has not been much better, but they still have the edge on them late in the game.
Nonetheless, the Sox are getting a lot of disrespect in the market right now. To be fair, they are a worse offensive team against left-handed pitching, but they have excellent numbers against Cortes in the past.
The Sox are batting .316 as a team, and there are over 79 plate appearances against him, so they should have the upper hand in the early innings. I like the fact we are getting a low price on the Sox being tied or greater through 5 innings, and I think it is feasible to believe their offense can get off to a hot start against Cortes.
Cortes, oddly enough, has an ERA over 5.00 in 2024 during innings 1 and 3-5. With that said, the Sox could get off to a fast start, and that may be enough for them to hold on for at least a tie through 5 innings.
Pick: Boston Red Sox +0.5 F5 -106
John Feltman is a college football and college basketball writer for The Action Network. He is also a middle school ELA teacher, plaguing his students' minds with the world of sports. He often uses his free periods at school to write and handicap the week's games. Feltman is also a movie junkie, reader and poker player, but most of all, he is a Dallas Cowboys fan. He has not missed a televised game since he was 10 years old.
Follow John Feltman @johnfeltmanli on Twitter/X.
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