MLB Game 3: Boston Red Sox vs New York Yankees Betting Preview, Predictions & Picks

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Paxton: Boston Red Sox vs New York Yankees predictionsNo team has been hotter this season than the New York Yankees, who will look for their seventh win of the season today (7:08pm ET Sunday on ESPN), as they wrap up their first series of the year against longtime rival, the Boston Red Sox.

Few things are recognized in the world of sports more than the centuries’ old rivalry of the Yankees and Red Sox. The teams first met in 1901 and have played a grand total of 2,273 games in that span. With the divisional opponents playing each other so frequently, the Yankees/Red Sox rivalry is punctuated with several key moments. The biggest of those was Boston selling the rights to star player Babe Ruth to New York. The teams have met in four separate postseason series including in 2004, when the Red Sox began the first team in MLB history to come back from being down 0-3 in order to win a series. That same year, Boston won the World Series, ending their 86-year-drought, a period that had been referred to as “the Curse of the Bambino,” which was seemingly brought on by the loss of Ruth.

Even when the games haven’t been particularly competitive, the rivalry between Boston and New York is one that almost always is on national television. Tonight’s game is no exception as it will receive the Sunday Night Baseball billing on ESPN.

First USAbetting will recap the games so far and give today’s Game 3 preview. Then we will end with our Boston Red Sox vs New York Yankees predictions against the betting lines of the leading and recommended stateside bookies.

Game One Recap: NYY 5 BOS 1

The dominance of the New York Yankees has been on display all season long and such was the case when the team returned to play against the Red Sox. Originally slated for their home opener against the Philadelphia Phillies, circumstances outside of either team’s control led to those games being postponed, leading to the Yankees playing a series against the Baltimore Orioles before finally have their home opener.

Fittingly, that opener came against the Red Sox. Game one kicked off on Friday, where the Yankees picked up their fifth win of the year. After the Red Sox scored first to begin the third inning, the Yankees rattled off five unanswered runs, scoring in the third, fourth and eighth innings. New York had three home runs, one a piece from Aaron Judge, who scored his third of the season, and Brett Gardner and Gio Urshela, who both had their first.

Game Two Recap: NYY 5 BOS 2

The Yankees continued their scoring outbursts in game two as the team picked up right where they left off the night prior. Opening the game with five unanswered runs (one in the first followed by four in the second), the Yankees got off to a lead that would last the game. The Red Sox did score two runs but it wasn’t enough. While both teams put several runs on the board, all of the scoring occurred by the third inning. After that, pitching took over as both teams found success on the mound after the opening scoring burst. For both teams, it was a bullpen game as the starters didn’t make it out of the third inning.

Game Three Probable Pitchers: (NYY) James Paxton vs (BOS) Austin Brice

Another bullpen game could be in the works here, especially for the Red Sox, as they will turn to Austin Brice to start the game in what will be the first start in his career. The righty will be opposed by New York’s lefty James Paxton, who is looking to rebound after a brutal start against the Washington Nationals that led to the Yankees’ only loss on the season thus far, a 9-2 defeat. This game could go either way as both Paxton and Brice are vulnerable to giving up hits.

Brice has made 110 appearances from the mound in his career, but never has he started a game until today. It’s a curious decision from Boston, but such is the case for a team that has a desperate and clear weakness when it comes to the starting pitching staff. Brice pitched once prior in Yankee Stadium and recorded a scoreless inning. He shouldn’t be expected to go long as Boston will turn to its pen and hope for the best.

Paxton may be the lone player on the Yankees who is subpar at the moment. That doesn’t mean he can’t turn it around. His first start of the season was also his first after back surgery in the offseason, something that could take some adjusting to. In his career, the 31-year-old has been a solid arm and just last year, put in one of his best career outings finishing the season with a 15-6 record and 3.82 ERA. The Yankees won’t need Paxton to be great, as their offense is more than capable of outscoring the runs he may give up. That said, if he does pitch well, it could be a long night for Boston.

Our Preview’s Boston Red Sox vs New York Yankees Predictions for Game 3 with Betting Picks

One of the things to consider here is the element of the sweep. In MLB’s first series of games this year, there wasn’t a team who won them all. That was a historical rarity and one that very well won’t be repeated that often this year as teams begin to get back in the groove.

However, for the Yankees and Red Sox, sweeps are almost as rare. That being said, this year’s Yankees team is as good as advertised. Tied with the LA Dodgers as favorites to win the World Series at the beginning of the year, New York has benefitted from the time off as it has allowed all of their players to get healthy. That has been on full display as the Yankees are baseball’s best team thus far. Look for them to continue that stretch and their recent winning streak as they defeat the Red Sox yet another time in game three of this first series. These are the Boston Red Sox vs New York Yankees predictions for this Game 3 preview: