Yankees vs. Red Sox odds, picks: MLB best bets, predictions Saturday

The Red Sox have endured a disappointing first half of the season, but the one bright spot is that they’ve had their bitter rival’s number.The Sox defeated the Yankees, 2-1, in 10 innings Friday night, giving them their third win in four tries against the Bombers this season. Boston will look to clinch its second series victory over the Yankees in as many tries with a win Saturday night.Carlos Rodon will get the assignment for the Yankees, while Hunter Dobbins will toe the rubber for the Sox.Rodon is the heavyweight in this pitching matchup, but Dobbins has some interesting numbers for bettors to consider.He doesn’t strike out many batters, but Dobbins has done a terrific job of limiting damage with his control and ability to induce ground balls.The 25-year-old has only walked 4.8 percent of the batters he’s faced this season, and he’s got a 45.6 percent ground-ball rate, which has made him effective, although not dominant.Dobbins has pitched to a 4.20 ERA and 1.28 WHIP in 49 ⅓ innings in his rookie campaign, and his underlying stats suggest that those numbers should come down a tick.Rodon can be boom or bust anytime he’s on the hill, but there’s no arguing with his 2.87 ERA and 0.94 WHIP in 84 ⅔ innings this season.If Rodon brings his A-game, he should have every chance of keeping the Red Sox in check.These are two of the best offenses in baseball, but this pitching matchup has every chance of turning into a duel.Rodon has been splendid through the first half, while Dobbins has put together a really solid start to his career.The total looks a touch too high, especially since the weather could be miserable Saturday evening.THE PLAY: Under 8.5 (-115, FanDuel)Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry.He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports....