Yankees vs. Phillies prediction: MLB odds, pick, best bet for Friday

What have we learned about the Yankees in the near two months without Aaron Judge?Ben Rice is a good baseball player, but even more so, the pitching staff can weather any storm.If not for steady pitching, the Yankees could have cratered out of the AL East race through their deep hitting slump in early summer.

They lead MLB with a 3.42 ERA heading into this weekend’s series at Citizen’s Bank Park.After making a surprise relief appearance Wednesday, Will Warren (7-4, 4.03 ERA) will rejoin the rotation with 12 days since his last start.Although the right-handed sophomore is susceptible to a clunker here and there, he’s made the most of being the “next man up” as a dependable rotation piece, showing improved command and a strong strikeout-to-walk ratio.Besides, the bullpen has provided a stabilized bridge into late innings with several high-leverage options such as Fernando Cruz, David Bednar and Camilo Doval that have helped produce a second-best 3.08 ERA.There’s no need to sell Jesús Luzardo’s (9-4, 3.43 ERA) upside.

The Phillies southpaw’s high-velocity repertoire has produced eye-popping swing-and-miss stuff, sitting within the top eight percent in Statcast’s strikeout percentage.Philadelphia’s Luzardo is rolling with a 1.49 ERA in his past seven starts — six of which he cleared his strikeout prop.The Phillies’ renaissance since starting the year 9-19 and firing their manager can certainly be attributed to the veteran bats finding their rhythm.

But this pitching staff has been unheralded, boasting the second-lowest xERA in the game. You simply can’t trust this mercurial Yankees lineup any night while Philadelphia relies heavily on sudden scoring bursts.THE PLAY: Under 8.5 Runs (-110, FanDuel)Sean Treppedi handicaps the NFL, NHL, MLB and college football for the New York Post.He primarily focuses on picks that reflect market value while tracking trends to mitigate risk....