The Red Sox, favored over the Yankees in the AL Wild Card Game 1, boast a 9-4 season record vs. New York and strong pitching matchups.

The Boston Red Sox are favored over the Yankees in the AL Wild Card Game 1 despite being underdogs, backed by a 9-4 regular-season record against New York, including a 5-2 mark on the road. Key pitching matchups favor Boston, with Garrett Crochet (3-0 vs. Yankees, 39 Ks in 27.1 IP) facing Max Fried (5.20 postseason ERA), and Brayan Bello (1.44 ERA at Yankee Stadium) opposing Carlos Rodon (6.64 playoff ERA). Aaron Judge’s poor postseason history against Red Sox starters suggests he’ll finish below .278. With strong recent performance and favorable odds at FanDuel, Boston is seen as a smart bet to win Game 1 and the series.