The Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees open a day-night doubleheader at Yankee Stadium on Saturday, and the makeup opener carries standings weight. New York leads Boston by three games for the top American League wild-card spot. The Yankees are listed at -123 with the total at 8.5. That is a slim number for a home favorite, and it is built around Carlos Rodón, who has been capped at four innings in each of his two starts off the injured list. Our headline play sides with the road team.
Last Updated: Saturday, August 29, 2026
Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees — Time & How to Watch
| Where | Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York |
| When | Saturday, August 29 – 1:05 p.m. ET (Game 1 of a doubleheader) |
| TV | MLB Network, NESN, YES |
Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees Betting Preview
Rodón starts the opener for New York. He came off an injured-list stay for elbow inflammation in mid-August, and the Yankees have handled him carefully. He worked four innings in his return at Baltimore, then four more against Toronto on August 23, allowing one earned run on 76 pitches. He is 4-2 with a 3.15 ERA. The stuff has played. The workload has not.
Jake Bennett answers for Boston. The rookie left-hander is 8-6 with a 3.49 ERA, but the shape of his season matters more. He carried a 2.35 ERA through his first nine starts. Over his last five he has a 5.67 ERA, with 17 earned runs in 27 innings and eight walks after only five across his first 43 1/3. Boston skipped a turn and gave him nine days between outings, with his career innings high already behind him.
Boston enters at 73-60, New York at 75-58. The Yankees sit four games behind Tampa Bay in the American League East, a race we looked at in our recent Padres vs. Rays preview. Form cuts the other way. Boston has gone 41-14 since June 25, a run that began with a four-game sweep of these Yankees at Fenway Park. New York is also without Aaron Judge, who has not played since May 31 with a right rib stress fracture, and Giancarlo Stanton is out too. Boston was shut out 1-0 on Friday, so both lineups arrive with questions.
Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees Odds
| Run Line | Moneyline | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Sox | +1.5 (-200) | +103 | U 8.5 (-125) |
| Yankees | -1.5 (+170) | -123 | O 8.5 (+105) |
Odds accurate as of Saturday, August 29, 2026 via TheSpread.com. Odds change, get the latest MLB Odds – Futures – Props
Red Sox vs. Yankees Prediction — Does the Bronx Favorite Deserve the Price?
Start with what the number asks. A -123 favorite implies a break-even rate near 55 percent, and the question is whether this version of the Yankees clears that bar. New York has been without its best hitter since the end of May, and Stanton is out too. The group that remains has produced in stretches. Even so, this is a home side carrying a favorite’s tag without its two best bats.
The starter situation compounds that. Rodón is not being asked to work deep, and neither outing since his return reached the fifth. In a doubleheader opener, that hands roughly five innings to a bullpen that still has a nightcap to cover. New York’s late arms are fresh, since David Bednar and Paul Blackburn each worked an inning on Friday. Still, a two-game day stretches any staff.
The other side is real, and it sits with Boston. Bennett has been the more vulnerable starter this month, and the command that carried his first half has slipped. The Red Sox also scored nothing on Friday. Weighing the two, the shortfalls in the Bronx look structural, while Boston’s read more like a cold stretch.
The Pick: Red Sox Moneyline (+103)
Red Sox vs. Yankees Prediction — Will Two Thin Lineups Keep It Quiet?
The total opened at 8.5 and had not moved by Saturday morning. Both lineups have reasons to stay quiet. New York is missing its two most dangerous power sources, and Boston’s bats were blanked in the opener. Rodón has allowed one earned run in each of his two starts back while still missing bats. The back ends of both bullpens are available after light Friday workloads.
The case against is straightforward. Neither starter projects to finish the fifth, which points toward roughly nine relief innings in a ballpark whose right-field porch has always played short. Doubleheaders add an extra arm to each roster, and those innings are rarely a staff’s best. This is the more contested of the two positions, and the price offers no discount.
The Pick: Under 8.5 (-125)
Final Thoughts and Bonus Angle
Watch Rodón’s pitch count. He threw 76 last time out, so the earliest sign of this game turning may be New York’s first call to the bullpen. Watch Bennett’s walk total too, because when his command slips Boston gets pushed into early relief innings. The wild-card math here runs through Toronto, a race we covered in our recent Mariners vs. Blue Jays preview.
There is no third position worth adding. Both plays rest on the same read, that neither starter goes deep and neither lineup is whole, so a third would repeat it. Recap of the plays in this article: Red Sox Moneyline (+103) and Under 8.5 (-125).
MLB Red Sox vs. Yankees FAQ: Saturday August 29, 2026
What time does the Red Sox vs. Yankees game start?
First pitch for the opener is 1:05 p.m. ET on Saturday, August 29, 2026 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. This is game one of a day-night doubleheader, a makeup of a June 6 postponement. The nightcap is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. ET at the same ballpark.
What channel is the Red Sox vs. Yankees game on?
The opener is carried on MLB Network, with NESN handling the Boston broadcast and YES carrying the New York feed. The nightcap moves to FOX later in the day. Availability varies by market, because national and regional rights overlap on doubleheader dates.
Who is pitching for the Yankees today?
Carlos Rodón starts the opener for New York. The left-hander is 4-2 with a 3.15 ERA and returned in mid-August from an injured-list stay for elbow inflammation. He has made two starts since, working four innings in each. Boston counters with rookie left-hander Jake Bennett, who is 8-6 with a 3.49 ERA.
Who won the last meeting between the Red Sox and Yankees?
New York won the series opener 1-0 on Friday, August 28, 2026 at Yankee Stadium. Paul Goldschmidt hit a solo home run in the third for the game’s only run. Cam Schlittler struck out eight over five and two-thirds innings, and David Bednar closed it for his 31st save.
Where do the Red Sox and Yankees stand in the standings?
New York is 75-58 and Boston is 73-60 entering Saturday. The Yankees trail Tampa Bay by four games in the American League East and lead the Red Sox by three for the top wild-card position. Boston has gone 41-14 since June 25.