Want even more betting news? Sign up for VSiN's free daily newsletter . Listen Live to VSiN's sports betting shows

Want even more betting news? Sign up for VSiN's free daily newsletter . Listen Live to VSiN's sports betting shows

It’s the most important baseball series for weeks: The Yankees visit the Red Sox on Thursday night to start a four-game battle that will loom large over the pennant race even though August has just begun.

After this, no heads-up meetings until mid-September — three at the Stadium Sept. 18-20 and three more at Fenway to close the season Sept. 28-30 (when playoff seeds could already be locked in).

If the Yankees can’t close ground this weekend by winning at least three out of four, they’ll need a lot of help from other Boston opponents.

Interesting that the Yankees need to have a big weekend on the road. That’s a category that has really separated these two teams.

No shame in 30-22. But it’s only fourth-best in the American League right now (behind Boston, Houston, and Oakland). You can see the Yankees would be five games back if all that mattered were road games. Both teams dominate at home. Boston has the best record in baseball because it dominates everywhere.

Be aware that many professional wagerers give a lot of handicapping respect to road records in all sports. They’re a proven indicator for quality and versatility. Some teams are “built” for their home stadiums in baseball, or take advantage of various home-field or home-court edges in football and basketball. That type of team often will be exposed as a pretender versus quality in the postseason. Teams that consistently win on the road are passing tests that matter.

Will the Yankees pass this test?

No reason for optimism there given the step up in class this weekend. The Yankees will have to lift their level of road play to take three of four and make a dent in their divisional deficit.

2018 road records

Red Sox: 37-19

Yankees: 30-22

Recent Yankees’ road series

1-2 at Tampa Bay

2-2 at Cleveland

2-2 at Baltimore