Rafael Devers and the surging Boston Red Sox will make a road trip to Houston to face the Astros at Minute Maid Park. ATTSN Southwest will televise this AL showdown and the action gets going at 8:10 p.m. ET.
Boston Red Sox vs. Houston Astros Odds
Boston (-135) is favored over Houston (+125) and oddsmakers have set the Over/Under for this night game at 8.5 runs (-110 for the over and -110 for the under). There’s a runline of Red Sox -1.5 (+110) and Astros +1.5 (-130) for this matchup.
The Red Sox are 27-23 SU and are 19-30 against the spread (ATS). They’ve lost 10.7 units for moneyline gamblers and 13.3 units ATS. Boston’s covered the spread only once over its last seven games and the over has hit in four of those seven. The Astros, on the other hand, are 33-18 SU and 29-21 ATS. The team has gained 4.8 units for bettors taking the moneyline and 6.7 units ATS. Houston has covered the spread six times in its last seven games and the under has cashed in six of those seven.
Houston games have an over/under record of 22-27-1 so far in 2019. Boston has been a decent over bet with a total record of 29-19-1.
Chris Sale will get the nod for Boston. The southpaw Sale is 1-5 with a 4.31 ERA and 83 strikeouts. He’s 0-0 with 10 strikeouts and a 5.06 ERA against Houston this year.
The Astros are putting the ball in the hands of lefty Wade Miley (4-2, 3.51 ERA), who has 37 punchouts and 13 walks as well as a 1.17 WHIP. Miley is 0-0 with two strikeouts and a 3.60 ERA in one start against Boston this year.
Boston’s pitching staff allowed 4.7 runs per game and its starters own a 4.73 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 9.57 K/9. The bullpen has an ERA of 3.76, along with a K/9 of 10.49.
The Red Sox offense has slashed .258/.345/.436 on its way to 5.3 runs scored per game in 2019, including 5.8 runs per game over the team’s last 10 games and 6.6 per game over the team’s last five contests (4-1 SU).
Boston’s offensive production has been led by third baseman Rafael Devers and outfielder Mookie Betts. Devers is hitting .317/.384/.481 with six home runs, 29 RBIs, 35 runs and six stolen bases. Betts (.289/.405/.487) has produced eight homers, 25 RBIs, 42 runs and five steals.
In the home-team dugout, Houston’s pitching staff has allowed 3.5 runs per game overall in 2019. Its starting pitching staff has an ERA of 3.83, a WHIP of 1.05 and a strikeouts-per-nine of 10.0. The bullpen has a solid ERA of just 2.64, a WHIP of 1.02 and a K/9 of 9.7.
The Houston offense is putting up 5.3 runs per outing, including 4.9 per game over its last 10 games and 3.0 per game over its last five. The team has hit .242/.339/.396 over its last five games and is 2-3 SU during that stretch.
Outfielders Michael Brantley and George Springer have led the charge for the Astros’ offense this year. Brantley is slashing .328/.374/.554 with 10 home runs, 34 RBIs and 29 runs scored, and Springer’s line is .313/.396/.654 with 17 homers, 42 RBIs and 41 runs.
The Red Sox have lost 7.6 units and are 3-10 ATS when facing a lefty starter this season. The over has hit in eight of those games, compared to five that’ve gone under in such games. On the other hand, the Astros have netted 3.0 units and are 9-5 ATS when facing a left-handed starting pitcher. The over’s hit in five of those games, as opposed to nine which went under the total.
Red Sox vs. Astros Prediction
Predictions: SU Winner – Red Sox, ATS Winner – Red Sox, O/U – OVER
Betting Trends
- Boston has recorded 22 extra-base hits over its last five contests. Houston has 13 XBH over its last five.
- The Red Sox have won four of their last five games SU.
- Houston has posted 22.5 Runs + Hits + Errors per game over its last 10 contests and 17.4 over its last five.
- The Red Sox have hit 19 home runs in their last 10 games, including 12 over their last five.
- The Red Sox have an OPS of .781 this season, including an OPS of .755 against left-handed pitchers. The Astros’ OPS sits at .855 overall and .923 against lefties.
