Boston Red Sox vs Detroit Tigers Preview
Both the Tigers and Red Sox head into Saturday’s matchup with a record of 29-29, and the money line odds have the Tigers as the slight favorite, with their line sitting at -117 compared to the Red Sox at -102. This one is being played at Fenway Park in Boston, and the forecast calls for clear skies and temperatures in the low 70s.
First pitch for Saturday’s matchup is set for 4:10 PM ET, and the game will be televised on BSDET. Cooper Criswell is starting for the Red Sox, while the Tigers are starting Reese Olson. Detroit is in 4th place in the AL Central, while the Red Sox are 3rd in the AL East.
Check out BetCoco for Boston Red Sox – Detroit Tigers odds
Boston Red Sox Trends and Key Stats
- The Tigers are 1-4 across their last five road games. They have gone 1-4 vs. the runline.
- On the other side, the Red Sox have gone 3-2 (SU) and 3-2 in their previous five home contests.
- In the past ten games, when playing as the favorite, the Tigers have a record of 4-6, while as the underdog, they have a record of 5-5.
- 4-6 is the record of the Red Sox as the favorite, while their record as the underdog stands at 4-6.
Boston picked up a 7-3 win over the Tigers in the most recent game of this series. The Red Sox had a huge 4th inning, scoring four of their seven runs. As for the Tigers, they scored their only three runs in the 8th. Heading into the game, the Red Sox were favored at -170 on the money line.
Tanner Houck started for the Red Sox and picked up the win, going seven innings and giving up just one run. He finished the game with six strikeouts but issued two walks. Kenta Maeda got the start for the Tigers and took the loss, going just 4 2/3 innings and giving up five earned runs.
At the plate, Ceddanne Rafaela and David Hamilton each homered for the Red Sox. Rafaela, Dominic Smith, and Connor Wong each had two hits and two RBIs. For the Tigers, Colt Keith hit a home run and drove in two runs.
Boston Red Sox vs Detroit Tigers Prediction
Detroit is 28-29 overall this season, and they are 10.0 games behind the Guardians for the AL Central lead. So far, they have gone 10-9 against other AL Central teams. The Tigers will be on the road today, taking on the Red Sox, and they are 14-14 on the road this season.
The Tigers have been good as the favorite this year, going 14-12, and they are 4-2 as the favorite on the road. Detroit has also been good as the road favorite overall, going 14-12. They have an overall series record of 8-7-3 this year.
The Tigers have a run line record of 25-32 this season, with a run line record of 16-12 on the road. They have an average run margin of 0.0 runs per game this season, with an average run margin of 0.6 runs per game on the road. They have a run line record of 19-12 as an underdog this season.
The Detroit Tigers are on the road against the Boston Red Sox today. The over/under line for the game is set at 8.5 runs, which matches the teams’ combined run average this season. The Tigers’ over/under record for the season is 31-24, and their average over/under line is set at 8 runs. When the line is set at 8.5 runs, their record is 5-7. This season, only 10.5% of their games have had over/under lines set at 8.5 runs or higher, with the majority of their games having lower lines.
Detroit is sending right-hander Reese Olson to the mound today vs. the Red Sox. So far this season, he has made 10 starts and has a record of 1-5 with an ERA of 1.92. Coming into the game, Olsen’s WHIP is 1.05, and he has turned in five quality starts. In his most recent outing, Olsen picked up the win, going 6 1/3 innings and giving up just one earned run. Before that, he had given up at least one homer in three straight outings. Olsen has been much better at home, with an ERA of 0.68 compared to 3.49 on the road.
Over the past six games, Matt Vierling has been on fire for the Tigers, going 10/24 with four homers and eight runs scored. Vierling also has 10 RBIs during this stretch. Vierling is currently on a five-game hitting streak. Overall, he is batting .239 with 10 homers, which is the best mark on the team.
As a team, the Tigers are 17th in scoring at 4.3 runs per game. They are also batting a collective .234, which is 14th in the league. Detroit’s team on-base percentage of .303 is 19th in the league. Currently, they are 16th in home runs and have the 17th slugging percentage in the MLB.
Boston is at an even 29-29 overall, and they are 10.5 games behind the Yankees in the AL East. The Red Sox are 5-8 in divisional games this year. The Red Sox will be at home today, where they are 12-16 this year. On the road, Boston has gone 17-13.
So far, the Red Sox have been the favorite in 27 of their games, going 15-12 in those matchups. As the underdog, Boston is 14-17 this year. The Red Sox have dropped two straight series and are 8-9-1 in series this year. They are also 2-2-1 in series at home.
When betting the run line, the Red Sox have been a better bet on the road, going 18-12, compared to 8-20 at home. They have an average run margin of +1.3 on the road and -0.6 at home. As the favorite, they are just 8-19 against the run line, while they are 18-13 as the underdog.
The Boston Red Sox are playing at home against the Detroit Tigers today, and the over/under line is set at 8.5 runs. The Red Sox and their opponents have averaged 8.3 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 22-31. When the over/under line is set at 8.5 runs, their record is 10-10. So far this season, 20.7% of their games have had over/under lines set at 8.5 runs, with 44.8% of their games having lower lines.
Right-hander Cooper Criswell gets the start for the Red Sox today as he faces the Tigers at home. Criswell has made eight starts this year and has a record of 2-2 with an ERA of 4.19. His WHIP for the season is currently 1.22. In his last outing, Criswell took the loss, giving up seven earned runs in four innings of work to the Orioles. Before that, he had put together three straight starts without taking the loss. Criswell has allowed at least one home run in four of his last five outings.
Heading into today’s game, the Red Sox offense is averaging 4.3 runs per game, which is 14th in the league. They have been a better offensive team on the road this season, averaging 4.8 runs per contest. As a team, the Red Sox are batting .242, which is 9th in the league, and have the 9th ranked slugging percentage in the league.
Ceddanne Rafaela has been the Red Sox’s best power hitter this season, as his seven home runs are 3rd in the league, and he is also 14th in the MLB with 33 RBIs. Rafael Devers has also been a key power source for the Red Sox, as his 10 homers is 2nd on the team and 9th in the league. Devers is also 2nd on the team with 26 RBIs.
With the Red Sox at -102 on the money line, that is the direction we recommend going for this one. We actually have the Red Sox winning this one by a score of 5-4, so there is a little bit of value in the over if you think the Red Sox will win.
Looking at the starting pitcher projections, Cooper Criswell is predicted to finish with six strikeouts, which is good for seventh among starters. As for Reese Olson, he is projected to finish with six K’s, which is good for sixth. If you’re looking for a parlay, you could take the Red Sox on the money line and look for Criswell to finish with six strikeouts.
Boston Red Sox vs Detroit Tigers Betting Tips
- Take the Tigers on the moneyline
- The Red Sox are also our pick on the run line at +1.5
- Projecting a combined 9 runs, we like the over
Boston Red Sox Injury Report
| Player | Status | Injury |
|---|---|---|
| Liam Hendriks | Out | Elbow |
| Trevor Story | Out | Shoulder |
| Tyler O’Neill | Out | Knee |
| Lucas Giolito | Out | Elbow |
| Bryan Mata | Out | Lat |
| Triston Casas | Out | Ribs |
| Garrett Whitlock | Out | Oblique |
| Isaiah Campbell | Out | Shoulder |
| Chris Murphy | Out | Elbow |
| Masataka Yoshida | Out | Thumb |
Detroit Tigers Injury Report
| Player | Status | Injury |
|---|---|---|
| Shelby Miller | Out | Forearm |
| Mark Canha | Questionable | Hip |
| Kerry Carpenter | Out | Back |
| Sawyer Gipson-Long | Out | Elbow |
