Cincinnati Reds vs Boston Red Sox Preview
From Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, we have the Red Sox and Reds facing off in an interleague matchup. First pitch for Friday’s matchup is set for 7:10 PM ET. BSOH is carrying the game on TV.
The forecast for Friday’s matchup calls for temperatures in the mid-90s and partly cloudy skies. The over/under line is currently at 9 runs, and the Red Sox are favored on the money line (-107). Cincinnati will be looking to win and move above .500, as they are 35-39, while the Red Sox are 3rd in the AL East with a record of 40-35.
Check out BetCoco for Cincinnati Reds – Boston Red Sox odds
Cincinnati Reds Trends and Key Stats
- Over the course of their previous five away games, the Red Sox have recorded a 4-1 record, with a 3-2 performance on the runline.
- In the Reds’ five most recent home games, their record stands at 1-4 (SU) with 2-3 against the spread.
- In their previous ten games, Red Sox have won 5-5 as favorites and 7-3 as underdogs.
- The Reds hold a 8-2 record as the favorite and a 3-7 record as the underdog.
Cincinnati Reds vs Boston Red Sox Prediction
The Red Sox’s offense was hot right out of the gates in their most recent game vs. the Blue Jays, closing out their series with a 7-3 win. After allowing three runs to the Blue Jays in the 4th inning, the Red Sox responded with two runs of their own. Boston went on to add another two runs in the 6th inning.
Brayan Bello put together a good start for the Red Sox, going six innings and giving up just two earned runs, and picking up the win. He also issued only two walks and struck out six Blue Jays batters. Jarren Duran was hot at the plate, going 2/5 with a homer and two RBIs.
Boston is on a five-game winning streak, and they are 40-35 overall this season. The Red Sox will be on the road today, taking on the Reds. In the AL East, they are 10 games behind the Yankees and are 3rd in the division standings.
The Red Sox have an overall series record of 11-9-4 this season, and they have won three straight series. As the road favorite, Boston is 9-2 this year, and they have won four straight on the road. At home, the Red Sox are 18-20 this season.
The Red Sox have been a solid bet on the run line overall this season, going 36-39, but they have been much better on the road, where they are 22-15. They have a run differential of +1.4 runs per game away from Fenway Park, compared to -0.2 runs per game at home. They have been a better bet as the underdog, going 24-17 on the run line, compared to 12-22 as the favorite. Their average run differential in wins is +4.4 runs per game, while it is -3.7 runs per game in losses.
When the Red Sox are on the road this season, the over/under line has been set at 9 runs for their games. Their games have averaged 8.7 runs per game, and their over/under record is 34-36. The average line for their games is 8 runs, and when the line has been set at 9 runs, their over/under record is 5-1-2. Only 13.3% of their games have had over/under lines set at 9 runs or higher.
Red Sox starter Kutter Crawford will be looking to build off his last outing, where he picked up the win vs. the Yankees. In that June 16th outing, he went 6 innings, giving up 3 earned runs, and 1 homer. Looking at his overall numbers, Crawford has made 15 starts, and his record for the season is 3-6. The right-hander’s ERA is 3.54, along with a WHIP of 1.15. Opposing batters are hitting .223 this season off Crawford. He has made seven quality starts this year and is averaging 9.17 strikeouts per nine innings.
The Red Sox come into today’s game as one of the top offensive teams in the league, averaging 4.7 runs per game, which is 9th in the majors. They have been even better on the road, averaging 5 runs per contest. As a team, the Red Sox are batting .254, which is the 4th best mark in the league, and they also have the top BABIP in the league. Boston has been good at avoiding strikeouts this season, as they are 28th in the league in strikeouts per game.
Center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela and left fielder Tyler O’Neill have been swinging the bat well for the Red Sox of late. Rafaela is 11/15 in his last four games with a home run, and O’Neill has also been hot, going 6/17 in his last four games with three homers. O’Neill is 9th in the league this season with 15 home runs, while Rafaela is 3rd on the team with eight homers.
Cincinnati will be looking to get back on track after closing out their series vs. the Pirates with a 1-0 loss. The Reds were the +110 underdog on the road going into this matchup. Things started off well for the Reds, as Hunter Greene got the start and didn’t give up a run. He also issued just two walks and struck out nine Pirates. However, the Reds’ offense couldn’t score a run, and Cincinnati lost the game 1-0.
Nick Martinez took the loss out of the bullpen for the Reds. He only pitched 1/3 of an inning, but the Pirates scored the game’s only run off him. The Reds also wasted a good start from Greene, who went 6 1/3 innings, and didnp0t give up a run. He was pulled from the game after throwing 92 pitches.
Cincinnati is 5th in the NL Central, trailing the Brewers by 8.5 games. Overall, the Reds are 35-39 as they get set to host the Red Sox today. They are 9-10 against other teams in the NL Central. The Reds dropped two of three in their most recent series vs. the Pirates.
At home, the Reds are 18-19 this season compared to 17-20 on the road. As the underdog, the Reds are 16-26 this season, and they are 19-13 as the favorite. Cincinnati’s overall series record is 8-14-2, and they have lost two straight series.
When betting the run line in Cincinnati Reds games, it has been more profitable to take the underdog. The Reds are 24-18 against the run line as the underdog, compared to 15-17 as the favorite. Their overall run line record is 39-35, with an average run margin of 0.1 runs per game. The Reds are 24-13 against the run line on the road, where they have a scoring margin of 0.5 runs per game.
The Reds have had a high over/under line of 9 runs in 29.7% of their games this season, but they have gone under that total in 50% of their games. Their games have averaged 8.2 runs per game, and they have gone under the total in five straight games.
Left-hander Andrew Abbott gets the start for the Reds today as he faces the Red Sox at home. He has made 14 starts this season and has a record of 5-6 with a 3.42 ERA. Looking at his overall numbers, Abbott has a WHIP of 1.20 and has issued just 2.85 walks per nine innings compared to 6.84 strikeouts. Abbott’s last outing came on June 15th, where he took the loss, giving up three earned runs in five innings of work. Before that, he had won two straight starts.
Elly De La Cruz and Jeimer Candelario come into the game tied for the team lead in home runs, with 12 apiece, which is 12th best in the league. Candelario is also 2nd on the team in RBIs, while Spencer Steer is the team’s top run producer, with 43 RBIs. Candelario has been hot of late, going 12/37 in his last 10 games, with four homers and 10 RBIs. For the season, Candelario is batting .251, while De La Cruz is hitting .236.
As a team, the Reds are averaging 4.2 runs per game, which is 19th in the league. Their team batting average of .225 is 20th in the league, and they are also near the bottom of the league in on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and OPS. Currently, they are batting a collective .28 on balls in play, which is 19th in the league.
Our pick for today’s Red Sox vs. Reds matchup is to take the Reds on the money line, with the payout currently sitting at -113. We actually have the Reds winning this one by a score of 6-5, and with the over/under at 9 runs, there isn’t a lot of wiggle room for a prediction.
Looking at today’s starters, we have Andrew Abbott finishing with six strikeouts, which would have him as the ninth highest among today’s starters. As for Kutter Crawford, we have him finishing with five K’s, which would have him at 18th.
Cincinnati Reds vs Boston Red Sox Betting Tips
- Take the Red Sox on the moneyline
- The Reds are also our pick on the run line at +1.5
- Projecting a combined 11 runs, we like the over
Cincinnati Reds Injury Report
| Player | Status | Injury |
|---|---|---|
| Emilio Pagán | Out | Lat |
| TJ Friedl | Questionable | Hamstring |
| Ian Gibaut | Out | Forearm |
| Matt McLain | Out | Shoulder |
| Noelvi Marte | Out | Suspension |
| Brandon Williamson | Out | Shoulder |
| Tejay Antone | Out | Elbow |
| Christian Encarnacion-Strand | Out | Wrist |
Boston Red Sox Injury Report
| Player | Status | Injury |
|---|---|---|
| Liam Hendriks | Out | Elbow |
| Trevor Story | Out | Shoulder |
| Lucas Giolito | Out | Elbow |
| Bryan Mata | Out | Lat |
| Triston Casas | Out | Ribs |
| Garrett Whitlock | Out | Elbow |
| Vaughn Grissom | Out | Hamstring |
| Chris Murphy | Out | Elbow |
| Wilyer Abreu | Out | Ankle |
