Houston Astros vs Boston Red Sox Preview
Wednesday’s Red Sox vs. Astros game has a first pitch of 2:10 PM ET from Minute Maid Park in Houston. The Astros are the betting favorite, with their money line odds sitting at -150, while the Red Sox have a line of +127. The over/under line is currently at 8.5 runs.
Justin Verlander will be starting for the Astros, while the Red Sox are sending Cooper Criswell to the mound. Boston is 3rd in the AL East with a record of 66-59, while the Astros are 1st in the AL West at 68-57.
Check out BetCoco for Houston Astros – Boston Red Sox odds
Houston Astros vs. Boston Red Sox Trends and Key Stats
- The Red Sox are 3-2 across their last five road games. They have gone 3-2 vs. the runline.
- On the opposing side, the Astros have a 5-0 (SU) record, along with a 2-3 record in their last five home contests.
- As the favorite, the Astros are 9-1 over their last ten games, including going 5-5 vs. the runline.
- Over their previous ten games as the underdog, the Red Sox have a straight-up record of 4-6 and a 6-4 record vs. the runline.
Boston rallied for three runs in the 8th inning in the most recent game of this Red Sox vs Astros series. The Red Sox scored three runs in the 1st inning but didn’t score another run until putting up three in the top of the 8th, picking up a 6-5 win. Heading into the game, the Red Sox were at -108 on the money line.
Nick Pivetta started for the Red Sox, going just five innings while giving up five runs and striking out two. Zack Kelly got the win out of the bullpen, and Kenley Jansen got the save. Ronel Blanco only went 3 2/3 innings for the Astros, giving up five runs on six hits.
Jarren Duran was the difference for the Red Sox, as he went 4/4 with a home run and scored three times. Triston Casas also homered for Boston, going 2/3 with three RBIs. Yainer Diaz hit a home run for the Astros, going 2/4.
Houston Astros vs Boston Red Sox Prediction
Boston is on the road today vs. the Astros, and they are seven games out of the AL East lead. So far, they are 16-15 against other AL East teams. The Red Sox are 66-59 overall, and they are currently 3rd in the division standings.
The Red Sox have gone 5-5 across their last ten games and are 29-32 at home this year. On the road, Boston has gone 37-27. As the underdog, the Red Sox are 32-34 this year and 34-25 when favored. Their overall series record is 20-14-6 this year.
When it comes to the run line, the Red Sox have been a better bet on the road than at home this season. They are 37-27 vs. the run line on the road, compared to 22-39 at Fenway Park. Boston has covered the run line in two straight road games and is 38-28 as the underdog this season.
The Red Sox are on the road today against the Astros, with the over/under line set at 8.5 runs. Boston has a combined run average of 9.8 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 66-52. The average over/under line in their games is 9 runs, and their over/under record when the line is set at 8.5 runs is 23-13. The over has hit in 49 of their games this season, which accounts for 39.2% of their games. Their over streak is currently at 2 games.
Right-hander Cooper Criswell is getting the start for the Red Sox today as he faces the Astros on the road. This year, he has made 13 starts and one of them was a quality start. Criswell’s record for the season is 5-4, and he most recently pitched on August 16th out of the bullpen. In that outing, he picked up the win, going 3 1/3 innings and giving up six hits, one earned run, and a homer. Looking back over his last three outings, Criswell has finished with a no-decision in each one. He has a WHIP of 1.36 and an ERA of 4.56.
So far this season, the Red Sox have been one of the best offensive teams in the league, as they are 4th in scoring at 5 runs per game. They have been even better on the road, averaging 5.2 runs per contest. Overall, they are 5th in home runs and have the league’s 2nd best team batting average. One of the reasons for their strong offensive numbers is that they have the league’s best team BABIP.
Jarren Duran has been swinging a hot bat of late, going 9/27 over his last six games with three homers and six RBIs. For the season, he is batting .293 with 17 homers. Rafael Devers is also a big power threat in the lineup, as he is 10th in the league with 27 homers and is batting .297 for the year. Devers also comes into the game on a five-game hitting streak.
Houston is hosting the Red Sox today with an overall record of 68-57, good for 1st place in the AL West. The Astros hold a 5.0 game lead over the Mariners for the division lead. So far, they have gone 21-18 in divisional games. The Astros have won four straight series, and their overall series record is 23-16-1 this year.
The Astros have been playing well lately, going 8-2 across their last ten games. At home, they are 35-28 compared to 33-29 on the road. As the favorite, the Astros are 52-41 this year, and they are an even 16-16 as the underdog.
The Astros have a run differential of +0.6 runs per game this season, and their run line record is 63-62. They have been a better bet on the run line on the road than at home, going 34-28 away from Minute Maid Park. They have been a better bet on the run line as the underdog, going 21-11.
When the Astros play at home, the over/under line is set at 8.5 runs, and their games have averaged 8.6 runs per game this season. Overall, the over/under record for Houston games is 50-71, and when the line is set at 8.5 runs, the record is 16-24. The over has hit in two straight games for the Astros.
Right-hander Justin Verlander gets the start for the Astros today as he faces the Red Sox at home. He has made 10 starts this season and has a record of 3-2 with an ERA of 3.95. Verlander’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.21. Looking back at his last three outings, he has finished with a no-decision in each one. In his most recent outing, he gave up four earned runs in five innings of work. Against the Red Sox, Verlander will look to get back on track and turn in a better outing. So far, he has made five quality starts and is averaging 8.05 strikeouts per nine innings.
Yordan Alvarez has been a big power threat for the Astros this season, as his 25 homers are the most on the team and 12th most in the league. Alvarez is also 2nd on the team in batting average at .308. Catcher Yainer Diaz has also been a big run producer for the Astros, as his 71 RBIs are the best mark on the team. Diaz is also 4th on the team with 15 homers and is batting .301 for the season.
Over his last nine games, Jeremy Peña is hitting .382 with three homers, and Yainer Diaz has also been swinging a hot bat, going 12/39 with four homers in this stretch. Diaz also has a 10 RBIs in his last nine games. Jose Altuve is on a five-game hitting streak and is batting .300 for the season.
Our prediction for today’s Red Sox vs. Astros game is that the Astros will pick up a 6-5 win at home. Given that they are at -150 on the money line, this is the way we would recommend playing this one.
Looking at the starting pitchers, our projections have Justin Verlander finishing with seven strikeouts compared to Cooper Criswell with six. If you’re looking for a parlay, you could look to the over/under line, where the line is sitting at 8.5 runs, and we have this one finishing with a combined 11 runs.
Houston Astros vs Boston Red Sox Betting Tips
- Take the Astros on the moneyline
- On the run line we like the Red Sox (+1.5)
- Projecting a combined 11 runs, we like the over
Houston Astros Injury Report
| Player | Status | Injury |
|---|---|---|
| Justin Verlander | Out | Neck |
| Ryan Pressly | Out | Back |
| Kendall Graveman | Out | Shoulder |
| Lance McCullers Jr. | Out | Forearm |
| Alex Bregman | Questionable | Elbow |
| Kyle Tucker | Out | Shin |
| Cristian Javier | Out | Elbow |
| Luis Garcia | Out | Elbow |
| Bennett Sousa | Out | Shoulder |
| José Urquidy | Out | Elbow |
| Penn Murfee | Out | Elbow |
| Oliver Ortega | Out | Elbow |
| J.P. France | Out | Undisclosed |
Boston Red Sox Injury Report
| Player | Status | Injury |
|---|---|---|
| James Paxton | Out | Calf |
| Liam Hendriks | Out | Elbow |
| Trevor Story | Out | Shoulder |
| Lucas Giolito | Out | Elbow |
| Bryan Mata | Out | Lat |
| Garrett Whitlock | Out | Elbow |
| Justin Slaten | Out | Elbow |
| Chris Murphy | Out | Elbow |
| Cam Booser | Out | Elbow |
