The Boston Red Sox (19-17) travel to face off against the Atlanta Braves (21-12) on Wednesday, May 8th. This game will be played at Truist Park in Atlanta and televised on NESN. The Braves are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Red Sox are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Braves. First pitch is set for 7:20 ET.
Red Sox vs Braves
The most recent game o of this Braves vs Red Sox series came right down to the end, as the Red Sox rallied late but still fell short with the Braves winning 4-2 at home. Heading into the game, the Braves were favored at -188 on the money line.
Atlanta got to Red Sox starter Kutter Crawford, scoring two runs in the first and adding two more in the 3rd. On the other side, the Red Sox got on the board with two runs in the 6th. Both offenses went silent after that, as the Braves picked up the 4-2 win.
Reynaldo Lopez started for the Braves and picked up the win, going 5 1/3 innings and giving up just one run. He finished the game with five strikeouts but issued four walks. Joe Jimenez came out of the bullpen for the win, and Raisel Iglesias got the save.
Boston is 19-17 overall this season, and they are 4.5 games behind the Orioles for the AL East lead. So far, they have yet to win a game vs. another AL East team, going 0-3. The Red Sox are on the road today, and they are 12-8 as the road team compared to 7-9 at home.
As the road underdog, the Red Sox have gone 7-8 this year, and they are 10-12 overall as the underdog. Boston has been good as the favorite, putting together a mark of 9-5. Their overall series record is 6-4-1, and they are 0-1 in this series vs. the Braves. Looking at their recent play, the Red Sox are 5-5 over their last 10 games.
When the Red Sox are on the road, they have been a good bet to cover the run line, going 13-7. Their average run margin in those games is +2.2 runs per game. They have been the favorite in 14 games and the underdog in 22. As the favorite, they are just 5-9 against the run line.
So far this season, the Red Sox have played in 33 games with over/under lines, and the average line has been 8 runs. Their over/under record is 14-19, and their games have averaged 8.0 runs per game. When the line has been set at 9 runs, they have gone 2-1-1, and their games have gone over the line in 11.1% of their games.
Nick Pivetta Gets The Start For The Red Sox
Coming off of a win in his last start, Nick Pivetta will be on the mound for the Red Sox as they take on the Braves. Pivetta has been solid in his first two starts, as he picked up a win in his last outing, going 5 innings and striking out 3. He took the loss in his first start of the season, but still struck out 10 batters in that outing.
Red Sox Offense Breakdown
So far this season, the Red Sox offense has been solid, averaging 4.6 runs per game, which is 14th in the league. They have been a bit better on the road, averaging 4.8 runs per contest. As a team, they are batting .246, which is 11th in the league, and have the 8th most home runs in the league. Boston has been a tough team to strike out this season, but they are just 29th in the league in strikeouts.
Ceddanne Rafaela comes into the game on a six-game hitting streak and has gone 7/25 in his last seven games with a home run. For the season, he is batting just .211. Rafaela’s 20 RBIs are the most on the team and 14th in the league. Triston Casas has also been a good run producer for the Red Sox, and he has six homers this season. Tyler O’Neill has the team’s top batting average at .292 and is on a three-game hitting streak.
The Braves are 21-12 overall this season, and they are 8-4 against other teams in the NL East. Currently, they trail the Phillies by three games in the NL East. Atlanta is playing well at home, going 12-4 this year. They are also above .500 on the road at 9-8.
Atlanta has been the favorite in most of their games this year, as they are 21-10 when favored. As for their two games as the underdog, they have yet to win one. The Braves have won two straight games at home, and their overall series record is 7-3-1. Currently, they are on a two-series losing streak.
When the Braves win, they win big, with an average run margin of 3.6 runs. But when they lose, they lose big, with an average run margin of -3.2 runs. Overall, they have a run line record of 16-17, and they are 7-9 against the run line at home.
Today’s over/under line of 9 runs is right in line with the Braves’ season average, as their games have averaged exactly 9 runs per game. However, their over/under record for the season is just 12-19, and their games have had an average line of 9 runs. When the line has been set at 9 runs, the Braves are just 2-5-1 to the over.
Chris Sale Gets The Start For The Braves
Chris Sale gets the start for the Braves today and comes into the game with a record of 4-1 and an ERA of 3.44. So far, he has made six starts and has turned in two quality starts. Sale has been pitching well at home, coming in with a record of 3-0 and an ERA of 2.84. In comparison, he is 1-1 on the road with a 3.87 ERA. The left-hander has only allowed four home runs this season and is averaging 10.31 strikeouts per nine innings. In his last outing, Sale went five innings, giving up one earned run and picking up the win.
Braves Offense Breakdown
Marcell Ozuna has been one of the league’s top power hitters this season, as his 10 home runs are 2nd in the league and leads the Braves. Overall, he is batting .306 with 34 RBIs, which is also the best mark in the league. However, he has gone just 4/24 in his last seven games. Travis d’Arnaud is also a threat to go deep, as he has five homers this season while batting .262.
Over his last seven games, Austin Riley has gone 8/28 with a home run and four RBIs. Ronald Acuna Jr. has also been swinging the bat well of late, going 9/29 in his last seven games. However, Jarred Kelenic has struggled of late, going just 3/16 in his last six games.
Red Sox vs Braves Prediction
Our prediction for today’s Red Sox and Braves matchup is to take the over, with the line being set at 9 runs. We see the Braves coming out on top by a score of 6-5, giving us a little bit of wiggle room with the over/under line.
Looking at the starting pitchers, Chris Sale is projected to finish with eight strikeouts, and he is our pick to finish with the most strikeouts among all starters today. As for Nick Pivetta, he is projected to finish with five strikeouts.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:May 8, 2024 Braves, Red Sox