The Boston Red Sox (65-58) travel to face off against the Houston Astros (67-56) on Monday, August 19th. This game will be played at Minute Maid Park in Houston and televised on None. The Astros 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 Orioles. First pitch is set for 7:10 CT.
Red Sox vs. Astros Betting Prediction
- Money Line Prediction: Astros (-125)
- Over/Under Prediction: Over 8.5 Runs
- Astros have won 9 of their last 10 games.
- Astros have scored an average of 5.6 runs per game over their last 10 games.
- Astros have a home record of 34-27, while the Red Sox have a road record of 36-26.
- Astros have won all three head-to-head games against the Red Sox in their last series, outscoring them 23-10.
- Astros have a league rank of 6th, while the Red Sox are ranked 7th in their respective divisions.
Red Sox vs Astros
The Astros Took The Last Game Of This Series
The Red Sox will be looking to get back on track after closing out their series vs. the Orioles with a 4-2 loss. This was especially tough, as they held a lead going into the 8th inning before the Orioles scored three runs in the bottom of the 8th. Boston was the +106 underdog on the road going into the game.
Kutter Crawford got the start for the Red Sox and took the loss. He only lasted 5 1/3 innings, giving up three earned runs on two homers. Rob Refsnyder had a good day at the plate, going 1/2 with a homer and a run scored. The Red Sox also had three other players with two hits.
For the season, Boston’s games have averaged 9.8 runs, and their over/under record is 64-52. The under has hit in their last two games. As underdogs, they have a 36-28 run line record, but as favorites, they are 21-38 vs. the run line.
Heading into today’s game, the Red Sox are seven games behind the Orioles in the AL East and have a 65-58 overall record. They have yet to face the Astros this season. Boston’s straight-up road record is 36-26, while their home record is 29-32.
Tanner Houck Gets The Start For The Red Sox
Tanner Houck gets the start for the Red Sox today as he faces the Astros on the road. He has made 24 starts this season and has a record of 8-8 with an ERA of 3.01. Houck’s WHIP for the season is 1.15, and he has one complete game shutout to go along with 17 quality starts. In his last outing, Houck went 6 2/3 innings, giving up two earned runs on six hits. He finished with a no-decision in that outing. Before that, he had given up at least three earned runs in three straight starts. Houck has made it through at least six innings in each of his last three outings.
Red Sox Offense Breakdown
So far this season, the Red Sox offense is averaging 5 runs per game, which is 4th in the league. They have been even better on the road, averaging 5.3 runs per contest. Overall, they are 6th in home runs and have the league’s 2nd best batting average. As a team, the Red Sox are also near the top of the league in on-base percentage, slugging, and OPS.
Rafael Devers has been one of the league’s top power hitters this season, as his 27 homers are 10th in the MLB. He also comes into the game with a team-high 77 RBIs and is batting .299. Over his last six games, Devers has gone 8/25 with two homers. Jarren Duran is batting .287 for the season and has 15 homers, which is 3rd on the team.
The Astros Are Coming Off A Win
Houston closed out their series vs. the White Sox with a 2-0 win. Leading up to the game, the Astros were the heavy favorite at -365. Offensively, the Astros only scored two runs but did so on just five hits. Jose Altuve and Yainer Diaz each had two hits and scored one run apiece. Altuve also had a home run.
Framber Valdez got the start for the Astros, going seven innings, and didn’t give up a run. He also issued just one walk and struck out nine White Sox batters. Josh Hader closed things out in the 9th for the Astros, picking up the save.
Houston is in good form heading into their series against the Red Sox, having won four straight series and their last two games. The Astros hold a 67-56 record and are four games ahead in the AL West. Against the run line, they have a 63-60 record, including a 21-11 mark as underdogs.
This season, the average run total in Astros games is 8.6, and their over/under record stands at 48-71. When the O/U line is 8.5 runs, their record is 15-24, and their current under streak is at two games.
Yusei Kikuchi Gets The Start For The Astros
Yusei Kikuchi gets the start for the Astros today as he faces the Red Sox at home. He has made 25 starts this season and has a record of 6-9 with an ERA of 4.49. Kikuchi’s WHIP for the season is 1.29, and opponents are batting .257 off the left-hander this year. In his last outing, Kikuchi picked up the win, going 5 2/3 innings and giving up just one earned run. He has won each of his last two starts and has not given up more than two earned runs in any of his last three outings. Per nine innings, Kikuchi is averaging 10.47 strikeouts and just 2.45 walks.
Astros Offense Breakdown
Yordan Alvarez has been swinging a hot bat of late for the Astros, going 12/31 in his last nine games with four homers and nine RBIs. For the season, he is batting .306 with a team-high 66 RBIs. Alex Bregman has also been on a tear, going 13/31 in his last seven games with four homers and seven RBIs. Bregman is batting .261 this season and is 2nd on the team with 59 RBIs.
As a team, the Astros are 3rd in batting average and 12th in runs scored, averaging 4.6 runs per game. Overall, they are 11th in home runs and have the 3rd fewest strikeouts in the league. Houston comes into the game with a team BABIP of .30, which is 7th in the league.
Red Sox vs Astros Prediction
Our predictions for this Red Sox vs. Astros matchup is for the Astros to pick up a 6-5 win at home. With the money line sitting at -125, this is the best way to go if you’re looking to place a bet on this game.
Looking at the starting pitchers, our projections have Yusei Kikuchi finishing with six strikeouts compared to Tanner Houck with five. However, Kikuchi is projected to finish with a better ERA than Houck.
Offensively, our projections have the Red Sox finishing with nine hits compared to the Astros with nine. The Red Sox are projected to finish with more home runs, but the Astros are projected to strike out fewer times.
If you’re looking for a potential home run prop, you could look to the Red Sox, as they are projected to finish with the second-most home runs in the league today.
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:August 19, 2024 Astros, Red Sox