The Boston Red Sox (65-59) travel to face off against the Houston Astros (68-56) on Tuesday, August 20th. 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 Astros. 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
- The Astros have won 9 out of their last 10 games, showcasing strong recent performance.
- In the last 15 games, the Astros have scored an average of 5.2 runs per game, indicating a potent offense.
- Houston has a home record of 35-27, demonstrating solid performance at Minute Maid Park.
- The Astros have won all 4 head-to-head games against the Red Sox in their last series, outscoring them 28-10.
- Houston’s league rank is 6th, significantly higher than Boston’s rank of 7th in their division, indicating overall better performance this season.
Red Sox vs Astros
Houston picked up a 5-4 win over the Red Sox in the most recent game of this series. The Astros had a late rally, scoring two runs in the 8th and another run in the 9th. As for the Red Sox, they scored two runs in the 6th and added two more in the 7th.
Tanner Houck got the start for Boston, going six innings and giving up two earned runs. He finished the game with eight strikeouts but took the loss. Yusei Kikuchi only went 5 2/3 innings for the Astros but gave up just one earned run and got the win.
At the plate, the Red Sox actually outhit the Astros in the game 7 to 13. Masataka Yoshida and Jarren Duran each homered for Boston, while Rob Refsnyder went 2/4 with two RBIs.
Heading into today’s game, the Red Sox are 65-59 and are 7.5 games behind the Yankees in the AL East. They have a 20-14-6 series record this season. Against the run line, Boston is 36-27 on the road and 22-39 at home, with an overall run line record of 58-66.
For the season, Red Sox games have averaged 9.8 runs, and their O/U record is 65-52. When the O/U line is set at 8.5 runs, their O/U record is 22-13. Today’s O/U line is 8.5 runs, which is lower than the average line of 9 runs for their games this season.
Nick Pivetta Gets The Start For The Red Sox
Red Sox starter Nick Pivetta will be looking to bounce back from a rough outing vs. the Orioles, in which he took the loss. In that start, he gave up three earned runs on six hits in five innings of work. Looking back at his last four outings, Pivetta has given up at least three earned runs in three of them. Pivetta’s record for the season is 5-8, and he has an ERA of 4.49. Opposing batters are hitting .227 off the right-hander this season. Pivetta has made seven quality starts this year and is averaging 11.03 strikeouts per nine innings.
Red Sox Offense Breakdown
Heading into today’s game, the Red Sox offense is 4th in the league in runs scored, averaging 5 runs per game. They have been even better on the road this season, averaging 5.2 runs per contest. Overall, they are 6th in the league in home runs and have the league’s 2nd best team batting average at .262. Boston also does a good job of getting on base, as they have the league’s top on-base percentage and are 2nd in slugging.
Rafael Devers has been a big part of the Red Sox offense this season, as he is 10th in the league with 27 home runs and has driven in 77 runs, which is 14th best in the MLB. Devers comes into the game on a four-game hitting streak and has gone 6/21 with two homers over his last five games. Tyler O’Neill is also having a strong season for Boston, as he is 2nd on the team with 22 homers.
Currently leading the AL West by five games, the Astros have been on a tear, winning nine of their last ten games, including their last three. Their series record for the season stands at 23-16-1, and they have won four straight series.
Against the run line, Houston has a 42-50 record when favored, but as underdogs, they are 21-11. The Astros’ games have averaged 8.6 runs, and their O/U record is 49-71. So far, 29.8% of their games have had O/U lines higher than 8.5 runs.
Ronel Blanco Gets The Start For The Astros
Ronel Blanco is looking to build off his last outing, where he faced the Rays and didn’t give up a run in six innings of work. He finished with a no-decision in that outing. Blanco has made 23 starts this season and has a record of 9-6. His ERA for the season is an impressive 2.89, along with a WHIP of 1.01. Opposing batters are hitting just .177 off Blanco this season. Blanco has one complete game shutout this year and 12 quality starts. Per nine innings, he is averaging 8.73 strikeouts and 3.43 walks.
Astros Offense Breakdown
Heading into today’s game, the Astros offense is averaging 4.6 runs per game, which is 12th in the league. They are also one of the league’s top home run hitting teams, coming in at 12th in the MLB. Overall, they are batting .261, which is the 3rd best mark in the league. Houston has also done a good job of avoiding strikeouts, as they have the 4th fewest strikeouts in the league.
Yordan Alvarez has been a key run producer for the Astros this season, as his 66 RBIs are the 2nd most in the lineup. He also leads the team with 25 homers and is batting .310. Yainer Diaz has also been a key power bat for the Astros, as he has 14 homers and is batting .299. Over his last six games, Diaz has gone 8/26 with two homers and four RBIs.
Red Sox vs Astros Prediction
We see the Astros taking this one by a score of 6-5, giving us some room to work with on the over/under line, which is currently sitting at 8.5 runs. However, we are going to stick with the Astros on the money line at -125.
Looking at the starting pitchers, we have Ronel Blanco finishing with five strikeouts, which is right around Nick Pivetta’s projected total. Pivetta is projected to finish with five strikeouts as well.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
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Last updated:August 20, 2024 Astros, Red Sox