The Boston Red Sox (66-59) travel to face off against the Houston Astros (68-57) on Wednesday, August 21st. This game will be played at Minute Maid Park in Houston and televised on MLBN. The Red Sox are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Astros are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Red Sox. First pitch is set for 1:10 CT.

Red Sox vs. Astros Betting Prediction

• Money Line Prediction: Astros (-150)
• Over/Under Prediction: Over 8.5 Runs

• Astros have won 8 out of their last 10 games, indicating strong recent performance.
• Astros have a home record of 35-28, showing they perform well at home.
• Astros have scored 5 or more runs in 8 of their last 10 games, demonstrating consistent offensive production.
• Astros have won 4 out of 5 games against the Red Sox in their last 5 matchups, showing a favorable head-to-head trend.
• Astros have a league rank of 6th and division rank of 1st, indicating they are a top-performing team in their league and division.

Red Sox vs Astros

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 had a two-hit game and drove in three runs. Yainer Diaz hit a home run for the Astros, going 2/4.

Today, the Red Sox are looking to win the series against the Astros, as the teams are tied 1-1. Boston’s over/under record for games with an 8.5 run total is 23-13, and their games have averaged 9.8 runs per game this season. The Red Sox are 37-27 against the run line on the road and have covered the run line in their last two games.

This season, the Red Sox are 66-59 overall and 34-25 as favorites. They are 29-32 at home and 37-27 on the road. In series, Boston has a 20-14-6 record, and their overall run line record as underdogs is 38-28. Heading into today’s game, the Red Sox have a 5-5 record in their last 10 games.

Cooper Criswell Gets The Start For The Red Sox

Right-hander Cooper Criswell gets the start for the Red Sox today as he faces the Astros on the road. This year, he has made 13 starts and 19 total appearances. Criswell’s record for the season is 5-4, and he comes in with an ERA of 4.56. Looking at his overall numbers, opponents are batting .282 this year. Criswell’s WHIP for the season is 1.36. The last time he pitched was on August 16th out of the bullpen, where he picked up the win. In that outing, he went 3 1/3 innings, giving up six hits, one earned run, and one homer. Before that, he had three straight appearances out of the bullpen where he didn’t allow a run.

Red Sox Offense Breakdown

Heading into today’s game, the Red Sox are 4th in the league in scoring at 5 runs per game. They have been even better on the road, averaging 5.2 runs per contest. Overall, they are one of the league’s top home run hitting teams and have the league’s best team BABIP. As a team, they are batting .261, which is the 2nd best mark in the MLB.

Rafael Devers and Jarren Duran have been two of the Red Sox’s top hitters this season. Devers is batting .297 and has a team-high 27 homers, while Duran is hitting .293 with 17 homers. Over his last six games, Duran has gone 9/27 with three homers and seven runs scored. Devers is also on a five-game hitting streak.

Hosting the Red Sox today, the Astros have won four straight series and hold a 5.0 game lead over the Mariners in the AL West. Their overall series record this year is 23-16-1. The Astros have an average run margin of +0.6 runs per game, but their run line record is 63-62 due to their 3.7 run margin when they win.

As the favorite, the Astros are 52-41 straight up, but on the run line, they are 29-34 at home and 21-11 as the underdog. The over/under record in their games this season is 50-71, and their games have averaged 8.6 runs per game. The over is 16-24 when the total is 8.5 runs, and the over has hit in their last two games.

Justin Verlander Gets The Start For The Astros

Justin Verlander gets the start for the Astros today and comes in with a record of 3-2 and ERA of 3.95. So far, he has made 10 starts and five of them have been quality starts. Looking back at his last outing, Verlander finished with a no-decision after giving up four earned runs in five innings of work. He has finished with a no-decision in each of his last three outings. Before that, he had picked up the win in two straight starts. Verlander’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.21.

Astros Offense Breakdown

Yordan Alvarez has been a force for the Astros lineup this season, as he is batting .308, which is the 2nd best mark on the team. Alvarez has also gone deep 25 times this season, which is the best mark on the team and 12th in the league. Yainer Diaz has also been a key power threat for the Astros, as he has 15 homers and a team-leading 71 RBIs. Over his last nine games, Diaz is hitting .308 with four homers.

Jose Altuve comes into the game on a five-game hitting streak and is batting .300 for the season. Alex Bregman and Kyle Tucker are both batting in the low .260s this season, but each has 19 homers. Bregman is 3rd on the team with 59 RBIs, while Tucker is 7th at 40 RBIs.

Red Sox vs Astros Prediction

Our predicted final score for this one is 6-5 in favor of the Astros, which gives us some room to take them on the money line at -150. We do like the payout for the Astros to pick up a win at home.

Looking at the starting pitchers, Justin Verlander is projected to finish with seven strikeouts, which is the third-best among starters today. As for Cooper Criswell, he is projected to finish with six strikeouts, which ranks him seventh.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* 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.