The Detroit Tigers (28-28) travel to face off against the Boston Red Sox (28-29) on Friday, May 31st. This game will be played at Fenway Park in Boston and televised on APLTV. The Tigers 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 Tigers. First pitch is set for 6:10 CT.
Tigers vs Red Sox
Detroit cruised to a 5-0 win over the Red Sox in the most recent game of this series. The Tigers had a huge 8th inning, scoring three runs and picking up all three of their hits. As for the Red Sox, they had just two hits and struck out 12 times in the game.
Jack Flaherty started for the Tigers and picked up the win, going 6 2/3 innings and not giving up a run. He finished the game with nine strikeouts but issued one walk. On the other side, Nick Pivetta got the start for the Red Sox and took the loss, giving up two earned runs in 5 1/3 innings of work.
Riley Greene and Gio Urshela each homered for the Tigers, while Akil Baddoo scored three times and drove in a run while going 1/4. Colt Keith also had a two-hit game at the plate.
Detroit is at .500 with a record of 28-28, and they are nine games behind the Guardians for the AL Central lead. So far, they have gone 10-9 in AL Central games. The Tigers are looking to pick up a road win today, as they are 14-13 on the road and 14-15 at home.
As the road underdog, the Tigers have gone 10-11 this year, and they are 14-12 when favored. Detroit has an overall series record of 8-7-3 this year, and they are currently up 1-0 in the series vs. the Red Sox. Heading into today’s game, the Tigers are 5-5 over their last 10 games.
When betting the run line, the Tigers are a much better bet on the road than at home. Overall, they are 25-31 against the run line, but they are 16-11 on the road. As the underdog, they are 19-11 vs. the run line, while as the favorite, they are just 6-20. Their average run margin in winning games is +3.5, while in losing games, it’s -3.4.
The Detroit Tigers are on the road today against the Boston Red Sox, with the Over/Under line set at 8.5 runs. This season, the Tigers have played to an average of 8.5 runs per game, and their O/U record is 30-24. When the O/U line has been set at 8.5 runs, their record is 4-7. Overall, 69.6% of their games have had lower O/U lines than 8.5 runs, and just 10.7% have had higher lines.
Kenta Maeda Gets The Start For The Tigers
Kenta Maeda gets the start for the Tigers today as he faces the Red Sox on the road. He has made eight starts this year and has a record of 2-1 with an ERA of 5.80. Maeda’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.32. The right-hander has turned in two quality starts this year, and his ERA at home is 4.93 compared to 15.9 on the road. In his most recent outing, Maeda picked up the win, going five innings and not giving up a run. Before that, he had given up at least one homer in three straight starts.
Tigers Offense Breakdown
Over the past eight games, Matt Vierling has been on fire for the Tigers, going 12/29 with four homers and 12 RBIs. This has helped him move into the team’s top spot in batting average (.288) and put him 2nd on the team with 28 RBIs. Vierling’s seven homers this season is 3rd on the team and 11th in the league.
As a team, the Tigers are averaging 4.3 runs per game and have been slightly better on the road (4.6 RPG) compared to at home (4.0 RPG). Currently, they are 16th in home runs and have the 17th best batting average in the league.
Boston is 28-29 overall and trails the Yankees by 10.5 games in the AL East. The Red Sox have dropped two straight games, and they are 5-8 against other AL East teams this year. So far, they have been much better on the road, going 17-13 compared to 11-16 at home.
As the favorite, the Red Sox are 14-12 this year and 14-17 as the underdog. Boston’s overall series record is 8-9-1, and they have lost two straight series. Currently, they are losing the series vs. the Tigers.
When betting the run line on the Red Sox this season, it’s been more profitable to take them on the road, where they are 18-12 vs. the run line. At home, they are just 7-20 against the run line. They have an average run differential of +1.3 runs per game on the road, compared to -.8 runs per game at home. As the favorite, they are just 7-19 vs. the run line, while as the underdog they are 18-13.
When the Boston Red Sox play at home, the over/under line is set at 8.5 runs. Their games have averaged 8.2 runs per game this season, and their overall over/under record is 21-31. When the line is set at 8.5 runs, their over/under record is 9-10. So far this season, 21.1% of their games have had over/under lines set at 8.5 runs or higher.
Tanner Houck Gets The Start For The Red Sox
Tanner Houck has made 11 starts this season and has a record of 4-5 with an ERA of 1.90. He has a WHIP of .99 and has pitched one complete game shutout this year. Houck has turned in nine quality starts and is coming off an outing in which he gave up just one earned run in six innings of work. In that outing, he finished with a no-decision. Before that, he had lost three straight starts. Houck’s ERA at home is 2.44, compared to 1.5 on the road.
Red Sox Offense Breakdown
Heading into today’s game, the Red Sox offense is averaging 4.3 runs per game, which is 16th in the majors. They have been a better offensive team on the road this season, averaging 4.8 runs per game. As a team, the Red Sox are batting .240, which is 13th in the league, and they are 11th in home runs. Boston has been a tough team to strike out this season, but they are also near the bottom of the league in walks.
Rafael Devers has been a key power threat for the Red Sox this season, as his 10 home runs are 2nd on the team and 8th in the league. He is also 2nd on the team with 26 RBIs. Ceddanne Rafaela has a team-high 28 RBIs but is batting just .205. Tyler O’Neill has also been a key power threat, as he has gone deep 11 times this season, which is good for 7th in the league.
Tigers vs Red Sox Prediction
Our predicted final score for this one is 5-4 in favor of the Red Sox, which would make them a good pick on the money line at -165. However, we actually like the over in this matchup with the line sitting at 8.5 runs.
Looking at the starting pitcher’s Tanner Houck has a higher strikeout projection than Kenta Maeda, and we have him finishing with seven K’s compared to Maeda with six. As for the offenses, the Red Sox have a higher projected home run total, but the Tigers have a lower strikeout projection.
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 31, 2024 Red Sox, Tigers