The Boston Red Sox (22-22) travel to face off against the St. Louis Cardinals (18-25) on Friday, May 17th. This game will be played at Busch Stadium in St. Louis and televised on BSMW. Both the Red Sox and Cardinals are looking to bounce back from losses in their previous games. First pitch is set for 8:15 ET.
Red Sox vs Cardinals
The Red Sox will be looking to get back on track after closing out their series vs. the Rays with a 7-5 loss. This was especially tough, as they held a lead going into the 9th inning before the Rays scored two runs in the top of the 9th. Boston was the -108 favorite at home going into the game.
Cooper Criswell got the start for the Red Sox and took the loss. He only lasted 3 2/3 innings, giving up three earned runs on four hits. Jarren Duran was hot at the plate, going 3/5 with a homer and two RBIs.
Boston is 22-22 overall this season, and they are 4th in the AL East, 7.5 games behind the Yankees for the division lead. The Red Sox really struggled in their most recent series, going 1-6 vs. the Rays. So far, they are just 1-6 in AL East games this year.
As the Red Sox take on the Cardinals today, they are on a two-game losing streak, and they are 4-6 in their last 10 games. This year, they have been really good as the road favorite, going 5-0, and they are 12-9 overall on the road. At home, the Red Sox are 10-13 this year.
When the Boston Red Sox are on the road, they are a solid bet to cover the run line, as they are 13-8 against it this season. The Red Sox have a run differential of +1.8 runs per game on the road, and their average run differential in their wins is +4.4 runs per game. However, they are just 6-14 against the run line as the favorite this season.
With a combined run average of 7.9 runs per game, the Boston Red Sox have seen their games go over the over/under line in 15 of 25 games this season. When the over/under line has been set at 8 runs, the Red Sox have gone over the total just once, with a record of 1-4-2 in those games. Overall, 54.5% of their games have had over/under lines set at 8 runs or higher.
Brayan Bello Gets The Start For The Red Sox
Brayan Bello gets the start for the Red Sox today as he faces the Cardinals on the road. He has made six starts this year and has a record of 4-1 with a 3.13 ERA. Bello has pitched well recently, as he has won each of his last three starts. In his most recent outing, he went five innings and gave up two earned runs. Looking at his overall numbers, Bello has a WHIP of 1.07 and opponents are batting .205 off him this season. Per nine innings, he is averaging 7.67 strikeouts and 2.56 walks.
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 league. They have been a more productive offense on the road, averaging 4.5 runs per game. As a team, the Red Sox are batting .242, which is 12th in the league, and they have the 7th best slugging percentage in the league. Boston’s offense has been good at putting the ball in play, as their strikeout numbers are the 27th worst in the league.
Rafael Devers and Tyler O’Neill have been two of the Red Sox’s top power threats this season, with Devers having 6 homers and O’Neill at 10. Devers is also batting .288 for the season and has gone deep twice in his last nine games. O’Neill is 5/27 in his last nine games, but both of his hits have been home runs. Jarren Duran has also been swinging a hot bat of late, going 11/35 in his last nine games.
St. Louis closed out their series vs. the Angels with a 7-2 loss on the road. Heading into the game, the Cardinals were the slight favorite at -121 on the money line. Things really got away from the Cardinals in the 1st inning, as the Angels scored four runs in the inning. St. Louis’s offense scored their only two runs in the 6th.
Lance Lynn got the start for the Cardinals and took the loss. He only lasted five innings, giving up four earned runs on eight hits. Paul Goldschmidt had a rough day at the plate, going just 1/4 but scoring the team’s only two runs with a homer in the 6th.
St. Louis is 5th in the NL Central, trailing the Brewers by eight games. So far, they have gone just 1-6 in divisional games. The Cardinals are 18-25 overall and are just 6-11 at home compared to 12-14 on the road.
As the favorite, the Cardinals are 10-13 this year and 8-12 as the underdog. At home, they have dropped four straight, and they are 2-5 in their last seven games at home. St. Louis’ overall series record is 6-8, and they won their most recent series vs. the Angels. Currently, they are 3-7 over their last ten games.
When betting the run line on the Cardinals, it’s important to note that they have a losing run line record overall and at home this season. Their average run differential is -1.2 runs per game, and they have covered the run line in just 20 of their 43 games. They have been a better bet on the run line as the underdog this season, going 12-8, compared to 8-15 as the favorite.
The St. Louis Cardinals have seen their last three games go over the total, and their over/under record on the season is 19-23. The Cardinals’ games have averaged 8.4 runs per game, and the over/under line for their games this season has been set at an average of 8 runs. When the line has been set at 8 runs, the over/under record is 1-4-1. Overall, 53.5% of their games have had over/under lines set above 8 runs.
Kyle Gibson Gets The Start For The Cardinals
St. Louis is sending right-hander Kyle Gibson to the mound today vs. the Red Sox. He has made eight starts this year and has a record of 2-2 with a 3.67 ERA. Gibson’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.20. Looking at his overall numbers, opponents are batting .225 vs. Gibson this year. The right-hander has turned in five quality starts this year and is coming off an outing in which he allowed two earned runs in five innings of work. In that outing, he gave up four walks and three hits. Gibson has not lost since April 24th.
Cardinals Offense Breakdown
As a team, the Cardinals are batting just .225 this season, which is 21st in the league. They are also near the bottom of the league in scoring, averaging just 3.6 runs per game. St. Louis has been even worse at home, averaging only 3.4 runs per contest. So far, they have the fewest home runs in the league.
Over his last nine games, Paul Goldschmidt has gone just 7/39, but he does have two home runs and five runs scored during that stretch. Goldschmidt is currently on a five-game hitting streak. Nolan Arenado has been the team’s top run producer so far and is batting .258 with three homers.
Red Sox vs Cardinals Prediction
Our prediction for this Red Sox vs. Cardinals matchup is to take the Red Sox on the money line, with the payout being -114. We have the Red Sox winning this one by a score of 5-4, and with the payout being just -114, we feel good about this as our recommended pick.
If you’re looking for some other ways to bet this game, you could look at the over/under, with the line being set at 8 runs. Our prediction is that this game will go under, but we have this one being pretty close to the line, so we would stick with the Red Sox on the money line.
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 17, 2024 Cardinals, Red Sox