Astros vs Red Sox Series Picks 8/9: Back Boston Bats
- Over the last 30 days, the Red Sox lineup has been among the best in the league, leading in batting average.
- Despite a down season, the Astros are in the race for the AL West title.
- This series is crucial for Astros vs Red Sox odds to get into the postseason picture.
We are inching closer to the playoffs, and the Houston Astros and Boston Red Sox are firmly in the hunt. That makes this weekend’s three-game series between these two teams much more interesting for MLB predictions.
The Astros’ path to the playoffs is more complicated because they are too fifth in the Wild Card race and may need to win their division. The Astros have a half-game lead over the Seattle Mariners in the American League West while the Red Sox are six games out of first in the AL East. However, the Red Sox are only 1½ games away from getting the final Wild Card spot.
Astros vs Red Sox Game Information
- Game: Astros (59-55, 1st AL West) vs. Red Sox (61-52, 3rd AL East)
- Location: Fenway Park, Boston, MA
- Day/Time: Friday, Aug. 9 (7:10 p.m. ET), Saturday, Aug. 10 (4:10 p.m. ET), Sunday, Aug. 11 (1:35 p.m. ET)
- Astros vs Red Sox Series Live Stream: Game 1 (MLB Network), Game 2 (FS1), Game 3 (MLB.tv)
Astros vs Red Sox Series Moneyline Odds
3 Astros vs Red Sox Series Predictions
Game 1: A Pitcher’s Duel?
Right off the bat, the lineups will play a significant factor in MLB lines in this series. The Astros’ lineup may not be hot, but the Red Sox are, which could lead to the over in almost every game.
However, the pitchers could control this in the series’ opening game, which features the best pitching matchup through the three games.
Ronel Blanco, White Castle Special. 🤮🍔🍔🍔 pic.twitter.com/5dNOdwsjaJ
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 4, 2024
On the mound for the Astros will be Ronel Blanco. He has a 2.98 ERA on the season but has struggled lately. In July, he had a 4.40 ERA through five starts. His troubles continued in his last outing, pitching five innings, allowing six hits and walking two batters, leading to two runs. Blanco would still finish that game with seven strikeouts.
However, Red Sox starter Tanner Houck also struggled in his last appearance. In five innings, he gave up six runs off eight hits and two homers but did finish with seven strikeouts. His 3.09 ERA is by far the best on the Red Sox.
Game 2: Red Sox Bats Ready to Tee Off
In the early parts of the season, this young Red Sox team would be forgotten about in MLB odds for the AL East. While they still don’t have much chance to catch the New York Yankees or Baltimore Orioles, the Red Sox making the postseason through the Wild Card would be significant.
One of the biggest factors in Boston’s success has been its lineup, which has been on fire for over a month. Over the last 30 days, the Red Sox have led the league batting average, are second in runs scored and have hit the third-most home runs.
Wilyer Abreu smashes his 2nd homer of the day!
He leads all qualified rookies in OPS 👀 pic.twitter.com/iTwZuxvwLo
— MLB (@MLB) August 4, 2024
Wilyer Abreu, Jarren Duran, Masataka Yoshida and Rafael Devers have been the catalysts of the offense during this month and continue to do so. In this game, they will face an Astros pitcher who has not been consistent. While Spencer Arrighetti did have one of his top three starts in his last appearance, allowing one run in six innings with 12 strikeouts, he still has a 5.33 ERA.
The inconsistencies of Arrighetti could be costly against the Red Sox lineup. The Astros also have lost in six straight games that Arrighetti started. Nick Pivetta is expected to take the bump for the Red Sox in this game and he isn’t pitching that great either with a 4.44 ERA, but he should be able to hold his own.
Game 3: The Most Balanced Matchup
This is the most balanced matchup for MLB betting in the third and final game of the series. Part of that is because the Red Sox’s hot lineup will face a solid pitcher in Hunter Brown.
Hunter Brown’s four-seam whiff rate in two strike counts
2023: 19.2%
2024: 28.7% pic.twitter.com/EnBhH1Y0jf— Astros Stats 📈 (@astro_numbers) August 5, 2024
While Brown might not be one of the stars of the Astros‘ starting pitching rotation, he has had a solid season with a 3.98 ERA. He has also been consistent, going six innings and allowing two or fewer runs in five of his last seven appearances. It might still be hard to keep this Boston lineup at bay, but Brown seems capable enough to keep the game close.
The Red Sox will have James Paxton on the mound. They acquired him from the Los Angeles Dodgers, where the team around him boosted his 9-3 record. In his two starts for the Red Sox, Paxton is still getting run support, with 15 runs, despite giving up eight (five earned) in 10.1 innings. While Houston’s lineup is not exactly dominating, it still has the star power to at least have some advantage against Paxton.
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Series Betting Prediction: Red Sox 2-1
This is a series that the Red Sox might get a sweep in for MLB picks. The matchups favor them at home while their lineup is hitting the ball well. However, the Astros have a chance in the opening game behind Ronel Blanco and a balanced matchup in the series finale.
Bet on Astros vs Red Sox Series Odds
Odds and information are accurate at the time of writing. Please check with official sources for the latest updates before placing any bets
Question Of The Day
Do the Astros or Red Sox have a chance of winning their divisions?
The Red Sox are in a tough AL East and seem too far behind within the division. On the other hand, the Astros are right in the middle of a race for the AL West.
