Rare Loss for Astros
The Boston Red Sox took the opener of this three-game series against the Houston Astros. It was a much closer game than what the 6-3 final score says. The game was tied at 3-3 going into the eighth inning. In the home half of the eighth, the Red Sox scored three runs, including Xander Bogaerts’ two-run home run. It was only the second loss in 14 games for the Astros, who will be looking for redemption on Tuesday night.
Let’s check the latest MLB picks, stats, injury reports, and MLB odds for Astros vs Red Sox. We’ve plenty of MLB predictions.
Houston Relying on Pitching, Long Ball
Some players may have changed over the past few years for the Houston Astros, but the way they go about their business has yet to change. The Astros are still relying on solid pitching and the long ball to do all their talking on the field. They rank highly in many pitching statistics as a team, but they are only hitting .229, which is good for 19th in the MLB. The Astros are slugging 1.36 home runs per game, which puts them in second in the majors.
The pitching staff is keeping them in close games until the bats can come through with timely hitting or big innings with the long ball. That was not the case on Monday night. It was the long ball off their strong bullpen that did in the Astros, who are tied atop the American League West.
One note of scariness for the Astros on Monday night was at the end of the fifth inning. Starting pitcher Jake Odorizzi had to be carted off the field after falling face first to the ground when he attempted to go cover first base. Odorizzi had really started to settle in and become a highly effective pitcher in 2022.
Red Sox Still Need More
There is still a glimmer of hope for the Red Sox this season. They are expecting to get back some quality starting pitching back in the next month or so, but will it be enough or will it be too late? The Red Sox are already a staggering 12 games behind the first-place New York Yankees.
They need to get the ball rolling as best that they can until pitching assistance arrives. Offensively, they are better than the Astros on paper, but they don’t have the pitching to back up what they can put on the board. And even though they are hitting for average, their ability to push runners across the plate is extremely poor.
The Red Sox have the star power and the ability to score tons of runs, but their chemistry and consistency has just not been there. They need some timely hitting more frequently, just as they did in the late innings Monday night. Trevor Story went yard in the seventh inning to tie the game and J.D. Martinez doubled in the go ahead run. Bogaerts capped it off with a two-run homer for good measure.
Astros vs Red Sox Head-to-Head
Monday night was the first meeting between the two teams in 2022. The Astros knocked the Red Sox out of the playoffs in 2021.
Nathan Eovaldi will be looking for redemption for his Game 6 AL Division Series loss to the Astros that send the Red Sox home and the Astros to the World Series. He will face the Houston’s Jose Urquidy.
Astros vs Red Sox Game Information
- Game: Astros (23-13) vs Sox (14-21)
- Location: Fenway Park, Boston, MA
- Day/Time: Tuesday, May 17th, 7:10 p.m. ET
- Astros vs Sox Live stream: MLB.tv
Astros vs Red Sox Betting Lines
| Team | Run line | Moneyline | Total | Team Total |
| Houston Astros J. Urquidy -R |
+1½ -160 | +126 | 8 -110o | 3½ -120o
3½ -110u |
| Boston Red Sox N. Eovaldi -R |
-1½ +140 | -141 | 8 -110u | 4½ Evo
4½ -130u |
Astros vs Red Sox Prediction
Sportsbooks have the MLB lines pretty weak on this game. The moneyline has the Red Sox as a slim favorite, so a gamble on a risky bet might be the best option here. If Boston can swing the bats and bounce out in front, they should be able to cover the 1½ runline at +160.
When you bet online, take the -1½ runline for the Red Sox at +160 .
