Red Sox Look to One Up Orioles at Fenway
It’s challenging to predict how 2020 will playout for the Red Sox. The 2018 World Series champions had a mediocre season last year finishing third in the American League East. It remains to be seen if their trade of the sensational Mookie Betts this off-season to the Dodgers will pay off with their new acquisitions. Their infield is looking strong with SS Xander Bogaerts coming off of a strong 2019 at the plate.
As for the Orioles, 2020 will be a telling season. Finishing at a disappointing 5th place in the American League East in 2019, they will surely be looking to improve their standing this year. A team in transition in all areas from management to the field, there’s a lot of fresh energy and unpredictability with this team.
With the loss of their best player Trey Mancini (recovering from colon cancer), they will be relying on some of their veteran players to lead the way alongside some new prospects. Thankfully the wait to see what will happen is finally coming to an end as we gear up to launch the 2020 MLB season.
Below we will take a look at how these two teams have matched up in the past and what Friday’s game could look like. Check out our MLB odds page in our sportsbook. For those of you who are new to MLB betting, be sure to check out our MLB betting guide page.
Red Sox Have Sights on Playoffs
Looking to re-capture the magic of the 2018 season where they won the World Series, the Red Sox have a lot to prove and high expectations to boot. With some Red Sox experts claiming that they have a tough road schedule this year facing the best teams in the league while away. Without fans in the crowds, we have yet to see how much of an advantage teams will have at home.
Last year, the Red Sox had some major changes to their club starting with the loss of popular manager Alex Cora. They also lost their best overall player Mookie Betts as well as their top ace Chris Sale. To make matters worse, their presumed Opening Day starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez has tested positive for COVID-19. As of writing, it appears that Nathan Eovaldi will take the mound Friday for the Red Sox instead of Rodriguez.
The Red Sox pitching squad is looking strong this year with players like Brandon Workman and the young Michael Chavis at the mound. If they can get on a roll early on, they certainly have a good shot of making it to the playoffs this year.
Orioles Playing for Pride
With so many changes over the last two seasons, the Baltimore Orioles will be looking to surprise fans, pundits and critics alike. With new management and a host of new young players, there’s always the possibility that this team could get into a good rhythm and surprise opponents. Widely considered an underdog this year—the MLB odds for regular-season wins has their over/under at only 20.5 games—they certainly have nothing to lose after last year’s tough season.
One of the biggest questions surrounding this team this year is, due to the extremely short preseason, can they give their young prospects enough time in the big leagues to get up to speed. The players we will be keeping an eye on are Ryan Mountcastle, Dean Kremer and Keegan Akin. There are other new prospects as well and you never know what happens when players make the jump from the minors to the majors, but these are certainly the most promising.
It will be interesting to see how everything plays out for the Orioles this year. With only 60 games to play, it might not be a long enough season for them to get into a rhythm and find their footing. On the other hand, they could surprise us all and catch fire early on in the season. With so few regular-season games, the playoffs will be within reach for any team that can hit a hot streak.
Red Sox vs. Orioles 2019 Season Matchups
Last season, the Red Sox faced off against the Orioles a total of six games. What is striking about these matches are two things: First of all, they both went 3-3 in wins, a dead tie. Secondly, every single game was won by a margin larger than two runs.
Put together these two recent trends make a run line bet seem like an interesting option for MLB Opening Day.
BetUS Free MLB Opening Day Pick: Baltimore Orioles +1.5 (Ev) Run Line
With the odds at even for the Baltimore Orioles on a +1.5 Run Line, this is a good value bet for MLB Opening Day. This team is a little unpredictable since there’s a lot of changes that have happened the last couple of years, but the Red Sox also traded their best hitter this offseason, meaning it’s possible they will have a harder time winning by a large margin.
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