Boston Red Sox vs Houston Astros Betting Pick & Prediction 8/20/24
At 8:10 PM ET, the Red Sox and Astros will face off in an AL matchup. This one is being played at Minute Maid Park in Houston and has the Astros favored on the money line, with their odds sitting at -125 compared to the Red Sox at +106. The over/under line is currently 8.5 runs.
Boston comes in with a record of 65-59 and is starting Nick Pivetta, while the Astros are 68-56 and will send Ronel Blanco to the mound. Houston is currently on a three-game winning streak and is 1st in the AL West, while the Red Sox are 3rd in the AL East.
HOUSTON ASTROS VS BOSTON RED SOX BETTING PICK
The Pick: Houston Astros Moneyline -125
This game will be played at Minute Maid Park at 8:10 ET on Tuesday, August 20th.
HOW TO BET THE RED SOX VS ASTROS:
- We have the Astros winning by a score of 6 to 5
- However, if you’re looking for a run line pick, we like the Red Sox to cover
- As for an over/under pick, we have this game finishing with 11 runs and like the over
It was a low-scoring game in the most recent game of this Astros vs Red Sox series. Houston went into the matchup as -144 favorites and squeaked out a 5-4 win. Boston had a chance to tie or win the game in the 9th inning but could only muster one run.
Yusei Kikuchi got the start for the Astros, going just 5 2/3 innings while giving up one run and striking out seven. He did not factor in the decision as Josh Hader got the win out of the bullpen. Kenley Jansen had a rough outing for the Red Sox, taking the loss.
Offensively, the Astros were led by Yainer Diaz, Victor Caratini, and Yordan Alvarez, as they were the only three hitters in the lineup to have more than one hit. Diaz and Caratini each drove in two runs. Masataka Yoshida hit the game’s only home run for Boston, going 1/2 with three RBIs.
Red Sox Records & Stats
Boston is 65-59 overall, and they are 7.5 games behind the Yankees in the AL East. The Red Sox are also 3rd in the AL East and have gone 16-15 in divisional games this year. So far, they have dropped the first two games of this series vs. the Astros.
At home, the Red Sox are 29-32 this year, and they have gone 36-27 on the road. As the underdog, the Red Sox are 31-34 this year, and they are 34-25 when favored. Boston’s overall series record is 20-14-6, and they are 4-6 over their last ten games.
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 36-27 against the run line. Their overall run line record is 58-66, and they have a run differential of +0.2 runs per game. They are 37-28 against the run line as an underdog and 21-38 as the favorite.
When the Boston Red Sox play on the road, the over/under line for their games is set at 8.5 runs. Their games have averaged a combined 9.8 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 65-52. The average over/under line for their games this season has been 9 runs, and when the line is set at 8.5 runs, their over/under record is 22-13. Overall, 39.5% of their games have had over/under lines set at 8.5 runs or higher, while 32.3% have been set at 8.5 runs or lower.
Boston is sending right-hander Nick Pivetta to the mound today as he faces the Astros on the road. Pivetta has made 19 starts this season and has a record of 5-8 with a 4.49 ERA. So far, he has turned in seven quality starts and is averaging 11.03 strikeouts per nine innings. In his last outing, Pivetta took the loss, giving up three earned runs in five innings of work. Before that, he had won two straight starts. Pivetta’s ERA at home is 6.22 compared to 5.2 on the road.
For the season, the Red Sox are averaging 5 runs per game, which is 4th in the league. They have been even better on the road, averaging 5.2 runs per contest. As a team, they are batting .262, which is 2nd in the league, and are one of the best power-hitting teams in the league, as they are 6th in home runs and have the 2nd best slugging percentage in the league.
Rafael Devers has been one of the league’s top power hitters this season, as his 27 homers are 10th in the league, and he is 14th in the league with 77 RBIs. Devers is also batting .298 for the season and has gone 6/21 with two homers over his last five games. Tyler O’Neill is also a big power threat for the Red Sox, as his 22 homers is 2nd on the team and 15th in the league.
Astros Records & Stats
Houston is hosting the Red Sox today with an overall record of 68-56, which has them leading the AL West by five games over the Mariners. The Astros have won three straight games, and they are 9-1 over their last ten games, including taking the first game of this series vs. the Red Sox.
As the favorite, the Astros have gone 52-40 this season and an even 16-16 as the underdog. At home, they are 35-27 this season and 33-29 on the road. Looking at their overall record in the AL West, the Astros are 21-18 this season.
When it comes to the run line, the Astros have been a better bet on the road than at home. They are 34-28 against the run line on the road compared to 29-33 at home. As the underdog, they are 21-11 against the run line, while as the favorite, they are just 42-50. Their average run differential in winning games is +3.7, while in losing games, it is -3.2.
The Houston Astros are playing at home against the Boston Red Sox today, and the over/under line for the game is set at 8.5 runs. The combined run average for Astros games this season is 8.6 runs per game, and their over/under record is 49-71. The average over/under line for their games is 9 runs, and their over/under record when the line is set at 8.5 runs is 15-24. So far this season, 37 of their games have had over/under lines set higher than 8.5 runs, accounting for 29.8% of their games, while 48 games have had lines set lower than 8.5 runs, making up 38.7% of their games.
Houston is sending Ronel Blanco to the mound today vs. the Red Sox, and he has made 23 starts this season. Blanco’s record for the year is 9-6, and his ERA is 2.89. So far, he has pitched one complete game shutout and has 12 quality starts. Blanco’s WHIP for the season is 1.01, and opponents are batting .177 off him this year. In his last outing, Blanco went six innings, giving up two earned runs, and finished with a no-decision. Before that, he had given up at least two earned runs in three straight starts. The right-hander has not lost back-to-back starts since June.
Yordan Alvarez has been a big power threat for the Astros this season, as his 25 home runs lead the team and rank 12th in the league. Alvarez is also batting .310, which is the 2nd best mark on the team. Yainer Diaz has also been a big run producer for the Astros, as his 70 RBIs are the best on the team, and he is hitting .299.
Over his last six games, Diaz has gone 8/26 with two homers, while Jeremy Pena has also hit two homers in this stretch while batting .304. Pena comes into the game on a four-game hitting streak.