Boston Red Sox vs Houston Astros Betting Pick & Prediction 8/21/24
Wednesday’s Red Sox vs. Astros game has a first pitch set for 2:10 PM ET from Minute Maid Park in Houston. The Astros are the betting favorite on the money line, with their odds sitting at -150, while the Red Sox are at +127. The over/under line is currently 8.5 runs.
Justin Verlander will start for the Astros, while the Red Sox are sending Cooper Criswell to the mound. Boston is 66-59 this season, and they are 3rd in the AL East. The Astros lead the AL West with a record of 68-57.
HOUSTON ASTROS VS BOSTON RED SOX BETTING PICK
The Pick: Houston Astros Moneyline -150
This game will be played at Minute Maid Park at 2:10 ET on Wednesday, August 21st.
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
Boston rallied for three runs in the 8th inning in the most recent game of this Red Sox vs Astros series. The Red Sox scored three runs in the 1st inning but didn’t score another run until putting up three in the top of the 8th, picking up a 6-5 win. Heading into the game, the Red Sox were at -108 on the money line.
Nick Pivetta started for the Red Sox, going just five innings while giving up five runs and striking out two. Zack Kelly got the win out of the bullpen, and Kenley Jansen got the save. Ronel Blanco only went 3 2/3 innings for the Astros, giving up five runs on six hits.
Jarren Duran was the difference for the Red Sox, as he homered, scored three times, and finished with two RBIs. Triston Casas also had a two-hit game and drove in three runs. Yainer Diaz hit the game’s other home run for the Astros, going 2/4 with three RBIs.
Red Sox Records & Stats
Boston is seven games behind the Orioles in the AL East, and they trail the Yankees by a half-game for the second Wild Card spot. The Red Sox are 66-59 heading into today’s road matchup vs. the Astros. So far, they have gone 16-15 in AL East games and are 29-32 at home.
As the road team, the Red Sox have gone 37-27 this year compared to 29-32 at home. Boston has been good as the favorite this year, putting together a mark of 34-25. They are just below .500 as the underdog, coming in at 32-34.
On the road, the Red Sox have been a solid bet on the run line this season, going 37-27. They are 2-0 against the run line in their last two games and 38-28 overall as the underdog. Boston’s average run margin in winning games is 4.0, while it is -4.0 in losing games.
The Boston Red Sox are on the road today against the Houston Astros. The over/under line for the game is set at 8.5 runs. Boston’s games have averaged 9.8 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 66-52. When the over/under line is set at 8.5 runs, their record is 23-13. Overall, 39.2% of their games have had higher over/under lines than 8.5 runs, and their games have gone over the line in their last two games.
Right-hander Cooper Criswell gets the start for the Red Sox today as he faces the Astros on the road. Criswell has made 13 starts this year and has a record of 5-4 with a 4.56 ERA. Looking at his overall numbers, Criswell has a WHIP of 1.36 and opponents are batting .282 this season. In his 19 appearances, Criswell has turned in just one quality start. Per nine innings, he is averaging 6.84 strikeouts and 2.52 walks. Criswell’s ERA on the road is 7.85 compared to 4.21 at home.
Not only do the Red Sox have the 2nd best batting average in the league this season, but they are also one of the top power-hitting teams in the league, coming in 5th in home runs and 4th in isolated power. Overall, they are averaging 5 runs per game, which is 4th best in the league. Boston has been even better on the road this season, averaging 5.2 runs per contest.
Rafael Devers has been one of the league’s top power hitters this season, as his 27 homers are 10th best in the league and leads the Red Sox. Devers also comes into the game on a five-game hitting streak. Over his last six games, Jarren Duran has gone 9/27 with three homers and six RBIs. For the season, he is batting .293 and is 2nd on the team with 64 RBIs.
Astros Records & Stats
Houston is currently 68-57 overall, putting them five games ahead of the Mariners for the AL West lead. The Astros are 21-18 in divisional matchups this season. So far, they have been good at home, going 35-28, and they are 33-29 on the road.
The Astros have won four straight series, and their overall series record is 23-16-1. As the favorite, the Astros are 52-41 this year, and they are an even 16-16 as the underdog. Looking at their most recent games, the Astros have gone 8-2 over their last 10.
When the Astros win, they win big, with an average run margin of 3.7 runs per game. That’s why their run line record is just 63-62 despite an average run margin of +0.6 runs per game. They have been a better bet on the run line on the road (34-28) than at home (29-34), and they have been a better bet on the run line as the underdog (21-11) than as the favorite (42-51).
When the Astros play at home, the over/under line is set at 8.5 runs, and their games have averaged 8.6 runs per game this season. The over/under record for Houston games this season is 50-71, and when the line is set at 8.5 runs, their record is 16-24. Overall, 37 of their games have had higher over/under lines than 8.5 runs, which accounts for 29.6% of their games. Their current over streak is at 2 games.
Right-hander Justin Verlander gets the start for the Astros today as he faces the Red Sox at home. He has made 10 starts this year and has a record of 3-2 with an ERA of 3.95. Verlander’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.21. Looking at his overall numbers, Verlander has turned in five quality starts and is averaging 8.05 strikeouts per nine innings. In his last outing, he finished with a no-decision, giving up four earned runs in five innings of work. Verlander has not taken a loss since May 24th.
Yordan Alvarez has been a big power threat for the Astros this season, as his 25 homers are the best on the team and 12th in the league. He is also hitting .308, which is the 2nd best mark on the team. Yainer Diaz has been on a tear of late, as he has gone 12/39 in his last nine games with four homers and 10 RBIs. For the season, he is batting .301 with 15 homers and a team-high 71 RBIs.
Over his last nine games, Jeremy Pena has gone 13/34 with three homers and five RBIs. This has pushed his season average to .300. Jose Altuve is also swinging a hot bat right now, as he is on a five-game hitting streak and is batting .300 for the season.