Boston Red Sox at Houston Astros Betting Preview
On Tuesday, the Boston Red Sox (52-52) and Houston Astros (67-37) will square off in the second of a three-game series. The Astros will host this one at Minute Maid Park, with the first pitch scheduled for 8:10 pm ET.
Before Monday’s game, these two were connected in a different way as these two completed a trade that sent catcher Christian Vazquez to the Astros for a pair of minor leaguers.
As for the game itself, the Red Sox were able to take this one 3-2 behind a solid outing from Nathan Eovaldi, who allowed just two runs (no earned runs) in 6.1 innings of work.
Offensively, leadoff hitter Jarren Duran did the most damage going two for three with three runs batted in, including a two-run home run in the fifth.
Luis Garcia took the loss for the Astros as he allowed three runs in seven innings. The biggest issue for Houston is that they managed only five hits, two of which were by Aledmys Diaz.
The Astros are the heavy favorites in this one playing at home. They are -250 to win while the Red Sox moneyline sits at +180. The runline features Boston +1.5 (-116), and the over/under for total runs is eight.
Red Sox Could Be Busy Before Game
With the trade deadline set to expire before the start of Tuesday’s game, both of these teams could be busy. For the Red Sox, it could be selling off parts.
Boston has already sent off a couple of pieces as they traded both Vazquez and relief pitcher Jake Diekman, but they also added Tommy Pham from the Cincinnati Reds. They could be an interesting team to watch as they could look to sell off some veterans while also adding pieces to try to stay competitive.
Taking the mound for the Red Sox Tuesday will be 26-year-old righty Kutter Crawford. In 15 games, he is 2-3 with a 4.15 ERA and 1.22 WHIP, and he has 50 strikeouts in 47.2 innings.
In his last three starts, Crawford has given up seven runs in 17.2 innings of work.
Offensively, the team is without Rafael Devers and Trevor Story, but the team still has some pop. Two of the biggest names for Boston’s offense are J.D. Martinez (.288 avg, 9 HR, 40 RBI, 52 R) and Xander Bogaerts (.313 avg, 8 HR, 45 RBI, 57 R). Martinez will be a name to watch, though, as he could be a piece that is moved before the deadline.
Astros Look To Bounce Back In Game 2
It was certainly a topsy-turvy day on Monday for Houston as general manager James Click made three trades, acquiring Trey Mancini, Christian Vazquez, and Will Smith. While more deals could conceivably be made on Tuesday, the team will try to refocus on the field and take Game 2.
On the mound for the Astros Tuesday will be righty Cristian Javier. In 19 games this season, Javier is 6-6 with a 3.26 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, and has 121 strikeouts in 88.1 innings.
In his last three starts combined, Javier has given up seven runs in 13.2 innings. In that span, he has allowed 12 hits while striking out 19.
Yordan Alvarez has been the best hitter for the Astros this season. In 302 at bats, he is hitting .308/.415/.666 with a team-leading 30 home runs, 71 runs batted in, and 67 runs scored.
Over the last week, Aledmys Diaz has been the best hitter on the team. In his last 17 at bats, he is hitting .353/.389/.882 with three home runs and four runs batted in.
Take Astros To Win And Cover
Despite Monday’s outcome, these two teams have been moving in different directions. In their last 18 games, the Red Sox are just 5-13.
In their last 20 home games, the Astros are a solid 15-5. In fact, Houston has been pretty remarkable at Minute Maid Park overall this year at 33-16.
Expect the Astros to bounce back in this one to even up the series. The Astros will be without Alex Bregman (paternity leave), but if a couple of their acquisitions, most notably Trey Mancini, are in the lineup, taking them to cover the -1.5 runline (-116) may not be a bad play either.
