Wednesday’s matchup between the Athletics and Red Sox is set to get started at 7:10 PM ET from Fenway Park in Boston, MA. Oakland is currently on a two-game losing streak and is 34-59 overall, while the Red Sox have won two straight and are 3rd in the AL East with a record of 50-40.
The over/under line for this one is at 9.5 runs, and the Red Sox are the heavy favorite on the money line, with their odds sitting at -184 compared to the Athletics at +155. Nick Pivetta will start for Boston, while the Athletics are sending JP Sears to the mound.
Struggling Athletics Look to Turn Tide as JP Sears Takes the Mound Against Red Sox,
The Athletics are 34-59 overall and are 5th in the AL West, 16 games behind the Mariners for the division lead. Oakland lost the final game of their series vs. the Angels and have dropped the first game of this series vs. the Red Sox. At home, the Athletics are 22-25 this year, and they are just 12-34 on the road. As the underdog, the Athletics are 27-57 this year and 7-2 as the favorite. Oakland has dropped two straight games as the underdog, and their overall series record is 9-19-1.
Left-hander JP Sears gets the start for the Athletics today as he faces the Red Sox on the road. Sears has made 18 starts this year and has a record of 5-7 with an ERA of 4.74. His WHIP for the season is 1.27, and opponents are batting .249 off Sears this year. In his last outing, Sears picked up the win, going five innings and not giving up a run to the Angels. Before that, he had given up at least three earned runs in three straight outings. Sears’ ERA at home is 9.68 compared to 4.98 on the road. The Athletics have struggled to score runs this season, averaging just 3.8 runs per game, which ranks 28th in the league. However, their home offense has been slightly better, averaging 4.3 runs per game, which is 16th in the league. They have hit 111 home runs this season, which is 5th best in the league. Brent Rooker has been one of the Athletics’ top hitters this season, with a .282 batting average and 18 home runs. He’s been red hot lately, hitting .433 over his last 9 games. The Athletics have a few players on hitting streaks, including Rooker, Zack Gelof, and Max Schuemann.
Red Sox Look to Close Gap in AL East as Pivetta Takes the Mound Against Athletics,
The Red Sox are 50-40 overall and trail the Orioles by 6.5 games in the AL East. They are 3rd in the division and have gone 13-11 in AL East matchups. Boston is 21-23 at home this season and will be facing the Athletics today. The over/under line for this game is set at 9.5 runs, and the Red Sox have a combined run average of 9.0 runs per game. They are 44-40 on the over/under this season, and when the line is set at 9.5 runs, they are 5-6. Only 5.6% of their games have had an over/under line of 9.5 runs or higher this season.
Nick Pivetta is 4-5 with a 4.06 ERA through 13 starts for the Red Sox. He has a WHIP of 1.14 and has 2.36 walks per nine innings compared to 10.22 strikeouts. Pivetta has made five quality starts this season. The Red Sox offense is 11th in scoring at 4.7 runs per game, and they are 7th on the road at 5.0 runs per game. Rafael Devers is hitting .296 with 21 home runs and 58 RBI and is currently on a 3-game hitting streak. Jarren Duran is hitting .276 with 10 home runs and 41 RBI.
Red Sox to Triumph at Home; Bet on the Over and Pivetta’s Strikeouts,
Our prediction for the Athletics vs. Red Sox matchup is to take the Red Sox to pick up the win at home. However, with the money line payout for the Red Sox being -184, we recommend taking the over, with the line sitting at 9.5 runs.
If you’re looking for a potential payout for a starting pitcher, we have Nick Pivetta finishing with six strikeouts, which is good for sixth among starters today. As for JP Sears, he is projected to finish with five K’s, which is 20th.
