Wednesday's Red Sox vs. Astros game has a first pitch set for 2:10 PM ET from Minute Maid Park in Houston. The Red Sox are 66-59 this season, and they are starting Cooper Criswell. The Astros are 68-57 and Justin Verlander.
MLBN is carrying this game on TV, and the Astros are the betting favorite at -150. The over/under line is currently 8.5 runs. In the AL East, the Red Sox are 3rd, while the Astros are leading the AL West.
Boston vs. Houston Matchup At A Glance
- Teams: Red Sox at Astros
- Where: Minute Maid Park Houston
- Date: Wednesday, August 21st
- Betting Odds HOU -150 | BOS +127 O/U 8.5
Red Sox vs Astros Last Game Recap
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.
At the plate, Jarren Duran went 4/4 with a home run, but Triston Casas was the only other Red Sox hitter to have more than one hit. Yainer Diaz hit a home run for the Astros, going 2/4.
Red Sox Preview
Heading into today's game, the Red Sox are 66-59 for the season and are 5-5 in their last ten games. The series against the Astros is tied at 1-1, and Boston will be aiming to take the series lead with a win today.
On the road, the Red Sox have a 37-27 straight-up record and a 38-28 run line record as underdogs. Their games have averaged 9.8 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 66-52. The O/U record for games with an 8.5 run total is 23-13.
Right-hander Cooper Criswell is getting the start for the Red Sox today as he faces the Astros on the road. This year, he has made 13 starts and 19 total appearances. Criswell's record for the season is 5-4, and he comes in with an ERA of 4.56. One of the key stats to watch for Criswell is his batting average allowed, which is currently .282. Looking back at his last outing, Criswell picked up the win out of the bullpen, going 3 1/3 innings and giving up six hits and one earned run. Before that, he had three straight outings in which he didn't give up an earned run.
Heading into today's game, the Red Sox are 4th in the league in runs scored, averaging 5 runs per game. They have been even better on the road this season, averaging 5.2 runs per contest. Overall, they are one of the league's top home run-hitting teams and have the 2nd best team batting average in the MLB.
Over his last six games, Jarren Duran has gone 9/27 with three homers and six RBIs. For the season, he is batting .293 with 17 homers. Rafael Devers also has 27 homers this season and is batting .297. Devers has the team's longest active hitting streak at five games.
Astros Preview
Heading into today's game, the Astros have won four straight series and hold a 5.0 game lead over the Mariners in the AL West with a 68-57 record. Their overall series record this season is 23-16-1. The Astros have an average run margin of +0.6 runs per game, but their run line record is just 63-62.
As favorites, the Astros are 52-41 straight up, but on the run line, they are 42-51. The over/under record in their games this season is 50-71, with the average total runs per game being 8.6. The over is 16-24 when the O/U line is set at 8.5 runs, and the current over streak is at 2 games.
Justin Verlander is looking to bounce back from a rough outing vs. the Angels, as he finished with a no-decision after giving up four earned runs in five innings of work. He has finished with a no-decision in each of his last three outings. Verlander has made 10 starts this year and has a record of 3-2 with a 3.95 ERA. Opponents are batting .237 off the right-hander this season. Verlander has allowed a total of 11 home runs this year, and his ERA at home is 5.83 compared to 3.66 on the road.
Yordan Alvarez has been a big power threat for the Astros this season, as his 25 homers are the most 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 also been a big power threat, as he has 15 homers and is batting .301. Over his last nine games, Diaz has gone 12/39 with four homers. Kyle Tucker and Alex Bregman are also near the top of the Astros' home run leaderboard, with 19 and 19, respectively.
Jose Altuve comes into the game on a five-game hitting streak and is batting .300 for the season. He and Yordan Alvarez are both near the top of the Astros' home run leaderboard, with 16 and 25 homers, respectively. Altuve has 53 RBIs, while Alvarez is 2nd on the team with 66.
Red Sox vs. Astros Prediction: Astros ML -150
Our prediction for this Red Sox vs. Astros matchup is to take the Astros on the money line at -150. We have the Astros winning this one by a score of 6-5. Looking at the starting pitchers, Justin Verlander has the third-best projected strikeout total among starters, and we have him finishing with seven K's.
If you're looking for a player to parlay with Verlander, we have some projections for Cooper Criswell. He is projected to finish with six strikeouts, and the Red Sox are projected to finish with nine hits.
