Boston Red Sox vs Arizona Diamondbacks Prediction, Preview and Odds - 05/26/2023

Game Time: 9:40 pm ET, Friday, May 26, 2023

Venue:  Chase Field, Phoenix, AZ

Where to Watch:  BSAZ

DraftKings:  Moneyline odds:  Red Sox -155, D-Backs +135; Over/Under:  9.5 runs

Bet365:  Moneyline odds:  Red Sox -155, D-Backs +135; Over/Under:  9.5 runs

BetMGM:  Moneyline odds:  Red Sox -155, D-Backs +135; Over/Under:  9.5 runs

Boston Red Sox:  26-24 (5th place, AL East)

Arizona Diamondbacks:  29-21 (2nd place, NL West)

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Boston Red Sox:  4-6 last 10

Arizona Diamondbacks:  7-3 last 10

The Red Sox are entering this game on a 4 game losing streak after getting swept in their 3-game series against the Los Angeles Angels 3-0 in their last series. They enter this game with a 26-24 record overall and have a road record of 11-13. This is the series opener of a 3-game series with the D-Backs on Friday and they have Thursday off as a day of rest. Their offense ranks 7th in the MLB with a .765 OPS. James Paxton was their starting pitcher on Wednesday while Chris Sale is making his start in this game on Friday. He is 4-2 with a 5.01 ERA this season. His team won 3 of their last 4 games this season with him making an appearance. In his last MLB regular season start, he allowed 2 ER, 2 HR, and 1 BB with 8 Ks on 3 hits through 7 IP against the San Diego Padres.

The Diamondbacks are entering this game off of a loss in their last game but won their 3-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies 2-1 in their last series. They enter this game with a 29-21 record overall and have a home record of 14-10. This is the series opener of a 3-game series with the Red Sox on Friday and they have Thursday off as a day of rest. Their offense ranks 7th in the MLB with a .765 OPS. Zac Gallen was their starting pitcher on Wednesday while rookie pitcher Brandon Pfaadt is making his start in this game on Friday. He is 0-1 with a 7.65 ERA this season. His team won their last 2 straight games this season with him making an appearance. In his last MLB regular season start, he allowed 3 earned runs, 0 homers, and 2 BB with 3 strikeouts on 6 hits through 5.1 innings played against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The current betting odds have the Red Sox listed as a favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Red Sox haven't been good lately and were just swept on the road by the Angels in their last series but they have a day off on Thursday to regroup and will be eager to bounce back in this series. Their offense has been really good this season and they will be able to put up a ton of runs on the rookie starter that the Diamondbacks are going with. The D-Backs are starting Pfaadt and he hasn't been great in his debut season, giving up a lot of runs in his few starts. The Red Sox are going with Sale here and after a rough start to the season, Sale has been much better in his starts lately and has been giving up less runs as he finds his groove this year. The Red Sox can rely on a good outing from Sale here to keep the Diamondbacks bats at bay while the Red Sox offense feeds on this rookie starter and gives them the bounce back win they so badly need after getting swept. The best way to place a bet here is on the Red Sox to win this game.

Red Sox Diamondbacks Prediction:  Our MLB Pick for Friday, May 26, 2023 (9:40 pm ET start time) is Red Sox 7 Diamondbacks 3.

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Boston Red Sox: 2-8 (-6.4 units) on the moneyline on the road when the money line is +125 to -125. 36-46 (-11.4 units) on the moneyline after a loss by 4 runs or more. 10-3 OVER after 2 straight games where they committed no errors. 30-18 OVER in all games.

Arizona Diamondbacks: 29-21 (+11.4 units) on the moneyline in all games. 14-6 (+10.8 units) on the moneyline after a loss. 32-15 OVER in an inter-league game. 15-9 OVER after 7 or more consecutive road games.

Boston Red Sox:  A. Verdugo (RF) Ques Thurs - Rest. G. Whitlock (RP) Early June - Elbow. Y. Chang (3B) Early June - Wrist. R. Bleier (RP) Out indefinitely - Shoulder. A. Duvall (LF) Mid June - Wrist. W. Mills (RP) Early June - Elbow. C. Arroyo (3B) Early June - Hamstring. J. Schreiber (RP) Out indefinitely - Back. Z. Kelly (RP) Early Sept - Elbow. A. Mondesi (SS) Out indefinitely - Knee. T. Story (2B) Mid July - Elbow.

Arizona Diamondbacks:  K. Lewis (RF) Early June - Illness. C. Kelly (C) Mid June - Forearm. M. Melancon (RP) Late July - Shoulder. Z. Davies (SP) Early June - Oblique. A. Misiewicz (RP) Out indefinitely - Calf. J. Mantiply (RP) Mid June - Hamstring. C. Sulser (RP) Mid June - Shoulder. C. Martin (SP) out for season - Shoulder.

“I think today was a lot better (offensively) than the last two nights. We took our walks and hit some balls hard. Obviously, at the end of the day it's how many runs you score, but I thought the approach was a lot better.” - Alex Cora after his team’s loss against the Angels in their game on Wednesday.

“This game will rip your heart out.” - Torey Lovullo after his team’s loss against the Phillies in their game on Wednesday.

Rob Refsnyder (R) LF

Justin Turner (R) 1B

Masataka Yoshida (L) DH

Rafael Devers (L) 3B

Enrique Hernandez (R) SS

Pablo Reyes (R) 2B

Connor Wong (R) C

Raimel Tapia (L) RF

Jarren Duran (L) CF

Ketel Marte (S) 2B

Corbin Carroll (L) LF

Emmanuel Rivera (R) 3B

Christian Walker (R) 1B

Evan Longoria (R) DH

Pavin Smith (L) RF

Nick Ahmed (R) SS

Dominic Fletcher (L) CF

Jose Herrera (S) C

Batting Average:  Adam Duvall (.455)

Hits:  Alex Verdugo (53)

Home Runs:  Rafael Devers (13)

RBI:  Rafael Devers (44)

Stolen Bases:  Jarren Duran (7)

Wins:  Chris Sale (4)

Saves:  Kenley Jansen (10)

ERA:  Justin Garza (0.00)

Batting Average:  Emmanuel Rivera (.323)

Hits:  Lourdes Gurriel (53)

Home Runs:  Christian Walker (11)

RBI:  Christian Walker (34)

Stolen Bases:  Corbin Carroll (14)

Wins:  Zac Gallen (6)

Saves:  Andrew Chafin (7)

ERA:  Kyle Nelson (2.33)

Managers:

Boston Red Sox: Alex Cora (5th season, 3rd consecutive)

Arizona Diamondbacks: Torey Lovullo (7th season)