Houston Astros vs Boston Red Sox Prediction, Preview and Odds - 08/09/2024

Game Time: 7:10 pm ET, Friday, August 9, 2024

Venue:  Fenway Park, Boston, MA

Where to Watch:  NESN

DraftKings:  Moneyline odds:  Astros -105, Red Sox -115; Over/Under:  9 runs

Bet365:  Moneyline odds:  Astros -105, Red Sox -115; Over/Under:  9 runs

BetMGM:  Moneyline odds:  Astros -105, Red Sox -115; Over/Under:  9 runs

Houston Astros:  59-55 (1st place, AL West)

Boston Red Sox:  61-52 (3rd place, AL East)

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Houston Astros:  4-6 last 10

Boston Red Sox:  6-4 last 10

The Astros are entering this series off a win and won their 3-game series against the Texas Rangers 2-1 in their last series. They enter this game with a 59-55 record overall and have a road record of 27-29. 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 11th in the MLB with a .733 OPS. Yusei Kikuchi was their starting pitcher on Wednesday while Ronel Blanco is making his start in this game on Friday. He is 9-6 with a 2.98 ERA this season. His team lost 3 of their last 4 games this season with him making an appearance. In his last MLB regular season start, he allowed 2 ER, 1 HR, and 2 BB with 7 Ks on 6 hits through 5 IP against the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Red Sox are entering this series off a loss and won their 3-game series against the Kansas City Royals 2-1 in their last series. They enter this game with a 61-52 record overall and have a home record of 27-28. This is the 1st game of a 3-game series with the Astros on Friday and they have Thursday off as a day of rest. Their offense ranks 1st in the MLB with a .774 OPS. Kutter Crawford was their starting pitcher on Wednesday while Tanner Houck is making his start in this game on Friday. He is 8-8 with a 3.09 ERA this season. His team lost their last 3 straight games this season with him making an appearance. In his last MLB regular season start, he allowed 6 earned runs, 2 homers, and 2 BB with 7 strikeouts on 8 hits through 5 innings played against the Texas Rangers.

The current betting odds have the Astros listed as a slight underdog in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Astros have looked good in their games this season with their 59-55 record overall which has them leading the AL West and fighting to keep that spot. They haven't looked great in their road games though with their 27-29 road record. Meanwhile, the Red Sox have looked good in their games this season with their 61-52 record overall which has them in 3rd place of the AL East, but that record also has them fighting for a Wild Card spot. They have been worse in their home games though, going 27-28 in their home games this year. The Red Sox have been getting hot lately with their 6-4 record in their last 10 games, but the Astros will have some momentum from a series against the Rangers in their last one, and they will also have the advantage with the pitching matchup. Houck is on the mound for the Red Sox in this one and he hasn't looked bad this season, but lately he hasn't been great. He is 8-8 with a 3.09 ERA this season but he gave up 6 earned runs in his last start and the team has lost 3 games in a row with him starting too. Blanco is on the mound for the Astros in this one and he is 9-6 with a 2.98 ERA, but he hasn't been giving up many runs in his starts lately. He gave up 2 earned runs in his last start which has been a common theme for him this season. His team has lost 3 of the last 4 games he started in, but he is due for a win here with how consistent he has been. The Red Sox do have a really good offense, but so do the Astros and they will be able to take advantage of this pitching matchup in a ballpark where the Red Sox have struggled all season. The best way to place a bet here is on the Astros to win this game. 

Astros Red Sox Prediction:  Our MLB Pick for Friday, August 9, 2024 (7:10 pm ET start time) is Astros 6 Red Sox 2.

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Houston Astros: 26-15 (+8.20 units) on the moneyline in their last 41 games. 33-23 (+11.65 units) on the runline in their last 56 games. 

Boston Red Sox: 46-57 (-19.60 units) on the runline in their last 103 games. 37-44 (-7.25 units) on the first 5 moneyline in their last 81 games. 

Houston Astros:  L. McCullers Jr. (SP) out of season - Forearm. K. Tucker (RF) Out indefinitely - Shin. K. Graveman (RP) out for season - Shoulder. J. Verlander (SP) Early July - Neck. C. Javier (SP) out of season - Forearm. J. Urquidy (SP) out for season - Forearm. B. Sousa (RP) out for season - Shoulder. O. Ortega (RP) Late July - Elbow. P. Murfee (SP) Mid July - Elbow. L. Garcia (SP) Mid July - Elbow.

Boston Red Sox:  T. O'Neill (RF) Late Aug - Illness. B. Mata (SP) Out indefinitely - Hamstring. J. Slaten (RP) Out indefinitely - Elbow. L. Hendriks (RP) Early August - Elbow. G. Whitlock (RP) Out indefinitely - Oblique. C. Murphy (RP) out for season - Elbow. V. Grissom (2B) Out indefinitely - Hamstring. L. Giolito (SP) out for season - Elbow. T. Casas (3B) Out indefinitely - Ribs. T. Story (2B) out for season - Shoulder.

“It’s important. We don’t know what’s going to happen in the next 50 games. We just want to put our club in a good position to win the West. It matters.” - Joe Espada after his team’s win against the Rangers in their game on Wednesday.

“That kid is special. He’s special. The way he conducts himself, the way he plays the game. From our dugout, I hate it, but I love it. He’s so polite. I think the game is in good hands.” - Alex Cora after his team’s loss against the Royals in their game on Wednesday.

J Altuve (R) 2B

A Bregman (R) 3B

Y Alvarez (L) LF

Y Diaz (R) DH

J Peña (R) SS

V Caratini (S) C

J Meyers (R) CF

Z Dezenzo (R) 1B

M Dubón (R) RF

J Duran (L) LF

R Refsnyder (R) RF

R Gonzalez (R) 2B

R Devers (L) 3B

C Wong (R) 1B

D Jansen (R) C

M Yoshida (L) DH

N Sogard (S) SS

C Rafaela (R) CF

Batting Average:  César Salazar (.318)

Hits:  Jose Altuve (138)

Home Runs:  Yordan Alvarez (22)

RBI:  Yainer Diaz (59)

Stolen Bases:  Jose Altuve (15)

Wins:  Framber Valdez (11)

Saves:  Josh Hader (24)

ERA:  Dylan Coleman (0.00)

Batting Average:  Danny Jansen (.429)

Hits:  Jarren Duran (140)

Home Runs:  Rafael Devers (25)

RBI:  Rafael Devers (70)

Stolen Bases:  David Hamilton (28)

Wins:  Brayan Bello (10)

Saves:  Kenley Jansen (21)

ERA:  Lucas Sims (0.00)

Managers:

Houston Astros: Joe Espada (1st season)

Boston Red Sox: Álex Cora (4th season)