The Boston Red Sox are paying a visit to Globe Life Park to face the Texas Rangers. The first pitch is scheduled for 8:05 p.m. ET and New England Sports Network will televise this AL matchup.
Boston Red Sox at Texas Rangers Odds
Texas (+130) is the underdog to Boston (-140) and oddsmakers have the Over/Under for this night game at 9.5 runs (-110 for the over and -110 for the under). You can also wager on the game’s runline with the most recent odds coming in at Red Sox -1.5 runs (+105) and Rangers 1.5 runs (-125).
The Rangers are 12-20 SU and 13-18 ATS. They’ve lost 0.9 units for bettors taking the moneyline and 9.1 units against the spread (ATS). The Red Sox are 22-8 SU and have gone 14-15 ATS. In total, the team’s accumulated 8.2 units for gamblers taking the moneyline in the season’s early going, but have lost 1.2 units ATS.
Texas games have a 16-13-2 over/under record so far in 2018. Red Sox games have gone over 16 times, gone under 12 times and pushed on one occasion.
Southpaw David Price is projected to start for the visiting Red Sox. Price is 2-3 with a 3.78 ERA and 28 strikeouts. He has yet to face the Rangers this year and only made one start against them in 2017 (1-0, 0.00 ERA and nine strikeouts across six innings).
The Rangers are putting the ball in the hands of lefty Mike Minor (2-1, 4.33 ERA), who has 24 strikeouts and six walks to his name, as well as a 1.15 WHIP. Minor did not record a start against the Red Sox in 2017.
As a unit, Texas’ pitching staff has allowed 5.4 runs per game overall this season. The club’s starters have an ERA of 5.18, a WHIP of 1.51 and a strikeouts-per-nine of 7.3. The bullpen has a 4.56 ERA, 1.41 WHIP and 8.2 K/9.
The Texas offense has produced 3.9 runs per outing, including 4.9 per game over its last 10 games and 5.2 per game over its last five. The team’s hit .257/.312/.524 over its last five matchups and is 2-3 SU during that span.
Joey Gallo and Shin-soo Choo have led the Rangers’ offense this year. Gallo is hitting .225/.306/.508 with 10 home runs, 22 RBIs and 19 runs scored, while Choo’s line is .252/.340/.439 with five homers, 15 RBIs and 20 runs scored.
Gallo performed well against left-handed pitching at home in 2017, slashing .259/.429/.556 in 70 such plate appearances (his overall season line was .209/.332/.536).
For the visitors, Boston’s pitching staff allowed 3.6 runs per game and its starters own a 3.22 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 9.09 K/9. The bullpen has logged an ERA of 3.69, along with a K-per-9 of 9.77.
Red Sox hitters have slashed .272/.340/.457 on their way to 5.7 runs scored per game this season, including 4.7 runs per game over the team’s last 10 games and 6.2 per game over the team’s last five outings (3-2 SU).
Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez have led Boston’s offense. Betts is slashing .365/.451/.823 with 11 home runs, 21 RBIs and 32 runs scored, while Martinez is hitting .343/.392/.593 with six homers, 24 RBIs and 18 runs scored.
Maintaining a slash line of .306/.412/.516 across 148 plate appearances, Betts enjoyed batting against left-handed pitching last year (compared to his total season slash line of .264/.344/.459).
The Red Sox have lost 2.2 units and are 2-3 ATS when facing a lefty starter this season. The over has cashed in one of those games, compared to four that’ve gone under in such games. On the other hand, the Rangers have lost 2.8 units and are 2-6 ATS when facing a lefty starter. The over’s cashed in five of those games, compared to two that went under the total.
Boston Red Sox at Texas Rangers Free Pick
Predictions: SU Winner – Red Sox, ATS Winner – Red Sox, O/U – OVER
Notes
Betting Trends
The over has cashed in four of Texas’ last seven games.
The Red Sox have won three of their last four games SU.
Boston fielders have committed six errors over their last five games, compared to three errors for Texas over its last five.
The Red Sox have hit 12 home runs in their last 10 games, including nine over their last five.
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