Pitching problems have led the Boston Red Sox to a 47-60 record with 20.24 in losses for bettors thus far in 2015. Even though Friday's foes, the Detroit Tigers are just 51-55 and -6.07 units, their explosive offense could give the BoSox big problems.
ODDS ANALYSIS
Both of these teams have been a disaster from a run-line standpoint this year. The Tigers are -15.12 units, including going just 21-32 for bettors at home against the run-line, while the Red Sox are just 44-63 in totality against the run-line and down 23.60 units.
PITCHING MATCHUP
Newly acquired Daniel Norris will get the ball for the second time as a member of the Tigers on Friday night, and he should be met with a nice ovation from the fans in Detroit which he will pitch in front of for the first time.
Norris was lights out in his first start with his new team, allowing just one run over 7.1 innings against a good Baltimore lineup.
The lefty is 2-1 with a 3.23 ERA for the season in totality, though his sample set is just six games.
With Rick Porcello going on the DL, the Red Sox once again have shuffling to do with their rotation. They haven't announced a starter yet for this one, but all signs point to Joe Kelly getting the ball.
Kelly has a 6.11 ERA this year, and his struggles continued when he allowed five runs in five innings against Tampa Bay in his last start. Though Kelly did get the win that day, he has now allowed at least four earned runs in four straight starts, and hasn't pitched out of the sixth inning in any of those duels.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"The results are obvious. Anyone can see how successful he was today. But the thing that impressed me the most was the process he used to get those results. The demeanor on the mound, the poise, the pace that he pitched with, how fast he got the ball and got back on the rubber and said, 'Let's go.'" – Detroit catcher James McCann after Norris' first start as a member of the Tigers
SITUATIONAL BETTING
It appears as though the ninth inning role for the Tigers now belongs to Alex Wilson with Joakim Soria traded at the deadline to Pittsburgh.
The reliever has the best stats of any member of the Detroit bullpen, posting a 1.76 ERA in 56.1 innings of work. He is 1-for-1 taking over his new role, but we remain concerned that he sports a K/9 of just 5.27.
PROP TALK
Very quietly, Mike Napoli is finally starting to hit the ball again. The slugger has had a disastrous campaign, batting .211 for the Sox with a strikeout rate of 26.2 percent.
However, since the All-Star break, Napoli is batting a healthier .267, and is driving the ball once again with five extra base hits in that span. He could be a sneaky prop play on Friday.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
In the end, Boston's offense isn't going to be enough in this one. We do suspect that Norris is going to struggle just a bit against the potency of the Beantown 'O', but he's got a lot more to bring to the table than Kelly does against the team with the best batting average in baseball.
Only the Detroit bullpen scares us, but to get out of that, a first half bet might be in order on the hosts.
Detroit 6, Boston 4
The baseball betting odds for this Friday game will first be available at BookMaker Sportsbook. BookMaker is going to have multiple betting options available for this televised baseball matchup. Live wagering during commercials offers an adjusted moneyline, individual inning run totals and next hitter results. Log in and start gambling during the game now!
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook! The game between the Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers will start at 7:08 p.m. ET on Friday, August 7, 2015 at Comerica Park in Detroit, MI.
