There is a point that the Boston Red Sox will have to look themselves in the mirror and realize that they need to become sellers again at the trade deadline instead of buyers.
They’re 42-53 and down 17.50 units on the season, and unless they go on a real run before Monday's game against the 42-50 Chicago White Sox, it's tough to see how Ben Cherington can act as if his team is still in the mix.
ODDS ANALYSIS
The Pale Hose are making no bones about the fact that they are sellers at the deadline even though they actually have a better record than Boston does coming into this weekend.
Chicago's big problem this year has come against the run-line. The team is down 9.65 units for moneyline bettors, but against baseball's version of the point spread, the Sox are out 19 units for their bettors.
PITCHING MATCHUP
Joe Kelly is scheduled to get the ball in this game for the Red Sox. He was picked up last year at the trade deadline from St. Louis, and has been nothing short of a disaster this season.
The righty is just 2-6 in 15 starts with a 5.74 ERA, but the fact of the matter is that the team just doesn't have anyone else to replace him with. Boston will continue to give up 4+ runs in his starts, something it’s done six times in his last seven starts.
John Danks has suddenly caught some fire. He’s tossed 12.2 straight scoreless innings, though it should be noted that that lowered his ERA to just 4.66.
The southpaw has also been atrocious on the road, going 2-5 with a 5.68 ERA. Men are reaching base at a ridiculous .345 clip against him away from US Cellular Field as well.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"We're not where we want to be. The last 10 days or so haven't gone well, and not the way we wanted them to go. I don't think it changes anything in the big picture. We've still got to pursue things that are going to make us better and continue to try to build a good team as quickly as we can." – Red Sox GM Ben Cherington on Boston's current seven-game losing streak
SITUATIONAL BETTING
Technically, David Robertson blew a save on Wednesday night, but he was brought into a bad spot with the bases loaded in the eighth inning of a one-run game. He did get out of the inning without conceding any of his own runs to score, and now has 7.1 straight scoreless innings to his credit with just three hits and one walk allowed against 13 strikeouts in that span.
PROP TALK
Since the start of the second half of the year, Mookie Betts has been atrocious for the Sox. The argument could be made that the 22-year old has been overrated all year long, but this particular stretch has been rough. He’s just 1-of-20 since the start of the second half, and has just one run scored and two RBIs in that span.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
The Red Sox are poison right now, and even though Danks isn't exactly an elite hurler on the mound, we would bet that he will be good enough to earn the win in this game.
The boo birds should be out in Boston for Kelly once again, and it wouldn't be surprising if he was in the showers after just three or four innings even though the White Sox have one of the worst offenses in the game.
Chicago 7, Boston 4
The MLB lines for this Monday contest will be first released by BookMaker Sportsbook. Since this game can be seen by anyone with a TV, BookMaker will have a multitude of wagering options available for it. Outside of the normal lines, you can gamble on real-time moneylines, player props and inning totals. Live betting is open during every commercial break!
Access live betting lines from your mobile device at BookMaker Sportsbook! You can wager on sporting events as they unfold on television with BookMaker's live betting platform. Real-time spreads, totals, props and moneyline odds are all available by clicking here, so start betting with BookMaker today! The ballgame pitting the Chicago White Sox versus the Boston Red Sox will commence at 7:10 p.m. ET on Monday, July 27, 2015 at Fenway Park in Boston, MA. The matchup will be televised live on ESPN.
