It’s still early in the baseball season, but if we’ve learned anything from this sport over the last few years it’s that every game counts. The Boston Red Sox and Houston Astros have both struggled to start the season, but both teams have playoff aspirations and this is one of those series that could loom large in September.
You can bet on MLB odds at BookMaker.eu every day of the season.
ODDS ANALYSIS
These two teams have yet to meet this season, but Houston won four out of six against Boston last year and swept the Red Sox in Minute Maid Park.
Boston will be hovering around .500 when it meets up with the Astros and as of Wednesday night, the Red Sox are 7-7 and -$80 on the moneyline this season. The issue hasn’t been offense for Boston as its scored the second most runs of any team in the American League at 4.7 runs a game. It’s getting awesome production from David Ortiz who is hitting .275 on the year, but his power and extra base hits make him extremely valuable and he is posting a 1.033 OPS through the first few weeks.
He usually starts slow so this kind of production this early in the season bodes well for Boston’s chances to make the playoffs.
When it was announced that Travis Shaw was going to start the season at third base over high-priced flameout Pablo Sandoval, most snickered at how far Sandoval had fallen over a short period of time. Shaw has proven that he is more than just a replacement player though and is second on the team in OPS at .916. His great start has helped when guys that were supposed to contribute more like Mookie Betts and Xander Bogaerts have struggled.
Houston went cold at the end of the season in 2015 and the Astros have carried that cold streak into this new campaign. Houston is 5-10 after Wednesday night’s game against the Rangers and are the second worst moneyline team in the AL having lost bettors $681 this season on $100 bets. Much of the reason for this is a pitching staff that has gotten rocked other than stud Dallas Keuchel, but the offense has had its fair share of problems too.
The Astros may be a little unlucky with how few runs they’ve scored thus far, since six starters are OPSing .850 or higher, but there is a steep drop-off after that and a lot of the guys that have gotten on base have been left stranded. After those six guys, the next highest OPS among Astros’ starters is .554 and guys like Carlos Gomez, Luis Valbuena and Jason Castro aren’t hitting for anything right now.
PROBABLE PITCHERS
It’s unclear who Boston will bring to the mound Sunday night. This should have been Joe Kelly’s turn in the rotation but Kelly was placed on the disabled list after his Tuesday start that saw him pulled after just four batters due to issues with his right shoulder.
The Red Sox will likely call up a minor leaguer for a spot start or two in his absence and the favorites right now are Henry Owens and Roenis Elias to get the call. Both have pitched in the majors before so fortunately it won’t be either one’s maiden start, but neither has much MLB experience.
Houston’s situation is more settled than Boston’s and the Astros will call on Scott Feldman. Feldman has gotten fortunate this season with a moderate 4.11 ERA compared to an alarmingly high 1.63 WHIP but has been able to work his way out of jams.
As long as he can get Houston to its bullpen with a lead though, the Astros will be fine.
LIVE BETTING SCENARIO
Houston’s bullpen has been great this year and if it has a narrow lead late, it’s worth backing the Astros. The relievers have been solid while most of the rotation has been rocked and they’ll be able to close the door if offered the chance.
MLB Odds at BookMaker.eu
The MLB lines for this contest will first be released by BookMaker Sportsbook.
Gamble on the game between every half inning with BookMaker’s live betting feature. Along with an adjusted in-game moneyline, you can wager on what will happen in the next at-bat or how many runs will be scored in the next inning. Live betting is the most exciting way to play! The ballgame pitting the Boston Red Sox versus the Houston Astros will commence Sunday, April 24, 2016, at 8:05 p.m. ET at Minute Maid Park. The matchup will be broadcast live on ESPN.
