ODDS ANALYSIS
The Texas Rangers return home following a successful road trip to take on the slumping Boston Red Sox in a four-game weekend set. The Rangers won seven of nine on their journey and look to improve on their MLB-low home win total.
There was a glimmer of hope last week when the Red Sox ended their brief six-game homestand with a pair of wins over the Angels to finish at 3-3. But things went south when the Sox hit the road, getting swept in Minnesota to drop their road record to 11-14. Wednesday’s loss put the Sox at 3-7 over their last 10 games, down 6.33 units on the moneyline in that span, and in the red 9.57 units for the season. The under is 10-4 in Boston’s last 14 games and 24-22-1 overall.
The Rangers lost the first and last games of their road trip and in between they won a season-high seven straight. They look to transfer some of that road magic to their home play and there’s a good chance they can when they face the stumbling Red Sox. Texas was the underdog in each of its nine games on the road ending the trip up 8.6 units on the moneyline with the under going 5-4. The Rangers started the trip winning twice in Boston cashing the under in all three.
PITCHING MATCHUP
Boston’s Steven Wright (2-1, 3.68 ERA) had his finest start of the season Saturday allowing just two runs on four hits in 6.1 innings in a win over the Angels. The knuckleballer will make his fifth career start and third this season in place of Justin Masterson, who is on the DL, and opponents hit .247 against him.
Wright will make his first career appearance against the Rangers.
Texas’ Yovani Gallardo (4-6, 4.13 ERA) tossed six innings of two-run ball in Sunday’s win over the Yankees allowing just four hits and walk with six strikeouts. Both runs scored in the first inning and he settled in nicely after a rough start.
Gallardo faced the Sox on May 19 giving up four runs over five innings in a 4-3 loss at Fenway Park and is 1-2 with a 5.52 ERA in three career starts against them.
QUOTE TO NOTE
“It’s perfect they had the mentality that we don’t need him to jump right in and be the guy he’s supposed to be. It lets me know they’re in a good place as a team. The chemistry is good.” – Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton after making his season debut Monday.
LIVE BETTING or SITUATIONAL BETTING
With a long stretch of games without a day off, the Red Sox are altering their rotation slightly entering this weekend’s series. Eduardo Rodriguez was called up from Triple-A for Thursday’s start with other starters getting pushed back an extra day. Manager John Farrell elected to go with another arm in the rotation to ease the burden on the pitching staff, especially with the recent struggles of Joe Kelly, who lasted just 1.2 innings his last time out. “We’re building in a sixth starter through this time through the rotation,” Farrell said after Wednesday’s loss. We’re not sure if the strategy will work, but it sounds like a desperation move.
PROP TALK
Prince Fielder is putting up video games numbers recently and Rangers are rolling behind their big first baseman. Texas didn’t get much of an opportunity to see what their prized acquisition could do last year when he was done for the year after 40 games. He’s making up for it now. Fielder had just one hit Wednesday, snapping a string of four straight three-hit games, but hit .462 on the road trip to lead the AL at .368. He will cool off eventually but Fielder is wielding a hot stick right now and he drives in a few against the Sox.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
It’s hard to imagine the Sox having such a difficult time scoring runs with the lineup they roll out, but it has been a struggle and the losses keep piling up. They limp into Texas after getting handed a three-game sweep by the Twins and they’ve been dealing with the same issues for the last month – lack of run production and poor starting pitching. Steven Wright has been good, but he’s not a shutdown starter and the Rangers touch him up for some runs.
Hoping to continue the solid play that got them seven wins in their recently completed nine-game road trip, the Rangers look to reverse their fortunes in their own yard and look to former MVP Josh Hamilton to help out. Hamilton made his season debut in Cleveland after coming over in a trade with the Angels and got his first hit Wednesday. If Hamilton can provide anything the Rangers suddenly are a more potent offensive club than they’ve been.
Texas 7, Boston 3
BookMaker will be the first online sportsbook to send out the baseball odds for this marquee matchup. 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!
Need to fund your account before the big game but don’t have your computer? No problem, BookMaker Sportsbook now offers a mobile betting cashier so you can deposit money directly from your smartphone. Don’t miss out on getting paid because you couldn’t bet, click here and deposit at BookMaker now! The ballgame between the Boston Red Sox and Texas Rangers will take place Friday, May 29, 2015, at 8:05 p.m. ET at Globe Life Park in Arlington. You can watch the contest live on the MLB Network.
