Entering the season with the longest odds of any MLB team to reach the playoffs, the Baltimore Orioles have surprised everyone. Playing a game in a minor league ballpark to promote baseball to little leaguers would have been appropriate for them in previous years with a winning percentage below .340 in each of the past three full seasons while looking like a minor league squad. It was a stretch to think the club could expedite its rebuild, but here they are in the dog days contending for a wild card. They wrap up a huge series against AL East rival Boston Red Sox on Sunday Night Baseball in the MLB Little Classic from Williamsport, PA.
The MLB Little League Classic confrontation between the Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles is set for 7:10 p.m. ET on Sunday, August 21, 2022. The game will air live on ESPN from Muncy Bank Ballpark in Williamsport, PA. BookMaker.eu will have betting options for every game of the MLB season.
MLB Betting Odds at BookMaker.eu
Odds Analysis
Just when it looked like the Sox were throwing in the towel they revived their playoff hopes with a mini run that started with a 4-3 win over the Orioles last week. They were able to win four of five games on the strength of solid pitching, which has been missing most of the season. During that span the Sox allowed three runs or less after giving up at least five runs in the previous six games that saw them win just once.
We know teams go through spurts of good and bad play during the course of a long season, but the Sox have taken that to another level with the past several weeks just adding to the confusion. They struggled in April, leveled off in May and hit another gear in June winning nearly 77 percent of their games. That month alone kept them in the playoff hunt, but performing better against division foes will likely decide their fate. The Sox have a losing record against every AL East foe going 4-5 against the O’s and 15-30 overall. It would behoove them to pick up the pace since 28 of their final 40 games are against division rivals.
The Orioles were the butt of a lot of jokes over the past several years and deservedly so since they were, well, terrible. Before the season their win total was around 60.5 depending on the shop. Congratulations if you bet the OVER since the O’s picked up win No. 61 on Tuesday in their 116th game. Too bad you don’t get paid on the number of games a team goes over its projected total because the Birds aren’t done winning.
Fans outside Baltimore have no clue about the roster. Anthony Santander leads with 20 home runs and Cedric Mullins has 117 hits. Jordan Lyles leads the staff with nine wins. And despite trading Trey Mancini and closer Jorge Lopez they remain in the thick of the playoff race. At 61-55 following a win over Toronto on Tuesday, the Orioles are the most profitable team in baseball. They are over $2600 in the red on the moneyline, more than $1000 better than the Mets.
Probable Pitchers
The Sox have gone through a lot of hurlers with 12 players starting multiple games this season. One constant, however, has been Nick Pivetta (9-9, 4.28 ERA), who makes his 25th start. He’s had his ups and downs, but Pivetta turned in his best effort of the year last time out allowing just one hit over seven shutout innings to beat the Pirates. It was his first victory in nine starts. He’s had a pair of mixed outings against the O’s this year giving up six hits and three runs in 4.1 innings in a 9-5 loss on May 1. Four weeks later he surrendered five hits and one run in six innings in a 12-2 victory. The Sox cashed the OVER in Pivetta’s last three starts and in nine of his last 10 outings.
It’s been four years since the Manny Machado trade to LA and the O’s are starting to see it pay off. Following unproductive brief stints with the club the previous two seasons, Dean Kremer (5-4, 3.58 ERA) has become a contributor in the rotation. He tossed a season-high 98 pitches over seven innings last time out holding Toronto to two runs and seven hits to get his second win in three starts. Opponents hit .279 against Kremer, but he makes them work for runs. He allows just two walks / 9IP with seven home runs in 70.1 innings. He’s struggled against the Sox, though, giving up four runs and six hits in 5.2 innings in a loss last week and he has an uncomfortable 9.45 ERA and 1.73 WHIP in three lifetime starts.
Red Sox vs. Orioles MLB Odds Pick
We’ve seen both starters struggle in the series and the bullpens are questionable, especially since the O’s traded their closer, so runs can be had. And three of the previous four MLB Little League Classic games went over the total making that look like a good bet. The O’s look like they’ve arrived so why not ride the best investment in baseball?
MLB Odds Prediction: Baltimore Orioles / OVER
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