Houston Astros vs Boston Red Sox Picks and Predictions August 19th 2024

At 8:10 PM ET, the Red Sox and Astros will face off in an AL matchup. Monday’s matchup is taking place at Minute Maid Park in Houston, and the Astros are favored on the money line, with their odds sitting at -125. The money line odds for a Red Sox win are sitting at +106, and the over/under line is at 8.5 runs.

Boston is 65-58 this season and is 3rd in the AL East, while the Astros are leading the AL West with a record of 67-56. Houston comes into the game on a two-game winning streak. Monday’s starting pitching matchup features Tanner Houck for the Red Sox and Yusei Kikuchi for the Astros.

Boston vs. Houston Key Information

Heading into today’s game, the Red Sox are 4th in the league in runs scored at 5 runs per game. They have been even better on the road, averaging 5.3 runs per contest. Overall, they are one of the league’s top home run-hitting teams, and their team batting average of .262 is the 2nd best mark in the league. Boston has also been very good at avoiding strikeouts this season.

Join for Premium Betting Tips! Register Now.

Rafael Devers is not only the Red Sox’s top home run hitter this season, but his 77 RBIs are the best mark on the team and 15th best in the league. He also comes into the game on a six-game hitting streak, during which he has gone 8/25 with two homers. Over his last six games, Devers has six RBIs. Jarren Duran is 2nd on the team in RBIs and is batting .287 for the season.

Yusei Kikuchi gets the start for the Astros today and is coming off a strong outing vs. the Rays. In that August 13th start, he went 5 2/3 innings, picking up the win and giving up just one earned run. Looking back further, Kikuchi has won each of his last two outings and has not taken a loss since July 16th. The left-hander has a record of 6-9 this season and an ERA of 4.49. Out of his 25 starts, Kikuchi has turned in eight quality starts and is averaging 10.47 strikeouts per nine innings. For the year, he has allowed 19 homers.

Heading into today’s game, the Astros are averaging 4.6 runs per game, which is 12th in the league. They have been a good home run hitting team this season and are batting a collective .260, which is 3rd in the MLB. Houston’s offense has been even better of late, as Alex Bregman has gone 13/31 in his last seven games, with four homers and 10 runs scored. Yordan Alvarez has also gone deep four times in his last nine games, while batting .387.

Yainer Diaz has been the Astros’ top run producer this season, with 69 RBIs. He is also batting .298 and has 13 homers. Alvarez is right behind him in terms of RBIs, and his 25 homers are the best mark on the team and 12th in the league. Kyle Tucker and Alex Bregman are also tied for 2nd on the team with 19 homers.

For an over/under pick, our lean is on the over. This game is projected to be the 6th highest-scoring game of today’s league slate, and the 5th most home run-hitting game. As for a winner, we are leaning toward the Red Sox to pick up the win. Boston starter Tanner Houck has the best chance to pick up a win among today’s starters, and Yusei Kikuchi is projected to have a short outing for the Astros.

Red Sox Seek Redemption Against Astros After Tough Home Sweep

The Boston Red Sox are preparing for a urgent three-game series against the Houston Astros, starting Monday. With season finisher trusts on the line, the Red still up in the air to quickly return in the wake of being cleared at home by the Astros last end of the week. In the mean time, Houston enters the series with force and a refreshed warm up area, because of heavenly exhibitions by their starters in the past series against the Chicago White Sox.

Astros Enjoying some real success with Solid Pitching

In their new series against the Chicago White Sox, the Astros got precisely exact thing they required from their beginning pitchers. Tracker Brown and Framber Valdez delivered predominant exhibitions, each contributing seven innings their separate games. Earthy colored drove the Astros to a 6-1 triumph on Saturday, while Valdez shut down the White Sox in a 2-0 win on Sunday. These solid trips permitted the warm up area to remain new, as relievers Bryan Abreu, Bryan King, and closer Josh Hader required just 51 pitches to cover the last 12 outs across the two triumphs.

“Just getting our starters to take us deep in the game is very important because it allows us to get those guys in the bullpen a breather and keep them fresh for this long stretch,” said Astros manager Joe Espada. “Any time we get our starters to do what they’re doing, it’s really good, and we need more of that.”

The Astros, currently holding a four-game lead in the AL West, are poised to take full advantage of their rested bullpen as they face the Red Sox.

Red Sox Ready to Battle Despite Setbacks

The Red Sox enter this series 3.5 games back from the last American League wild-card spot. Regardless of the new range by the Astros, Boston stays an impressive rival. They lead the AL in batting average (.262) and are second in on-base rate (.328) and slugging rate (.441).

Right-hander Leather expert Houck will take the hill for the Red Sox, intending to break his winless streak that traverses five beginnings. Houck, who holds a 3.01 ERA this season, has had blended results against the Astros in his profession. Despite the fact that he hasn’t secured a success against Houston, he has dealt with a good 2.63 ERA north of four appearances.

“Tough one but we played well in the series,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora after Boston’s recent 4-2 loss to the Orioles, which resulted in a split series. “We’ve just got to move on and be ready for (Monday).”

Key Matchup: Yusei Kikuchi vs. Tanner Houck

For the Astros, left-hander Yusei Kikuchi will begin the series opener. Kikuchi has been great since joining Houston from the Toronto Blue Jays, flaunting a 2-0 record and a 2.70 ERA in three beginnings with his new group. Notwithstanding, his set of experiences against the Red Sox is less reassuring. Kikuchi is 0-3 with a 6.75 ERA more than eight vocation appearances against Boston, including a harsh trip prior this season when he permitted five runs, including four homers, north of four innings.

Stay Ahead with Instant MLB Betting Information! Check Live MLB Odds today.

The pitching duel between Kikuchi and Houck will be crucial in setting the tone for the series. Both teams are eager to make a statement, with the Red Sox seeking redemption and the Astros looking to extend their lead in the AL West.

A Pivotal Series Ahead

As the Red Sox and Astros plan to go head to head, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Boston is battling to keep its season finisher trusts alive, while Houston is centered around keeping up with its lead in the AL West. With the two groups falling off extreme series and each having something to demonstrate, this matchup vows to be an outright exhilarating and urgent second in the season.