Boston Red Sox vs Houston Astros 8/23/2023 Game Predictions
Boston Red Sox (66-59) vs Houston Astros (71-55)
Boston Red Sox vs Houston Astros 8/23/2023 – The Boston Red Sox invade Minute Maid Park on Wednesday evening to do battle with the Astros of Houston. The Red Sox come into this contest with a record of 66-59, while the Astros sit at 71-55. The Red Sox took 4 out of 6 from the Astros last season and took game 1 of the series.
These two American League offenses are very similar. Each squad is scoring exactly 5 runs per 9 innings and is hitting 1.3 home runs per 9. For valuable predictions and insights, consider exploring the best expert MLB picks. The Red Sox have a slightly higher batting average of .259 compared to the Astros at .250. The Red Sox also have a slightly higher OBP with .327 than the Astros .324.
Red Sox vs. Astros Game Info
Chris Sale (5-3, ERA: 4.50) vs Jose Urquidy (2-3, ERA: 5.21)
The Houston Astros will send Jose Urquidy, who is 2-3 with an ERA of 5.21. Urquidy was brilliant in his two most recent starts, going a combined 7 innings and only giving up 1 earned run. Unfortunately, he took 1 loss and 1 no decision due to the lack of bats by the Astros. They only scored 1 run for him in his last two starts.
The Boston Red Sox will counter with Chris Sale, who is 5-3 with an ERA of 4.50. Since returning from his injury, the Red Sox have kept Sale on a short leash. He has only made two starts since returning, and his longest outing was only 4.2 innings and 65 pitches. He took the loss in his most recent start against the Nationals when he gave up 2 earned runs in 4.1 innings.
MLB Odds/Point Spread: Houston Astros -119, Total Odds: 9.0
The Astros are hitting .275 BA/.341 OBP/.468 SLG/.809 OPS vs. left-handed pitchers this season. On Wednesday, they’ll face Sale, who has made only two starts since June, pitching nine combined innings against Detroit and Washington. Wednesday’s opponent will be much more formidable, as H-Town slashes .271/.353/.457/.810 this month. Even if Alvarez doesn’t suit up, Sale looks to be in trouble.
Boston hits just .239/.305/.403/.708 on the road, compared to .286/.351/.463/.814 at Fenway Park. It has a .311 team OBP this month, the lowest OBP in any month this year. Like Sale, Urquidy hasn’t pitched much this season due to injury, but he’s the better bet of the two to carry his weight tomorrow evening. Once he exits, the Houston bullpen (3.58 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP) should have no problem shutting the door on the visitors.
Boston Red Sox Betting Trends
The total went OVER in 5 of Boston’s last 5 matches on the road.
The total stayed UNDER in 11 of Boston’s last 16 road games with Houston.
Boston Red Sox are 7-3 SU in their last 10 games with an opponent in the AL.
Boston is 1-6 SU in their last 7 games against an American League West Division opponent.
Houston Astros Betting Trends
The total remained UNDER in 4 of Houston’s last 6 matches with the Red Sox.
The total went OVER in 4 of the Houston Astros’ last 5 games at home.
Total stayed UNDER in 11 of Houston’s last 16 games at home against Boston.
Houston is 2-4 SU in their last 6 games against an opponent in the American League.
Boston Red Sox vs Houston Astros 8/23/2023 Betting Picks
Houston is only 1.5 games out of first place in the AL West, while Boston is 11.5 games out of first in the super-competitive AL East. Boston has some serious work to do to get into the playoffs, while the Astros are sitting in a really good spot. Boston has to send out a less-than-100% Chris Sale who has only thrown 65 pitches in his longest outing. Look for the Astros to get to Sale early and often as they chase him out of the game early on. The Red Sox bullpen will then have to take over, and with a less-than-impressive 4.63 ERA, considering expert sports picks today could provide insights into the outcome of the game.
