Boston Red Sox vs Houston Astros Prediction 8-30-23 MLB Picks

The Houston Astros and Boston Red Sox clash Wednesday in game 3 of an MLB series at Fenway Park. Let’s preview this game and give out a pick and prediction.

Houston Astros Betting Preview

The Astros look to build on their 4-game winning streak. The Astros are tied with the Rangers and Mariners for first place in the AL West. The Astros pitching staff is 8th in ERA (3.94), 18th in WHIP (1.29) and 6th in quality starts (59). The Astros offense is 5th in runs per game (5.04), 9th in batting average (.257) and 9th in homers (177). Kyle Tucker leads the Astros with 140 hits and 97 RBI, while Alex Bregman and Jeremy Pena have combined for 256 hits and 135 RBI. Framber Valdez gets the ball, and he is 9-9 with a 3.40 ERA and 159 strikeouts this season. Valdez is 2-1 with a 1.59 ERA and 19 strikeouts in his career against the Red Sox.

Boston Red Sox Betting Preview

The Red Sox need to snap a 3-game losing streak. The Red Sox are now 6.5 games back in the wild card race. The Red Sox pitching staff is 19th in ERA (4.46), 20th in WHIP (1.34) and 26th in quality starts (37). The Red Sox offense is 8th in runs per game (4.97), 3rd in batting average (.265) and 14th in homers (159). Masataka Yoshida leads the Red Sox with 134 hits and 62 RBI, while Justin Turner and Alex Verdugo have combined for 262 hits and 137 RBI. Kutter Crawford gets the ball, and he is 6-6 with a 3.65 ERA and 101 strikeouts this season. This will be Crawford’s second career game against the Astros.

Boston Red Sox Player Prop Facts

• Adam Duvall has hit a home run in each of the Red Sox's last four games against opponents that held a winning record.
• Adam Duvall has recorded at least one RBI in each of his last seven appearances against the Astros after playing the previous day.
• Rafael Devers has scored at least one run in each of his last five appearances in day games.
• Connor Wong has recorded two or more total bases in each of his last eight appearances with the Red Sox as underdogs against AL West opponents.
• Rafael Devers has recorded at least one hit in each of the Red Sox's last nine day games against AL opponents that held a winning record.

Matchup/League Facts

• The Boston Red Sox ranks 1st in the league for doubles this season (288).
• The Boston Red Sox ranks 3rd in the league for hits this season (1210).
• The Houston Astros ranks 4th in the league for hits this season (1183).
• The Houston Astros ranks 4th in the league for strikeouts against this season (1044).

Randy’s Pick

This is a must win game for the Red Sox if they want a chance to make a run for a wild card spot in September. There's value with plus money and Kutter Crawford on the mound. However, the Astros are playing the better ball and were getting a cheap price with Framber Valdez, a pitcher with a 3.40 ERA and 1.11 WHIP. It's hard to turn down this price with the Astros, especially with the Red Sox watching their potential playoff hopes rapidly fading.