Houston Astros vs Boston Red Sox Prediction 8-23-23 MLB Picks
The Boston Red Sox and Houston Astros clash Wednesday in game 3 of an MLB series at Minute Maid Park. Let’s preview this game and give out a pick and prediction.
Boston Red Sox Betting Preview
The Red Sox look for a win after splitting their last 10 games. The Red Sox are 5 games back in the AL wild card race. The Red Sox pitching staff is 18th in ERA (4.37), 19th in WHIP (1.31) and 25th in quality starts (36). The Red Sox offense is 8th in runs per game (4.87), 3rd in batting average (.262) and 18th in homers (145). Masataka Yoshida leads the Red Sox with 128 hits and 61 RBI, while Justin Turner and Rafael Devers have combined for 250 hits and 166 RBI. Chris Sale gets the ball, and he is 5-3 with a 4.50 ERA and 81 strikeouts this season. Sale is 5-3 with a 2.20 ERA and 86 strikeouts in his career against the Astros.
Boston Red Sox Team Facts
- The Red Sox have lost each of their last six games against teams that held a winning record.
- The Red Sox have failed to cover the run line each of their last six games against teams that held a winning record.
- The Red Sox have trailed after 7 innings in each of their last six games against opponents that held a winning record.
- The Red Sox have trailed after 3 innings in each of their last six games at Minute Maid Park against American League opponents that held a winning record.
- The Red Sox have won the first inning in five of their last seven games as underdogs against AL West opponents.
Boston Red Sox Player Prop Facts
- Rafael Devers ranks T9th in the league in Home Runs (29) this season.
Houston Astros Betting Preview
The Astros look for a win after splitting their last 10 games. The Astros are 0.5 games back in the AL West. The Astros pitching staff is 6th in ERA (3.85), 17th in WHIP (1.28) and 3rd in quality starts (58). The Astros offense is 7th in runs per game (4.91), 13th in batting average (.253) and 9th in homers (166). Kyle Tucker leads the Astros with 133 hits and 94 RBI, while Alex Bregman and Jeremy Pena have combined for 233 hits and 125 RBI. Jose Urquidy gets the ball, and he is 2-3 with a 5.21 ERA and 34 strikeouts this season. Urquidy is 3-0 with a 2.50 ERA and 20 strikeouts in his career against the Red Sox.
Houston Astros Team Facts
- The Astros have won each of their last five night games against AL East opponents.
- The Astros have covered the run line each of their last eight Wednesday games against AL East opponents that held a winning record.
- The Astros have led after 3 innings in each of their last six games against the Red Sox at Minute Maid Park.
- The Astros have trailed after 5 innings in six of their last nine games as favorites.
- The Astros have lost the first inning in three of their last four games as favorites against AL East opponents.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Houston Astros ranks 4th in the league for strikeouts against this season (998).
- The Houston Astros ranks T5th in the league for RBI's this season (604).
- The Boston Red Sox ranks 2nd in the league for doubles this season (272).
- The Boston Red Sox ranks 3rd in the league for hits this season (1130).
Randy’s Pick
This pitching matchup is strange, as we know what these guys are capable of, but they've been rough this season. Chris Sale has a 4.50 ERA and 1.12 WHIP, while Jose Urquidy has a 5.21 ERA and 1.42 WHIP. I would've given the Red Sox and Sale the slight edge, but we're getting a cheaper price with the Astros at home. The Astros are playing the better baseball right now and making that annual push for a division crown. The Red Sox are slowly but surely slipping out of the wild card race. Give me the Astros.
