The Boston Red Sox have been doing well as of late as they are fourth in the AL East with a 66-60 record thus far. Veteran southpaw Chris Sale takes the mound here and is coming off a losing effort against the Washington Nationals where he pitched 4.1 innings and gave up three runs (two earned) on two hits with a hit by pitch, three walks and three strikeouts.
The Houston Astros have been dominant throughout the season as they are second in the AL West with a 72-55 record. Right-hander Jose Urquidy will be toeing the slab here and is coming off a no-decision against the Seattle Mariners where he threw two innings out of the bullpen and allowed two hits with no walks and three strikeouts.
Match Details
Fixture: Boston Red Sox vs. Houston Astros
Date & Time: Wednesday, August 23, 8:10 p.m. EDT
Venue Minute Maid Park in Houston, TX
Red Sox vs. Astros Betting Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
| Boston Red Sox | -1.5 (-154) | -108 | Over 8.5 (-120) |
| Houston Astros | +1.5 (-185) | -112 | Under 8.5 (+110) |
Odds Subject to Change**
Red Sox vs. Astros Key Stats
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox have been an outstanding offensive team so far this year as they are sixth in the bigs with a .761 OPS while scoring 4.87 runs per game up to this point. This lineup has struggled comparatively on the road as they are 19th in MLB and they have a .709 OPS while averaging 4.43 runs in their 63 road games thus far. Third baseman Rafael Devers is leading the team at the dish as he has a .273/.346/.526 slash line with 29 home runs, 85 RBIs, 70 runs scored, and two stolen base while caught once.
Chris Sale has been plagued wth injuries this season as he is 5-3 with a 4.50 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP over the course of 68 innings. However, his control has remained in tact as he has 18 walks compared to 81 strikeouts thus far. Sale has struggled on the road this year as he is 4-3 with a 5.20 ERA and a .257 opposing batting average in seven road games.
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros have been a solid offensive team statistically this season as they are 10th in baseball with a .747 team OPS while averaging 4.91 runs per game. At home this year, this Astros team has been decent as they have a .252/.327/.413 team slash line and have scored 4.64 runs in their 64 home games so far. Right fielder Kyle Tucker has been stepping up in the batter’s box as he has a .903 OPS with 25 home runs, 94 RBIs, 71 runs scored, and 24 steals on 27 tries.
Jose Urquidy has been doing well throughout the year as he is 2-3 with a 5.21 ERA and a 1.42 WHIP in just 38 innings. Urquidy has been getting hit a little too much as hitters have a .273 opposing batting average. He faced the Red Sox twice last season as he went 2-0 in 12 innings and gave up four runs on 14 hits with a hit by pitch, zero walks and 11 strikeouts.
Red Sox vs. Astros Prediction
Looking at the last seven games for both pitchers, Chris Sale is 3-1 with a 2.79 ERA and a 0.85 WHIP in 38.2 innings of work while Jose Urquidy is 2-3 with a 5.65 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP in 28.2 innings in that span. When diving into the offenses as of late, Boston is scoring six runs in their last six games while Houston is averaging five runs in their previous five games. Go with the Boston Red Sox to cover the run line here.
