Boston Red Sox vs Houston Astros Prediction, 8/22/2023 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Boston Red Sox vs Houston Astros

Date: Tuesday, August 22, 2023

Location: Minute Maid Park in Houston, TX

TV: AT&T SportsNet Southwest

Odds/Point Spread: Boston (+114) Houston (-135)

The Houston Astros (70-55) will play the Boston Red Sox (66-58) at Minute Maid Park on Tuesday. The line on this matchup has the Red Sox at +114 while the Astros are priced at -135. The betting total is set at 8. The starting pitchers are Tanner Houck and Justin Verlander.

As a squad, the Boston Red Sox are earning 4.9 runs per game, which has them at 7th in MLB. They are sitting with 607 runs while holding a team OBP of .327. The Red Sox have accrued 266 doubles as a unit and have smacked 143 balls out of the stadium. They have earned 581 RBI's in addition to 1,109 hits for the season, while their batting average comes in at .262. Boston has a slugging percentage of .433 and have been called out on strikes 1,011 times, while taking a walk on 375 occasions.

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Their strikeout to walk ratio is 3.04 and their pitching staff holds a collective WHIP of 1.30. Red Sox pitchers have surrendered 163 long balls and also 571 runs in total (18th in MLB). Boston has yielded 1,073 hits (8.8 per 9 innings) as well as 529 earned runs. The Red Sox have compiled a team earned run average of 4.35 on the campaign (18th in the league), and the staff has rung up 1,075 batters. They have walked 354 opposing hitters and their FIP is 4.38 as a squad this year.

Red Sox relief pitchers have entered the game with runners on 86 times and also have had 112 appearances in high leverage situations. The relievers have accumulated 58 holds this year (24th in the league). The Red Sox relievers have earned a save rate of 77.1% and stepped onto the hill in 107 save situations. They have accumulated 37 saves this year and have missed out on 11 out of their 48 save chances. The relievers have inherited 131 base runners for the season with 29.0% of them crossed the plate. The Red Sox have dispatched 391 relief pitchers to the hill this season.

The Red Sox have turned 68.0% of balls hit into play into outs out of their 9,774 innings on the field, which has them sitting 26th in professional baseball. The Boston Red Sox have accounted for 3,258 putouts on the year, in addition to 1,096 assists and 85 errors. Their fielding percentage is holding steady at .981 which puts them in 30th in pro baseball, and they have twisted 111 double plays.

Houck has taken the hill for 213 frames and has 228 punch outs in his career. His ERA is 3.66 (87 ER's allowed) and he has a WHIP of 1.165. He has conceded 174 base hits (7.3 hits per 9 innings) with 75 walks. Houck (12-15 career mark) has earned a FIP of 3.35 while he has gone up against 880 batters during his time in the majors.

The Astros have a team slugging percentage of .419 and they earn 4.86 runs per game (8th in the league). They have hit 205 doubles, while walking 420 times as well as earning 608 runs. Houston has tallied 162 home runs on the year as well as 588 runs batted in. They have struck out on 984 instances (27th in MLB) and have totaled 1,070 hits. The Houston Astros hold a team on-base percentage of .324 in addition to a team batting average of .252 for the season.

The Houston pitching staff have yielded 528 runs on the campaign while having an ERA of 3.84 (476 earned runs allowed). They have yielded 152 home runs and they allow 4.26 runs per 9 innings (9th in MLB). The Astros are sitting with a team WHIP of 1.274 and are the owners of a FIP of 4.26 as a pitching staff over the course of the season. Their K/BB ratio sits at 9.10 (1,127 strikeouts vs 403 free passes). They rank 13th in MLB as a staff in total hits given up with 1,016.

Houston has called on bullpen pitchers to step onto the mound in 53 save opportunities and they have earned 37 saves. They rank 5th in the league holding a save rate of 69.8%, and they have dispatched 395 relievers to the mound on the campaign. Their bullpen pitchers have come in 126 times in high leverage situations and also on 75 occasions with runners on. Houston relievers hold an inherited score percentage of 30.6% out of their 124 inherited runners. With 120 save situations, the Astros have earned 66 holds and 16 blown saves.

The Houston Astros have turned 117 double plays and have accounted for a fielding rate of .985 (16th in the majors). The Astros have 1,062 assists, 65 errors and have earned a total of 3,317 putouts during this campaign. In 9,951 innings on the field, the Astros hold a efficiency on defense of 69.6% (10th in baseball).

Verlander (252-139 career mark) is the owner of a 3.25 earned run average while giving up 7.6 hits per 9 innings. He has a K/BB ratio of 3.60 and he has gone up against 13,345 batters during his career. He has surrendered a total of 1,181 ER's while earning a WHIP of 1.120 and a FIP of 3.4. During his pro baseball career, Verlander has conceded 2,753 base hits while he has totaled 3,292 punch outs in 3,275 frames.

Who will win tonight's MLB game against the spread or moneyline?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Boston (+114)

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