Boston Red Sox vs Houston Astros Prediction, 8/21/2024 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Boston Red Sox vs Houston Astros

Date: Wednesday, August 21, 2024

Location: Minute Maid Park in Houston, TX

TV: Space City Home Network

Odds/Point Spread: Boston (+108) Houston (-130)

Minute Maid Park is the site where the Houston Astros (68-56) will try to defeat the Boston Red Sox (65-59) on Wednesday. The odds on this game have the Red Sox at +108 and the Astros are at -130. The over/under has been set at 8.5. The men taking the mound will be Cooper Criswell and Justin Verlander.

Boston has a slugging percentage of .440 and have been called out on strikes 1,203 times, while taking a walk on 386 occasions. They have 594 RBI's in addition to 1,134 hits on the season, while their batting average comes in at .262. The Red Sox have hit 247 two-baggers as a team and have knocked 157 baseballs out of the stadium. They are sitting with 618 runs and hold an on-base percentage of .328. As a unit, the Boston Red Sox are compiling 5.0 runs/g, which ranks them 4th in baseball.

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The Red Sox have an ERA of 4.15 this season (19th in MLB), and the staff has struck out 1,059 batters. Red Sox pitchers have relinquished 155 home runs and also 594 runs in total (24th in MLB). Their pitching staff has walked 340 opposing hitters and their FIP is 4.14 as a team for the season. Boston has surrendered 1,063 base hits (8.6 per 9 innings) as well as 514 earned runs. Their K/BB ratio is 3.11 and their pitching staff holds a collective WHIP of 1.26.

The Red Sox have dispatched 396 relief pitchers to the hill over the course of the season. The relievers have inherited 169 runners so far this season and 33.7% of those runners ended up crossing the plate. They have accumulated 30 saves on the campaign and have missed out on 26 of their 56 chances to save the game. The Red Sox relief pitchers have recorded a save percentage of 53.6% and has entered the game in 126 save situations. The bullpen have accumulated 67 holds so far this year (14th in baseball). Red Sox relief pitchers have entered the contest with runners on 123 times as well as having 146 appearances in high leverage situations.

The Boston Red Sox have earned a total of 3,344 putouts this year, as well as 1,081 assists and 91 errors. Their fielding percentage is currently at .980 which has them ranked 30th in MLB, and have 87 double plays. The Red Sox have turned 69.0% of balls hit into play into outs out of their 10,032 innings, ranking them 24th in the majors.

Criswell (6-6 record in his career) sits with a FIP of 4.95 while he has gone up against 495 batters in the major leagues. He has surrendered 129 hits (10.3 hits per nine innings) and has 33 free passes. His earned run average is 5.02 (63 ER's allowed) and he has a career WHIP of 1.435. Criswell has thrown 113 frames and has earned 88 K's so far in his pro baseball career.

The Houston Astros have tallied a team on-base percentage of .321 as well as a batting average of .261 this year. They have been rung up on 903 instances (27th in MLB) and have earned 1,111 base hits. Houston has knocked in 147 home runs on the season to go along with 544 runs batted in. The Astros hold a team slugging percentage of .419 and they have an average of 4.60 runs per game (12th in baseball). They have notched 201 doubles, while taking a walk 338 times and putting up 570 runs.

The Astros are sitting with a team WHIP of 1.255 and are the owners of a FIP of 4.11 as a pitching staff for the season. They sit at 2nd in the league as a staff in total hits conceded with 946. The Houston pitching staff have conceded 499 runs on the season while holding a team ERA of 3.80 (466 earned runs conceded). Their K/BB ratio is 9.20 (1,132 strikeouts vs 438 walks). They have given up 142 long balls and they concede 4.07 runs per 9 innings (5th in the league).

Houston relievers hold an inherited score rate of 27.4% out of 106 inherited base runners. Their relievers have stepped onto the mound 119 times in high leverage situations and also on 71 occasions with base runners. With 125 save situations, the Astros have accumulated 74 holds in addition to 18 blown saves. They rank 14th in baseball with a save rate of 64.0%, and they have dispatched 394 relievers to the hill on the season. Houston has had bullpen pitchers enter the game in 50 save opportunities and they have earned 32 saves.

In 9,927 innings on the diamond, the Astros are sitting with a defensive efficiency of 70.7% (8th in baseball). The Houston Astros have turned 104 double plays and have a fielding percentage of .986 (8th in professional baseball). The Astros have 1,014 assists, 60 errors and are sitting with 3,309 putouts on the season.

So far in his pro baseball career, Verlander has given up 2,845 base knocks while accumulating 3,393 K's in 3,382 innings. He has given up a total of 1,222 ER's while holding a WHIP of 1.120 and being the owner of a FIP of 3.2. His strikeout to walk ratio is 3.60 and he has gone up against 13,788 opposing batters in his pro baseball career. Verlander (260-143 win-loss record in his career) is the owner of a 3.25 ERA while allowing 7.6 hits per nine innings.

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

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Houston (-130)

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