 |
vs.
|
 |
MLB Betting Previews- Texas Rangers vs. Boston Red Sox
The Texas Rangers and the Boston Red Sox wrap-up a three-game series at Fenway Park this Sunday afternoon in a matchup of two teams that could very well meet again in the playoffs. Game time is set for 1:35 p.m. (ET) and it will be broadcast nationally on TBS.
Spread: Boston Red Sox -1.5
Money Line: Boston Red Sox -135 / Texas Rangers +115
Over/Under: 10.5
Texas hammered the Red Sox 10-0 as a 105 road favorite in the series opener on Friday night. The win pushed the Rangers overall record to 79-60 to extend their lead over Los Angeles in the AL West to 4.5 games. They are 44-28 at home and 35-32 on the road.
Production at the plate has been the one constant for Texas this season. It is ranked second to Boston in hitting with a team batting average of .276 and third in scoring with 706 runs. Matt Harrison is scheduled to get the start for the Rangers on Sunday. He is 10-9 on the year with a 3.54 ERA. The left-handers last start was against the Red Sox and he got shelled; giving up seven earned runs on 11 hits in five innings.
Boston had to be a bit drained heading into this series after a three-game battle with its nemesis the Yankees. Friday’s loss added to the two of three it dropped against New York to fall a half game back in the AL East with an overall record of 83-54. The Red Sox are 42-26 on the road and 41-28 at home.
The normally active bats in Boston’s ‘murderer’s row’ lineup have only managed to score a total of four runs in its last three losses, but it is still second in the Majors in total runs scored with 731. The Red Sox will look to John Lackey to tame the Rangers’ bats on Sunday. This could be a tall task after giving up 13 earned runs in 10.1 previous innings pitched against Texas this year. He is 12-10 on the year with an ERA of 5.94.
Head-to-head this season, the Rangers have a 5-3 edge heading into Saturday’s Game 2. The first seven games were played in Texas and the total went ‘over’ in four of them. Friday’s game ended as a ‘push’ with a closing line of 10.
The odds makers have the Boston Red Sox as a -1.5 point favorite with an run total of 10.5.
Both these pitchers have struggled to keep these powerful lineups in check, but stick with Boston to grind out a victory in another high-scoring affair as it desperately tries to keep pace with the Yankees in the division.
Need more help making your picks winners? Check out our top handicappers.
Texas Rangers Betting Trends:
- Texas is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Texas’s last 6 games on the road
- Texas is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games on the road
- Texas is 11-5 SU in its last 16 games when playing Boston
Boston Red Sox Betting Trends:
- The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Boston’s last 5 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Boston’s last 5 games at home
- Boston is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games at home
- Boston is 5-11 SU in its last 16 games when playing Texas
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.