Sports Betting Online Overview
Fans of the Boston Red Sox did not like what they saw with the team’s performance against the Philadelphia Phillies. The betting crowd in Boston is now wondering if this Red Sox team has the necessary parts to win a World Series. The Red Sox rolled over against the Phillies and lost their lead over the New York Yankees in the AL East. The MLB standings show the Red Sox now trailing the Yankees by two and a half games. The worst part is that the Red Sox are only one game from falling into third place. The Red Sox are looking for a series where they can get back to posting high MLB scores and get themselves back on the winning track. The Houston Astros may be just what the doctor ordered for Boston.
The Houston Astros have lost five games in a row, lost eight of their last 10 and sit in the basement of the NL Central at a robust 16 games out of first place. Houston sits at the bottom of the NL in most stats, but most notable is their poor pitching performance. The Astros have the second worst team ERA in baseball at 4.66. The Astros pitchers have given up more home runs than any other staff in the league, and they are near the top at giving up hits and surrendering runs. One of the most telling pitching statistics that can sum up the Astros season is the fact that the Houston bullpen has blown 17 save opportunities this season and has only racked up 10 total saves on the year. Both stats are the worst in MLB.
Boston Red Sox
Knuckle-baller Tim Wakefield takes the mound for this game still trying to get back into the rhythm that made him so effective earlier in the season. Wakefield’s season performance is just like his pitches; all over the place. In his last five starts, Wakefield is 2-2. He has had games where he has gone all the way to the eighth inning, and games where he didn’t make it past the fifth. He has held teams to one earned run in a game, and been blasted for five earned runs. While the Astros are a terrible pitching team, they can hit the baseball. If Wakefield’s stuff is not moving well in this game, he could be in trouble early.
Houston Astros
Third-year man Bud Norris takes the mound for the Astros in this game. His season record of 4-6 is not nearly as indicative of his play as his 3.36 ERA is. In his last four starts, Norris has only allowed five earned runs. His last start was an interleague game against the Tampa Bay Rays where he went five innings and gave up three runs. Up to that point, Norris was pitching some pretty good baseball. But the problem for Houston is that Norris has only made it past the seventh inning once in the last 10 games. He usually turns the game over to the Houston bullpen in the sixth or seventh inning, and then it is all over from there.
The Bottom Line
No matter how hard Bud Norris tries, this game is pretty simple. The Red Sox can hit, and the Astros cannot pitch. This game will be close for the first six or seven innings, but it could turn into a blow out once Norris hands the ball to the bullpen.
Pick: Boston Red Sox
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