Red Hot Astros Will Continue Roll Against Struggling Red Sox

Red Sox vs. Astros, 8:10 ET

Sometimes there are days with ridiculously amazing pitching matchups and great games on the slate. Today is not that day. There really aren't a ton of great matchups on the slate, but there are almost no good pitching battles, unfortunately. That's okay, that doesn't mean the games won't be good, or that we can't make some money on the matchups. Instead, it just means that we need to scour lines a bit more. Since we have fewer games on a Monday, that's even better for us because we can search the games deeper to find a winner. I think I have one picked out between the Red Sox and Astros. 

This has been an interesting campaign for the Red Sox because they have been playing very good baseball for the majority of the year, but they haven't ever been higher than third in their division because of how great the Orioles and Yankees have been this season. Coming into this season, Boston was projected to be the worst team in the division and have a lot of issues with both their pitching and offense. That has not been the case at all. They are just seven games above .500, and third in the division (seven games back from the aforementioned Yankees and Orioles who are tied for the division lead). The problem is that Boston is slipping a bit in the Wild Card standings, 3.5 games back of the Royals. Tonight, they send out Tanner Houck who is having a nice season for the Red Sox this year. Houck is currently 8-8 with a 3.01 ERA (good for seventh in the league), and a 1.15 WHIP (sitting at 23rd in the league). Oddly enough, the Red Sox haven't won any of the five starts Houck has made since the All-Star Break. He actually allowed all three runs during the All-Star Game to the NL, but that's a different story. His past two starts for Boston have been quality starts, and one of those came against these Astros. In that start, he went six innings, allowed four hits, and just one earned run. Overall Houck has allowed just nine hits in 44 at-bats. 

May 31, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA;  Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Tanner Houck (89) throws a pitch against the Detroit Tigers in the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

The Astros season has been very different from the Red Sox. Boston has been consistent all year, but Houston started on a nosedive before pulling up and regaining a nice crushing altitude. The team is 11 games over .500 and they have found themselves in first place of the division. It is starting to be a very comfortable lead as well with a four-game lead over the Mariners. If they somehow lose the division, which seems a bit unlikely, they might not have a chance to win the Wild Card either. It looks like we are only going to get one AL West team, and the most logical path to the playoffs seems like it will come as a division winner. The Astros are getting reinforcements this week with Justin Verlander coming back soon. They also should be getting back Kyle Tucker as well. In order to hold them over, and bolster the rotation, the team added Yusei Kikuchi. For the season, Kikuchi has a 6-9 record with a 4.49 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP. This will be his fourth start for the Astros. All three of them have been good outings, and all resulted in Astros victories. He has gone 16.2 innings and allowed a total of five earned runs. He faced the Red Sox once this season, and he allowed five earned runs on four homers over four innings, that was back when he was with the Blue Jays. 

The Astros are playing good baseball. Houston is 9-1 over their past ten games and seem to be finding their strength as they get closer to the end of the season. The Red Sox have played solid baseball, but not quite as good with just a 4-6 record over the past 10 games. Houck should put them in a position to at least potentially win, but I'm not standing in front of the Houston train. I'll back them to win this full game at -135. 

For more sports betting information and plays, follow David on X/Twitter: @futureprez2024