Boston Red Sox vs Houston Astros Prediction MLB Picks 8/19/24

Houston Astros Betting Preview

The Houston Astros are 67-56 this season and they have won 10 of their last 11 games. Houston is coming off of a series win against the White Sox, where they won two out of three games. Prior to that series, the Astros swept the Rays in three games, swept the Red Sox in three games, and won two out of three against the Rangers. Houston is 12-4 in their last 16 games and they are first in the AL West. 

The Houston pitching staff has a 3.83 ERA, a 1.26 WHIP, and a .231 opponent batting average. The Astros offense has scored 565 runs with a .260 batting average and a .321 on base percentage. Yordan Alvarez is batting .306 with 25 home runs and 66 RBI’s for the Astros this season. 

Starting Pitchers

The projected starting pitcher for Boston is Tanner Houck, who is 8-8 with a 3.01 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP over 146.2 innings pitched this year. Houck has allowed two earned runs or fewer in two straight starts (12.2 IP). The projected starting pitcher for Houston is Yusei Kikuchi, who is 6-9 with a 4.49 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP over 132.1 innings pitched this season. Kikuchi has allowed two earned runs or fewer in all three starts since coming over from Toronto. 

Why the Astros will beat the Red Sox

• The Astros have won each of their last six games against the Red Sox.
• The Red Sox have lost seven of their last eight games against the Astros following a loss.
• The Astros have covered the run line in each of their last six games against the Red Sox following a win.
• The Red Sox have failed to cover the run line in five of their last six games against AL West opponents.

Total Runs Facts

• Eight of the Astros' last nine night games after playing the previous day have gone UNDER the total runs line.
• Each of the Red Sox's last five games as underdogs against the Astros have gone OVER the total runs line.
• The 'Inning 1 OVER 0.5 runs' market has hit in each of the last six games between the Red Sox and Astros at Minute Maid Park.
• The 'Inning 1 OVER 0.5 runs' market has hit in each of the Red Sox's last four night games at Minute Maid Park.

Houston Astros Player Prop Facts

• Yordan Alvarez has recorded a Double in each of the Astros' last three night games against opponents that held a winning record.
• Yordan Alvarez has recorded at least one RBI in each of the Astros' last four games against AL East opponents that held a winning record.
• Alex Bregman has hit a home run in four of his last five appearances with the Astros against AL opponents.
• Alex Bregman has recorded at least one hit in each of his last 12 appearances with the Astros as favorites against the Red Sox.
• Alex Bregman has recorded at least one total base in each of his last 12 appearances with the Astros as favorites against the Red Sox.
• Alex Bregman has scored at least one run in 10 of the Astros' last 11 games against the Red Sox.
• Alex Bregman has recorded at least one Single in each of his last nine appearances against the Red Sox at Minute Maid Park.

Boston Red Sox Player Prop Facts

• Rafael Devers has recorded at least one Double in four of his last five appearances against AL West opponents that held a winning record.
• Ceddanne Rafaela has scored at least one run in each of the Red Sox's last seven Monday night games.
• Tyler O'Neill has recorded at least one RBI in five of his last six appearances in night games against AL teams that held a winning record.
• Ceddanne Rafaela has recorded at least one Single in each of the Red Sox's last eight games against AL West opponents that held a winning record.
• Rafael Devers has recorded at least one total base in each of his last eight appearances with the Red Sox as underdogs against AL West opponents.
• Masataka Yoshida has recorded at least one hit in each of the Red Sox's last eight games as underdogs.
• Danny Jansen has hit a home run in three of his last four appearances against the Astros after playing the previous day.

Boston Red Sox vs Houston Astros Prediction 

Houston continues to play very well over the last few weeks and they are pulling away from Seattle in the AL West standings. The Astros are 34-27 at home this year, while the Red Sox are 36-26 on the road. Boston’s pitching staff has been a big concern since the All-Star break, but their offense is fourth in the MLB in runs scored. Boston is starting Tanner Houck, who has been up and down recently, but has been very good in his last two starts. Houston is going with Yusei Kikuchi, who has been fantastic for the Astros in three starts. I don’t have much faith in this Boston pitching staff at the moment and Houston is on a roll, so my Boston Red Sox vs Houston Astros prediction is for the Astros to win.