Subscribe
Follow Us
The Red Sox and the Rangers meet in Arlington for the second game of their series. These are two teams that have a lot of opportunities this season. It's time to continue our MLB odds series with a Red Sox-Rangers prediction and pick.
The Red Sox had the epitome of a mediocre season last year, finishing with an 81-81 record. Statistically, the Red Sox are sixth in offense and 17th in pitching. Tyler O'Neill, Triston Casas, Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela, Rafael Devers, and then they added Alex Bregman as well. Regarding their pitching, Tanner Houck, Garrett Crochet, and the new addition, Walker Buehler, make up a formidable pitching lineup. Their pitching and offense should be much better this season. The Red Sox have a lot of expectations to make some noise this season, and they can get it started against the Rangers in this game.
The Rangers were inconsistent last season after winning the previous World Series, and they finished with a 78-84 record. Their hitting took a nosedive last season, while their pitching was also bad most of the year, with both finishing near the bottom of the league. This offense is led by sluggers Adolis Garcia, Marcus Semien, Jake Burger, Josh Jung, and Corey Seager. This offense is loaded overall with talent but needs to play better. Their pitching has also been inconsistent all season. Nathan Eovaldi is a great pitcher, but Tyler Mahle and Jacob DeGrom should also be solid in the pitching lineup.
Here are the MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Red Sox-Rangers Odds
Boston Red Sox: -1.5 (+134)
Moneyline: -120
Texas Rangers: +1.5 (-162)
Moneyline: +102
Over: 8.5 (-120)
Under: 8.5 (-102)
How to Watch Red Sox vs. Rangers
Time: 8:05 pm ET/5:05 pm PT
TV: NESN
*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why The Red Sox Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Red Sox are starting Tanner Houck on the mound. He had a 9-10 record, a 3.12 ERA, and a 1.14 WHIP. He allowed 156 runs on 75 hits through 178.2 innings last season. Houck also had 154 strikeouts and allowed 48 walks, with a K/BB ratio 3.2. Houck was excellent last year on the mound and gets a decent matchup against a loaded Rangers offense. After a disappointing previous season, it's difficult to see the Rangers struggling on offense again, but Houck can still have a good matchup in this game.
The Red Sox's offense was great last year. They were sixth in team batting average at .252. Rafael Devers, Jarren Duran, and Tyler O'Neill led the offense in most batting categories behind the plate. Devers led in RBI with 83 and in OBP at .354; Duran led in batting average at .285 and in total hits with 191. This offense is primed to be even better this season than they were, and it's more well-rounded. They should find some success against the Rangers and their rookie pitcher, Jack Leiter. This favors Boston, even in Dallas.
Why The Rangers Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Rangers are starting Jack Leiter on the mound, and he had a 0-3 record, an 8.83 ERA, and a 1.71 WHIP. Through 35.2 innings last season, he allowed 44 hits and 39 runs. He also had 31 strikeouts and 17 walks with a K/BB ratio of 1.8. Leiter barely played last season, but he will have a more significant role this season. This will be his rookie season, and this matchup against the Red Sox is a massive challenge due to the number of sluggers that Boston has coming into the season.
The Rangers' offense was massively disappointing last season. They were 21st in team batting average at .238. Marcus Semien, Corey Seager, Adolis Garcia, and Nathaniel Lowe led the offense in most batting categories. Seager led the team in batting average with .278 and home runs with 30. Then, Garcia led in RBI with 85, Lowe in OBP with .361, and Semien in total hits with 154. This offense should be much better than last season, but the matchup against Houck for the Red Sox presents a challenge even at home in Boston.
Final Red Sox-Rangers Prediction & Pick
I think these two teams are incredibly similar this season, and they both should be better than where they were last season. I believe the Red Sox will still win this game and take advantage of Leiter on the mound, but the Rangers should cover and keep this game close.
Final Red Sox-Rangers Prediction & Pick: Texas Rangers +1.5 (-162)
