The Baltimore Orioles and the Boston Red Sox will battle it out for the first time in 2021 at Fenway Park. This opening day matchup was scheduled for Thursday but got pushed back a day thanks to some rain in Boston. Finally, we get to see the two worst teams in the American League East slug it out. This will almost certainly be a battle for last place in the division again in 2021. It’s time to continue our MLB odds series and make an Orioles-Red Sox prediction and pick.
Here’s how sportsbooks have set the opening Orioles-Red Sox odds.
MLB Odds: Orioles-Red Sox Odds
Baltimore Orioles +1.5 (-118)
Boston Red Sox -1.5 (-102)
Over 9.5 Runs (-101)
Under 9.5 Runs (-119)
Why The Orioles Could Cover The Spread
The Baltimore Orioles have been in rebuild mode for the better part of three seasons and have accumulated some decent talent over the years. This young team actually showed some signs of life in 2020. The Orioles didn't finish in last place in the AL East last season, which has to be a promising sign for a team looking to make a slow climb back to relevance. Baltimore has some talent on this club in guys like Ryan Mountcastle, Anthony Santander, and DJ Stewart. They bolstered their depth during the offseason by acquiring Freddy Galvis and Maikel Franco to watch over the left side of the infield as well.
Baseball fans across the world will be rooting for team leader Trey Mancini, who will make his return to the field after being sidelined for all of 2020. Mancini was diagnosed with colon cancer and had an uphill battle of his own to return to action. Trey is the best bat in this lineup and will hope to add a spark in the middle. Baltimore will send out John Means for his second-straight opening day start. After an extremely promising 2019 season for Means, he saw some slight regression in 2020. He is still a quality arm that was much better on the road last season with an ERA just north of two.
Why The Red Sox Could Cover The Spread
The Boston Red Sox had their worst season in recent history in 2020 and can only go up this year. They are currently projected as a .500 team, which is much better than an Orioles team whose total wins are set at just 64.5. Boston loves that they have an opportunity to play spoiler in a crowded AL East. The Red Sox added some great depth and experience in the offseason in guys like Kike Hernandez, Marwin Gonzalez, and Hunter Renfroe. They still have some top-of-the-line bats in the order in Xander Bogaerts and JD Martinez as well. Bogaerts had a great 2020 season, hitting over .300 and adding 11 home runs. JD Martinez will be a bounce-back candidate for the Sox after an uncharacteristic 2020 season.
𝙏𝙤𝙙𝙖𝙮, 𝙬𝙚 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙮.
(𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺) pic.twitter.com/gCnNkxUOPg
— Red Sox (@RedSox) April 2, 2021
Boston is chomping at the bits as they have absolutely destroyed John Means. In his lone start against Boston last season, Means gave up two homers and three runs over three innings. John Means also had a horrendous spring with a 7.11 ERA in six starts. He allowed 15 earned runs in 19 innings and has a young and inexperienced bullpen behind him. Nathan Eovaldi gets the nod for the Sox on opening day. He'll be looking to build off of a solid 2020 season against an opponent that he absolutely loves. Nathan Eovaldi went 3-0 with a 0.95 ERA in three starts against Baltimore last year.
Final Orioles-Red Sox Prediction & Pick
The Boston Red Sox have a phenomenal track record against John Means and the Baltimore Orioles. Boston's lineup is revamped and full of talent in 2021. They have feasted off of Means and other Baltimore arms in the past and will come out aggressive to open the season. Boston is playing with nothing to lose this year, which is a scary thought in my eyes. Manager Alex Cora is back in the dugout for the Sox and knows how to get the most out of this club. The Baltimore Orioles are no match for Eovaldi, especially at Fenway. Look for a comfortable Red Sox victory on opening day.
FINAL PICK: Boston Red Sox -1.5 (-102)
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