The Boston Red Sox and the Los Angeles Angels began their four-game series with a great matchup last night, with the Red Sox hanging on for a one-run win. The Angels are desperately trying to cling on to their playoff hopes, while Boston tries to stretch their lead in the AL East. The table is set for another great game, so it's time to continue our MLB odds series and make a Red Sox-Angels prediction and pick.
Let's see how the bookmakers have set the lines for Tuesday's game.
MLB Odds: Red Sox-Angels Odds
Boston Red Sox ML (-114)
Los Angeles Angels (+104)
Over 8 1/2 runs (-104)
Under 8 1/2 runs (-116)
Why The Red Sox Could Cover The Spread
The Red Sox remain one of the hottest teams in the MLB after Monday's victory, winning nine of their last ten games. The offense is the catalyst for all these wins, and I expect them to stay hot on Tuesday.
In Boston's last ten games, they have scored less than four runs only three times. The lineup is menacing for any pitcher, especially now that the Red Sox are getting contributions from some role players who are coming along. Third baseman Rafael Devers is a prime example, owning a ridiculous .429 batting average to go along with a .750 slugging percentage in his last seven games. When Boston is less reliant on superstars like JD Martinez, it makes this offense far more dangerous.
The Red Sox will send newly selected All-Star Nathan Eovaldi to the mound tonight. Eovaldi has clearly had a pretty good season, but his last seven starts have been even better. He owns an ERA of 2.13 and a 1.20 WHIP over that span, and he should be able to continue that hot streak against the Angels tonight. Los Angeles could be missing star third baseman Anthony Rendon because of a hamstring injury, giving Eovaldi an easier path to a good start. Backup third baseman Taylor Ward is also questionable for Tuesday's game, making things even easier for Eovaldi.
Why The Angels Could Cover The Spread
The Angels will entrust two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani with the start. Ohtani is known for his performance in the batter's box this season, but his pitching performances also deserve some attention. He owns a 3.60 ERA on the season to go along with a WHIP of 1.27, both solid numbers.
Helping Ohtani in his start on Tuesday is the fact that Boston hits right-handed pitching worse than left-handed pitching. The Red Sox batting average, OBP, and OPS all drop when facing a righty instead of a lefty. Boston is also significantly worse offensively when playing on the road, with every major batting statistic falling off a cliff when the Red Sox leave Fenway Park.
The Angels may be missing some players in their lineup, but that hasn't hampered their offense too much in recent games. Despite missing some key players, Los Angeles has scored four or more runs in their last eight games. Eovaldi may be an All-Star, but this lineup won't be easy to get through no matter who's missing from it.
Final Red Sox-Angels Prediction & Pick
Expect this to be another close game, but I'm taking the Red Sox here. Eovaldi is a bit more solid than Ohtani on the mound, and the Boston lineup can almost always be counted. The Angels will keep this one close the whole way, but Boston will take a two-game lead in the series in the end.
FINAL PICK: Boston Red Sox ML (-114)
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