The Astros (71-55, 34-29 home) will host the Red Sox (66-59, 31-31 away) in game two of this American League series. Starting for the Astros is Justin Verlander, while the Red Sox are giving the ball to Tanner Houck. Read on to see my pick for this showdown between Houston Astros and Boston Red Sox.

BOSTON RED SOX VS HOUSTON ASTROS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Houston Astros -154

This game will be played at Minute Maid Park at 8:10 ET on Tuesday, August 22nd.

WHY BET THE HOUSTON ASTROS:

  • The Astros have gone 3-2 in their five games at home.
  • Houston is on a two game winning streak when the underdog.
  • The Astros are 2-1 in Justin Verlander’s last three starts.

BOSTON RED SOX LOOKING FOR UPSET AS ROAD UNDERDOGS

Through 125 games, the Red Sox have a record of 66-59. This mark includes going 22-16-3 across their 41 series. Currently, Boston is 4th in the AL East and have a 35-28 record at home while going 31-31 on the road. So far, the Red Sox have gone 33-33 against teams with above .500 records.

Tanner Houck will take the mound for the Red Sox, boasting a 3-6 record. Through 13 appearances, his ERA is 5.05 and his K/9 rate is 8.51. His FIP is 4.22 and opponents have an OBP of .303 against him.

Tanner Houck’s last outing was a solid one, as he permitted four hits over four innings of work. The Red Sox right-hander ultimately allowed one earned run, though he did not factor into the decision as Boston emerged victorious with a 15-5 triumph over the Yankees.

Offensively, Boston is ranked 8th in the league with an average of 4.9 runs per game. When looking over their last five matchups, the Red Sox averaged 6.6 runs per contest, which is 4th best in that span. In terms of their power numbers, Boston is 13th in all of baseball, with a total of 144 home runs.

Rafael Devers has been a major contributor to the Red Sox’s offensive success this season, as he leads the team with 29 home runs. Over the last five games, Devers has gone yard three times and is hitting .273 for the year.

WILL THE HOUSTON ASTROS TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

On a record of 71-55, the Astros come into today’s game 2nd in the AL West. When playing at home, they are 34-29 and 37-26 on the road. Houston has played in 40 series thus far, and have gone 22-15-3.

Justin Verlander will take the mound for the Astros with an 8-6 record in 19 appearances this season. His ERA is 3.37, K/9 is 7.53, FIP is 3.83, and OBP is .285.

Houston is looking to Justin Verlander to lead them to victory once again, as they emerged victorious the last time he took the mound. He allowed four earned runs on nine hits over five innings in their 12-5 win against the Marlins.

Having gone deep 9 times in their last five games, the Astros are 4th in that span. At 4.9 runs per game, Houston is 6th in the league. This figure has come on a team batting average of .253 while hitting a total of 165 home runs (7th).

The Astros’ Kyle Tucker has been one of the team’s top offensive performers in 2023. His batting average of .297 is accompanied by 24 home runs and 92 RBIs.