Jordan Montgomery will get the start for the Rangers (82-67, 45-30 home) as they host the Red Sox (74-76, 36-38 away) at Globe Life Field. The Red Sox will give the starting nod to Kutter Crawford. Check out my prediction for game one of this American League matchup between the Boston Red Sox and Texas Rangers.

BOSTON RED SOX VS TEXAS RANGERS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Boston Red Sox +138

This game will be played at Globe Life Field at 8:05 ET on Monday, September 18th.

WHY BET THE BOSTON RED SOX:

  • Coming into the game, the Rangers have gone just 2-3 in their last five home games.
  • The Rangers head into the game having lost two straight matchups as the moneyline favorite.
  • Jordan Montgomery has struggled of late, coming in with an ERA of 7.56 over his last five starts.

BOSTON RED SOX SEEK TO IMPROVE THEIR ROAD RECORD

This season, the Red Sox have an overall series record of 23-21-4 and are currently 5th in the AL East. Boston’s overall record is 74-76, which includes their current four game losing streak. On the road, the Red Sox are 36-38 and 38-38 at home.

Kutter Crawford has taken the mound 28 times for the Red Sox this season, recording a 6-7 record with an ERA of 4.26. His K/9 rate is 9.16, and his FIP and OBP stand at 4.10 and .287, respectively.

In Kutter Crawford’s most recent outing, he pitched 4 2/3 innings in the Red Sox’s 4-1 defeat to the Yankees. Despite not earning a win or loss, Crawford allowed one run on three hits in his no-decision performance.

This season, the Red Sox are 8th in the league at 4.9 runs per game. Over their last ten games, they have a combined batting average of .231 (20th) leading to 3.9 runs per contest. Overall, they are generating 3.0 walks per game compared to 8 strikeouts. Boston’s on-base percentage of .327 has them 8th in the MLB.

Rafael Devers has been a standout for the Red Sox over their last five games, leading the team in hits and batting .517. His season-long performance is also impressive, with a .276 average and 98 RBIs.

WILL THE TEXAS RANGERS TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

Looking to snap a three game losing streak, the Rangers are in 2nd place in the AL West. Texas’ overall record sits at 82-67 while going 37-37 on the road and 45-30 at home, respectively. So far, they have played in 47 series, and have gone 27-18-2.

The Rangers will send Jordan Montgomery to the mound, who has a 9-11 record in 29 appearances this season. The lefty has an ERA of 3.47 and a K/9 of 7.84, while his FIP is 3.68 and OBP is .294.

Jordan Montgomery’s most recent outing was a success, as he earned the victory in a 10-0 rout of the Blue Jays. The lefty tossed seven innings of shutout ball, surrendering just four hits.

Having gone deep 6 times in their last five games, the Rangers are 4th in that span. At 5.5 runs per game, Texas is 3rd in the league. This figure has come on a team batting average of .266 while hitting a total of 209 home runs (5th).

A noteworthy injury for the Rangers is Adolis García’s absence from today’s game. The outfielder has been a key contributor to the team’s offense this season, batting .244 and slugging .494.