Kutter Crawford will get the start for the Red Sox (51-46, 26-22 home) as they host the Mets (45-51, 22-29 away) at Fenway Park. The Mets will give the starting nod to Kodai Senga. Check out my prediction for game one of this interleague matchup between the New York Mets and Boston Red Sox.

NEW YORK METS VS BOSTON RED SOX BETTING PICK

The Pick: Boston Red Sox -121

This game will be played at Fenway Park at 7:10 ET on Friday, July 21st.

WHY BET THE BOSTON RED SOX:

  • On the road, the Mets have dropped two straight games.
  • The Red Sox are on a five game winning streak as the home underdog.
  • The Red Sox are 3-0 in Kutter Crawford’s last three starts.

NEW YORK METS SEEK TO IMPROVE THEIR ROAD RECORD

New York enters today’s matchup with an overall record of 45-51, placing them 4th in the NL East. The club has played in 31 series so far, and has a record of 10-17-4, including dropping each of their past two sets. The Mets are 23-22 at home and 22-29 and 23-22 at home.

Today, New York starter Kodai Senga will aim to reduce the number of home-runs he has allowed in his last two appearances. Through the season, Senga has compiled a 7-5 record and an ERA of 3.20. He has tallied 122 strikeouts and an impressive K/9 rate of 11.48, while also averaging 4.61 walks per 9 innings pitched.

Kodai Senga notched a quality start in his latest appearance, hurling six frames and allowing one run. Unfortunately for the Mets, they were unable to get past the Dodgers, falling 5-1.

The Mets have been one of the top power lineups in the league of late, having hit 12 home runs over their last ten games. Compared to other clubs, this is 6th best in that span. For the season, they are ranked 8th in home runs and 15th in slugging percentage. Overall, New York is averaging 4.4 runs per game (16th).

Pete Alonso has been a major contributor to the Mets’ offensive performance in 2023, leading the team with 26 home runs and 63 RBIs. His slugging percentage is currently .472 for the season.

WILL THE BOSTON RED SOX TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

On a record of 51-46, the Red Sox come into today’s game 4th in the AL East. When playing at home, they are 26-22 and 25-24 on the road. Boston has played in 31 series thus far, and have gone 17-11-3.

Kutter Crawford is set to make his 19th appearance of the 2023 season today, boasting a 4-4 record thus far. His ERA stands at 3.74 and opponents have a .278 OBP against him, while he has struck out 67 batters and holds a WHIP of 1.13. Crawford has been particularly impressive on the road, with an ERA of 2.45 compared to 6.28 at home.

The Red Sox emerged victorious in Kutter Crawford’s last outing, defeating the Cubs 11-5. The right-hander tossed six frames of one-hit ball, surrendering no earned runs and earning his sixth win of the season.

Offensively, Boston is ranked 5th in the league with an average of 5 runs per game. When looking over their last five matchups, the Red Sox averaged 5.4 runs per contest, which is 6th best in that span. In terms of their power numbers, Boston is 17th in all of baseball, with a total of 105 home runs.

Triston Casas has been a powerful presence in the Red Sox’s lineup over their last ten games, leading the team with three home runs. His season-long total of 12 homers puts him at the top of the leaderboard. Casas has also put up an overall batting average of