The Boston Red Sox and Houston Astros clash in the second contest of a three-game set at Minute Maid Park on Tuesday night.
Houston crushed Boston 11-2 yesterday and is a slim -125 home favorite today with the Over/Under opening at 9 before moving down to 8.5.
Here are our best free Red Sox vs. Astros picks and predictions for MLB betting action on Tuesday, June 1, with the first pitch scheduled for 8:10 p.m. ET.
Red Sox vs Astros game info
• Location: Minute Maid Park, Houston, TX
• Date: Tuesday, June 1, 2021
• Time: 8:10 p.m. ET
• TV: ATTSN-SW, NESN
Red Sox vs Astros odds
Odds via the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.
Compare MLB odds before betting to ensure you get the best number.
Red Sox vs Astros betting preview
Starting pitchers
Garrett Richards (4-3, 3.83 ERA): The veteran has been up and down in his first season with Boston, pitching to a 1.50 WHIP through 10 starts. He allowed six hits and three runs in 5 2-3 innings in his last outing, which came a week ago against the Braves.
Luis Garcia (3-3, 2.93 ERA): The 24-year-old right-hander has looked strong this season as he works his way into a banged-up Astros rotation. Garcia has a 1.02 WHIP and 54 strikeouts through 46 innings and is coming off a terrific performance against the Dodgers where he held the defending World Series champs to two hits and zero runs across six innings.
Weather
Be sure to monitor the gametime conditions with our MLB weather info.
Key injuries
Red Sox: Ryan Brazier RP (Out).
Astros: Yuli Gurriel 1B (Questionable), Yordan Alvarez DH (Out), Michael Brantley LF (Out), Bryan Abreu RP (Out).
Find our latest MLB injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Over is 11-0 in the Astros' last 11 games when their opponent allows 5 runs or more in their previous game. Find more MLB betting trends for Red Sox vs. Astros.
Moneyline pick
The Red Sox may have been destroyed last night but they are still 7-3 in their last 10 games. Boston is currently second in the AL East and fifth in the majors with a 32-21 record.
The Astros, meanwhile, have won back-to-back contests to improve to 29-24 and sit just half a game behind the A's for first place in the AL West.
Both of these squads have been sensational at the plate, with the BoSox leading the majors with an OPS of .765 and the 'Stros third with an OPS of .761.
The difference in this matchup is on the mound where Boston starter Garrett Richards has looked shaky while young Astros starter Luis Garcia has excelled.
Richards has a solid ERA of 3.83 across 10 starts but his expected ERA of 4.47 and his opponent batting average of .266 are not good signs moving forward.
On the other hand, Garcia has a 2.93 ERA, 3.40 xERA, and an OBA of just .187 in 10 games (eight starts). With the Astros at home, where they are 119-56 in their last 175 contests, and owning the pitching edge, back them on the moneyline.
PREDICTION: Astros (-125)
Over/Under pick
Both of these teams consistently make contact with the ball, with the Astros and Red Sox ranking first and second, respectively, in the majors in batting average and sweet spot percentage.
Solid contact leads to plenty of scoring opportunities so it should be no surprise that they are also at the top of the leaderboard in that department. The Astros lead the majors in scoring with 5.36 runs per game while the Red Sox rank third at 5.08 runs/game
While Garcia has thrown the ball well for the Astros, their relievers have been less impressive and rank 21st in the majors with a 1.37 WHIP. Boston's bullpen hasn't been much better, ranking 20th with a collective WHIP of 1.35.
Houston has been easy money for Over bettors lately, going a sizzling 20-5-1 O/U in the last 26 games overall. With the Over also cashing in five of Boston's last six games on the road, bet it again tonight.
PREDICTION: Over 8.5 (-110)
Red Sox vs Astros betting card
- Astros (-125)
- Over 8.5 (-110)
Picks made on 6/1/2021 at 10:55 a.m. ET
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