Monday night baseball and we will see the Texas Rangers travel to Fenway Park to take on the Boston Red Sox in game 1 of their 3 game series. First pitch is scheduled for a 7:10 PM (Eastern) start time and the game will be televised on ESPN.
Current Odds
Texas +148
Boston -161
Over/ Under: 9 O -115
Analysis: The Texas Rangers come in at 3-3 on the year, while having just lost 2 of 3 in Tampa Bay over the weekend. The Rangers offense started on fire this year putting up 10 runs in their season opener vs Philadelphia, but in their last 5 games they scored just 15 total runs, while not putting more than 4 runs on the board in any of those games. Pitching has improved for them since their opener, in which they allowed 14 runs to the Phils, but since then they have allowed just 18 total runs in their last 5 games. Tanner Scheppers was involved in that opener and he allowed 7 ER's and 8 hits in just 4 innings of work in that game, which was his first ever major league start. It could get worse for him vs this solid Red Sox lineup.
For the Red Sox, they come in reeling a bit as they just swept at home by the Milwaukee Brewers. Now the defending champs come in at just 2-4 on the year. The Sox have been struggling a bit on offense as they have scored just 3.17 rpg on the year and they put up just 8 total runs in the 3 games vs the Brewers. The Sox do have some injury woes as both Victorino and Middlebrooks have landed on the DL. The Pitching has also struggled for this team of late as they allowed the Brewers to score 17 runs in their 3 game set with them. Tonight it will be John Lackey getting the ball and he comes off a solid first start of the year, in which he allowed just 2 ER's on 3 hits in 6 innings of work to grab a 6-2 win in Baltimore. Lackey has struggled against Texas in his career, posting a 12-15 record with a 6.01 ERA vs them.
Pick: I like the Sox in this one. The have just lost 3 in a row at home and I just cant see a 4th one, especially with the huge pitching edge of Lackey over Scheppers, who was shelled in his opener and now takes on an angry and powerful Boston offense. He may just get shelled again. John Lackey pitched well at home last year and looks have have a good game, vs a struggling Texas offense. The red Sox should get back on track tonight.
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Handicapping Tips: Baseball Correlations
Steve Fezzik from Pregame.com gives some handicapping tips for betting runlines and correlated parlays in major league baseball.