Astros vs. Red Sox Prediction, Betting Tips & Picks 5/18/2022

Jeremy Pena seeks to extend his 10-game hitting streak as the Houston Astros (24-13) take on the Boston Red Sox (14-22) and J.D. Martinez, who has an 18-game hit streak of his own. The Astros are listed as -145 favorites on the moneyline for the contest, which starts at 6:10 PM ET on Wednesday, live from Fenway Park. Luis Garcia will get the ball for Houston while Boston counter with Nick Pivetta.

Astros vs. Red Sox Spread and Betting Line

Computer Predictions for Astros vs. Red Sox

Our computer pick: Boston Red Sox (+124) and Under (9)

Astros vs. Red Sox Game Info

• Houston Astros probable starting pitcher: Luis Garcia
• Boston Red Sox probable starting pitcher: Nick Pivetta
• Game Day: Wednesday, May 18, 2022
• Game Time: 6:10 PM ET
• Location: Boston, Massachusetts
• Stadium: Fenway Park

Houston Astros vs Boston Red Sox Pitching Matchup

Astros Starter Luis Garcia

• Garcia makes the start for the Astros, his seventh of the season. He is 3-1 with a 2.94 ERA and 37 strikeouts through 33 2/3 innings pitched.
• The righty last pitched on Thursday against the Minnesota Twins, when he tossed five scoreless innings while giving up five hits.
• The 25-year-old has amassed an ERA of 2.94, with 9.9 strikeouts per nine innings, in six games this season. Opposing hitters have a .189 batting average against him.
• Garcia enters the game with two quality starts under his belt this year.
• Garcia will try to extend a six-game streak of going five or more innings (he’s averaging 5.2 frames per appearance).
• The opposing Red Sox offense has the 19th-ranked slugging percentage (.365) and ranks 27th in MLB play with 24 home runs. It has a collective .238 batting average, and is ninth in MLB with 292 total hits and 24th in MLB action scoring 136 runs.

Red Sox Starter Nick Pivetta

• The Red Sox’s Pivetta (1-4) will make his eighth start of the season.
• The right-hander’s last start was on Saturday, when he tossed seven innings while giving up one earned run on three hits in a matchup with the Texas Rangers.
• The 29-year-old has pitched in seven games this season with an ERA of 5.08 and 8.8 strikeouts per nine innings, with an opponent batting average of .256.
• If he completes six or more innings with three or fewer earned runs allowed, he’ll earn his third quality start in a row.
• Pivetta has two starts in a row of five innings or more.
• The Astros are batting .233 this season, 17th in MLB. They have a team slugging percentage of .421 (third in the league) with 55 home runs.

Astros Betting Picks & Insights

• This season, the Astros have been favored 27 times and won 20, or 74.1%, of those games.
• Houston has a record of 12-3 in games where oddsmakers favor them by at least -145 on the moneyline.
• The implied probability of a win from the Astros, based on the moneyline, is 59.2%.
• Houston and its opponents have gone over the total this season in 11 of their 37 opportunities.
• The Astros are 20-17-0 ATS in their 37 games with a spread this season.

Red Sox Betting Picks & Insights

• The Red Sox have won in seven, or 35%, of the 20 contests they have been named as odds-on underdogs in this year.
• Boston has a win-loss record of 2-4 when favored by +124 or worse by oddsmakers this year.
• The moneyline set for this matchup implies the Red Sox have a 44.6% chance of coming away with a victory in the contest.
• Boston and their opponents have hit the over in 11 of their 36 games with a total set by oddsmakers this season.
• The Red Sox have an against the spread mark of 18-18-0 in 36 games with a line this season.

Astros Leaders & Batting Stats

• Yordan Alvarez’s 12 round-trippers in 2022 are the most on the Astros. He’s also driven in 22 runs while hitting .259.
• Among all batters in MLB, Alvarez’s home run total ranks him second, and his RBI tally puts him 23rd.
• Alex Bregman is batting .230 with nine doubles, five home runs and 24 walks.
• Bregman ranks 48th in home runs and 23rd in RBI among all batters in baseball.
• Kyle Tucker has a team-high 25 runs batted in.
• Michael Brantley is batting .286 to lead his team.
• Brantley is riding a seven-game hitting streak into this one. During his last 10 outings he is hitting .297 with three doubles, a triple, a home run, seven walks and six RBI.

Red Sox Leaders & Batting Stats

• Rafael Devers paces the Red Sox in home runs (seven) and runs batted in (20).
• Among all batters in the big leagues, Devers’ home run total is 22nd and his RBI tally ranks 41st.
• Devers has collected a hit in 11 straight games. During his last 10 games he is hitting .463 with seven doubles, three home runs, three walks and 10 RBI.
• Xander Bogaerts is batting .338 to lead the lineup.
• Bogaerts is 111th overall in home runs and 91st in RBI this season.
• Martinez is hitting .333 with 13 doubles, five home runs and eight walks.
• Alex Verdugo is hitting .213 with five doubles, three home runs and eight walks.

Betting Tips for Astros vs. Red Sox

Our best bet is the Red Sox on the moneyline at +124 after digging through all of the key trends and statistics for this matchup. Our computer predicts the total score will under the total of 9 runs.