Astros vs. Red Sox Prediction, Computer Picks, Odds & Pitching Matchup 8/3/2022

J.D. Martinez is on the brink of his 100th hit of the season for the Boston Red Sox (53-52) as they get set to take on the Houston Astros (67-38) on Wednesday. The Red Sox enter the matchup as +188 underdogs on the moneyline, and action gets underway from Minute Maid Park at 2:10 PM ET. Houston’s Jose Urquidy and Boston’s Brayan Bello have been named the starters for this contest.

Astros vs. Red Sox Spread and Betting Line

Computer Predictions for Astros vs. Red Sox

Our best bet is the Red Sox on the moneyline at +188 after digging through all of the key stats and trends for this matchup. Our computer predicts the total score will over the total of 8.5 runs.

Our computer pick: Boston Red Sox (+188) and Over (8.5)

Astros vs. Red Sox Game Info

• Houston Astros probable starting pitcher: José Urquidy
• Boston Red Sox probable starting pitcher: Brayan Bello
• Game Day: Wednesday, August 3, 2022
• Game Time: 2:10 PM ET
• Location: Houston, Texas
• Stadium: Minute Maid Park

Houston Astros vs Boston Red Sox Pitching Matchup

Astros Starter José Urquidy

• The Astros will send Urquidy (9-4) to the mound to make his 20th start of the season as he looks for his 10th win. He is 9-4 with a 3.86 ERA and 80 strikeouts in 107 1/3 innings pitched.
• In his most recent appearance on Friday against the Seattle Mariners, the right-hander went 6 2/3 innings, allowing two earned runs while surrendering four hits.
• The 27-year-old has amassed an ERA of 3.86, with 6.7 strikeouts per nine innings, in 19 games this season. Opposing hitters have a .254 batting average against him.
• Urquidy is looking to extend an eighth-game quality start streak in this matchup.
• Urquidy will try to build upon a nine-game streak of lasting five or more innings (he’s averaging 5.2 innings per appearance).
• He will match up with a Red Sox squad that is batting .254 as a unit (sixth in MLB). It is also slugging a collective .409 (10th in MLB) with 102 total home runs (18th in MLB).
• Urquidy has pitched five innings, giving up four earned runs on 12 hits while striking out one against the Red Sox this season.
• The 27-year-old ranks 43rd in ERA (3.86), 40th in WHIP (1.211), and 57th in K/9 (6.7) among qualifying pitchers in MLB play this season.

Red Sox Starter Brayan Bello

• Bello (0-3) will take to the mound for the Red Sox and make his fourth start of the season.
• The right-hander last pitched out of the bullpen on Friday, when he threw 4 1/3 innings, giving up two earned runs while allowing four hits to the Milwaukee Brewers.
• The 23-year-old has pitched in four games this season with an ERA of 8.82 and 7.2 strikeouts per nine innings, with an opponent batting average of .371.
• The Astros rank 14th in MLB with 464 runs scored this season. They have a .240 batting average this campaign with 146 home runs (third in the league).

Astros Betting Picks & Insights

• This season, the Astros have won 60 out of the 89 games, or 67.4%, in which they’ve been favored.
• Houston is 10-5 this season when entering a game favored by -231 or more on the moneyline.
• The bookmakers’ moneyline implies a 69.8% chance of a victory for the Astros.
• So far this season, Houston and its opponents have hit the over in 38 of their 106 games with a total.
• The Astros are 54-52-0 against the spread this season.

Red Sox Betting Picks & Insights

• The Red Sox have come away with 22 wins in the 52 contests they have been listed as the underdogs in this season.
• This is the worst odds of a win that sportsbooks have given Boston this season with a +188 moneyline set for this game.
• The Red Sox have an implied victory probability of 34.7% according to the moneyline set for this matchup.
• Boston and its opponents have gone over the total this season in 46 of their 105 opportunities.
• In 105 games with a line this season, the Red Sox have a mark of 55-50-0 against the spread.

Astros Leaders & Batting Stats

• Not only does Yordan Alvarez lead the Astros in hitting with his .307 average, he also is their premier power option with 30 home runs and 71 RBI.
• Alvarez’s home runs place him third in the majors, and he ranks eighth in RBI.
• Kyle Tucker has 15 doubles, 19 home runs and 47 walks while batting .238.
• Tucker is 27th in home runs and 15th in RBI among all major league batters this season.
• Alex Bregman is hitting .243 with 25 doubles, 13 home runs and 56 walks.
• Jose Altuve is hitting .272 with 20 doubles, 19 home runs and 39 walks.

Red Sox Leaders & Batting Stats

• Rafael Devers leads the Red Sox with 23 home runs and has a team-high batting average of .326.
• Among all hitters in MLB, Devers ranks 14th in homers and 27th in RBI.
• Devers carries a two-game hitting streak into this matchup. During his last five outings he is hitting .294 with two doubles, three home runs, a walk and five RBI.
• Xander Bogaerts has 28 doubles, eight home runs and 41 walks while hitting .312.
• Bogaerts ranks 150th overall in home runs and 77th in RBI this season.
• Alex Verdugo has 22 doubles, six home runs and 22 walks while hitting .266.
• Martinez is batting .284 with 32 doubles, nine home runs and 32 walks.