Red Sox vs. Rangers Odds
| Red Sox Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Moneyline | Total | Run Line |
+120 | 9 -102 / -120 | +1.5 -170 |
| Rangers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Moneyline | Total | Run Line |
-142 | 9 -102 / -120 | -1.5 +140 |
The third and final game of this series gets underway on Wednesday with the AL West's Texas Rangers hosting the AL East's Boston Red Sox.
These clubs split the first two games of this series, with Boston winning the opener, 4-2, and Texas rebounding with a 6-4 victory on Tuesday.
Will the Rangers take care of business once again, or can the Red Sox end the series on a high note?
Here's a look at the odds and my Red Sox vs. Rangers betting pick and prediction.
Boston Red Sox
Despite playing in an extremely competitive division and playing .500 ball, this season has still been a massive disappointment for the Red Sox organization.
However, it's certainly not the fault of the lineup.
Boston ranks in the top eight of the league in runs scored per game, hits per game, BA, SLG and OPS.
This lineup also does a tremendous job of avoiding strikeouts, as it ranks ninth in K% when facing right-handed pitching this year.
The middle of the lineup is filled with hitters who avoid strikeouts, including Rafael Devers, Justin Turner, Alex Verdugo and Masataka Yoshida. All four of those guys possess a K% south of 19%.
This success in avoiding the punch out is likely to continue against right-hander Jon Gray, who's slated to take the mound for the Rangers. Through 92 career plate appearances against Gray, this current Red Sox lineup owns a mere 17.4 K% and 20.7 Whiff%.
Texas Rangers
It hasn't been the strongest season for Gray, and another tough outing may be in-store on Wednesday for the veteran hurler.
Through 27 starts, the right-hander is 8-8 with a 4.05 ERA and 1.30 WHIP.
His underlying metrics suggest that positive regression is unlikely, as he ranks in the 41st percentile or lower in xERA, xBA and Average Exit Velocity.
Gray also ranks in the 36th percentile in K%, and that's the avenue in which we'll fade him in this contest.
Currently, you can find his strikeout prop at 5.5 at DraftKings, a total Gray has failed to surpass in four of his past six starts.
Over that span, he's 0-3 with a 5.72 ERA and 1.73 WHIP.
Red Sox vs. Rangers
Betting Pick & Prediction
Gray's strikeout woes are likely to continue against the Red Sox, a team he struggled against earlier this year. In that outing, the right-hander allowed four runs on nine hits through six innings pitched.
He also only accumulated two strikeouts in that outing, which shouldn't be shocking given Gray's poor punch out metrics and Boston's strong lineup.
Even if Gray finds more success this time around, there's not much there to sell us on him improving by four strikeouts in that specific market.
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