On Monday, a series opener is on the schedule, with the Houston Astros (67-56) hosting the Boston Red Sox (65-58) at 8:10 p.m. ET.
The Astros are favored at home (-125) versus the Red Sox (+106). The matchup on the mound for this contest is set with the Houston Astros looking to Yusei Kikuchi (6-9), and Tanner Houck (8-8) answering the bell for the Boston Red Sox.
The Astros won their last game against the White Sox yesterday by a 2-0 score. Jose Altuve went 2-for-3 with a home run and an RBI to lead them offensively. Framber Valdez picked up the win on the strength of seven innings without giving up an earned run on three hits, while striking out nine.
The Red Sox fell to the Orioles 4-2 yesterday. Rob Refsnyder went 1-for-2 with a home run and an RBI in the defeat, while Kutter Crawford took the loss on the mound, throwing 5 1/3 innings, giving up three earned runs on two hits while striking out four.
Prepare for the Astros vs. Red Sox with what you need to know before Monday’s Game, including viewing options.
Houston Astros vs. Boston Red Sox odds and betting lines
MLB odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds updated Monday at 3:16 a.m. ET. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub.
- Favorite: Astros (-125, bet $125 to win $100)
- Underdog: Red Sox (+106, bet $100 to win $106)
- Over/under: 8
Astros vs. Red Sox: Live streaming info & game time
- Game Day: Monday, August 19, 2024
- Game Time: 8:10 p.m. ET
- Stadium: Minute Maid Park
- TV Channel: NESN
- Live Stream: Fubo (Watch for free)
Astros stats and trends
Astros betting records
- The Astros have won 51, or 56.7%, of the 90 games they’ve played as favorites this season.
- Houston has a record of 43-29 in games when oddsmakers favor them by at least -125 on the moneyline.
- The sportsbooks’ moneyline implies a 55.6% chance of a victory for the Astros.
- Houston’s games have gone over the total in 48 of its 123 chances.
- The Astros are 60-62-0 ATS in their 122 games with a spread this season.
Yusei Kikuchi (Astros probable starter)
- Kikuchi gets the start for the Astros, his 26th of the season. He is 6-9 with a 4.49 ERA and 154 strikeouts through 132 1/3 innings pitched.
- In his most recent outing on Tuesday against the Tampa Bay Rays, the lefty went 5 2/3 innings, allowing one earned run while surrendering three hits.
- The 33-year-old has an ERA of 4.49, with 10.5 strikeouts per nine innings, in 25 games this season. Opposing hitters have a .260 batting average against him.
- Kikuchi heads into this game with eight quality starts under his belt this year.
- Kikuchi is looking for his fourth straight outing lasting five or more innings. He averages 5.3 frames per appearance on the hill.
- He has had two appearances this season in which he did not surrender an earned run.
- He will face off against a Red Sox offense that ranks second in MLB with 1127 total hits (on a .262 batting average). The squad also slugs a collective .441 (second in MLB) with 155 total home runs (sixth in MLB).
- In four innings over one appearance against the Red Sox this season, Kikuchi has an 11.25 ERA and a 1.750 WHIP while his opponents are batting .389.
- This season, the 33-year-old ranks 55th in ERA (4.49), 49th in WHIP (1.292), and ninth in K/9 (10.5) among qualifying pitchers.
Astros batting stats
- The Astros have hit 146 homers this season, which ranks 12th in the league.
- The offense for Houston has a slugging percentage of .418 this season, 11th in MLB.
- The Astros’ .260 batting average is among the best in baseball, ranking third in MLB.
- Houston has scored the 12th-most runs in the majors this season with 565 (4.6 per game).
- The Astros have an OBP of .321 this season, which ranks 10th in MLB.
- Houston ranks third in MLB in strikeouts per game with an average of 7.2 whiffs per contest.
Red Sox stats and trends
Red Sox betting records
- The Red Sox have been victorious in 31, or 50.8%, of the 61 contests they have been chosen as underdogs in this season.
- This season, Boston has been victorious 17 times in 37 chances when named as an underdog of at least +106 or longer on the moneyline.
- The Red Sox have an implied victory probability of 48.5% according to the moneyline set by oddsmakers for this matchup.
- Boston and its opponents have gone over the total this season in 65 of its 122 opportunities.
- The Red Sox have posted a record of 55-67-0 against the spread this season.
Tanner Houck (Red Sox probable starter)
- Houck makes the start for the Red Sox, his 25th of the season. He is 8-8 with a 3.01 ERA and 127 strikeouts in 146 2/3 innings pitched.
- His most recent time out was on Wednesday against the Texas Rangers, when the righty went 6 2/3 innings, surrendering two earned runs while allowing six hits.
- The 28-year-old has put up an ERA of 3.01, with 7.8 strikeouts per nine innings in 24 games this season. Opponents are batting .229 against him.
- Houck is looking to claim his third straight quality start in this game.
- Houck is looking for his seventh straight appearance lasting five or more innings. He averages 6.1 frames per start.
- He has held his opponents without an earned run in five of his 24 appearances this season.
- He will match up with an Astros offense that ranks fifth in the league with 1098 total hits (on a .260 batting average). The team also slugs a collective .418 (11th in the league) with 146 total home runs (12th in MLB play).
- Houck has pitched six innings, giving up one earned run on four hits while striking out one against the Astros this season.
- The 28-year-old’s 3.01 ERA ranks seventh, 1.145 WHIP ranks 23rd, and 7.8 K/9 ranks 43rd among qualifying pitchers this season.
Red Sox batting stats
- The Red Sox rank sixth in MLB action with 155 home runs. They average 1.3 per game.
- So far this season, Boston is second in baseball with a .441 slugging percentage.
- The Red Sox are second in MLB with a .262 batting average.
- Boston scores the fourth-most runs in baseball (614 total, 5.0 per game).
- The Red Sox’s .328 on-base percentage is fifth-best in baseball.
