At 7:10 p.m. on Tuesday evening, the iconic Fenway Park fills up once more for the second leg of a three-game series between the Boston Red Sox (63-51) and the Kansas City Royals (56-57). These Sox are red-hot entering tonight’s contest, so can they keep their winning streak alive for one more game?
Here’s a Red Sox vs. Royals prediction and pick on DraftKings Sportsbook for Tuesday’s contest.
Red Sox vs. Royals prediction, preview
The Red Sox came out of the All-Star break a little shaky but have since rounded into form with six straight wins, plus eight victories in their last 10 games. They’re red-hot as they chase the top spot in the AL East, but the same can’t exactly be said for the Royals entering this contest. Kansas City sits 9-7 since the ASG but keep battling against themselves to remain at the .500 mark as they trail at third place within the AL Central.
Boston claimed an 8-5 victory over Kansas City last night despite being out-hit in an offensive showcase as they logged 11 hits to the visitors’ 12. Interestingly enough though, the Royals’ offense actually has outproduced the Red Sox since the season resumed. Both teams have played 16 games, with Kansas City tallying 88 runs to Boston’s 77. The Royals’ OPS over that span sits at .761 to the Red Sox at .735, but both sides have an identical .307 OBP.
The pitching matchup should determine the winner in this outing. Red Sox lefty Garrett Crochet (2.23 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 175 SO) gets the start against Royals right-hander Ryan Bergert (2.78 ERA, 1.18 ERA, 34 SO). With Boston’s ace on the mound, they enter with a distinct upper hand.
Red Sox vs. Royals pick, best bet
DraftKings Sportsbook lists the Red Sox as -250 favorites on the Moneyline at home. The Royals are listed at +200 to win outright with the run total set at 7.5.
With Crochet pitching tonight for Boston, the offense can work without fear of falling behind early in this contest. The lefty has been one of the best hurlers in baseball this season and should get the better of the Royals’ lineup for at least the first few innings, and it’s worth mentioning Kansas City does bat slightly worse against left-handers this year. On the other side, Bergert hasn’t gone over 4.2 innings in any of his four appearances dating back to June 19, so the Red Sox should get a look at the opposing bullpen fairly early in this one.
With the upper hand in the starter battle thanks to a guy like Crochet who can pitch pretty deep into games, I feel confident the Red Sox can get out to an early lead tonight. While the Royals’ offense has played well lately, the home team has momentum fully on their side as they work to push this winning streak to seven games. I think Boston holds on to win and cover.
Best bet: BOS Red Sox -1.5 (-115)
Click the odds on this bet to tail!
