The Red Sox and Athletics face off in the second game of their three-game series tonight. These games are important for Boston as the team is fighting for AL East and Wild Card positioning.
The Athletics are playing spoiler as they’re well out of the playoff race. They’re technically not eliminated, but it would take quite an effort to earn a Wild Card spot.
Boston is a -113 favorite, while the Athletics are -107 on DraftKings Sportsbook. The game total is set at over/under 10.5 runs.
Here’s my prediction and pick for Tuesday’s Red Sox vs. Athletics matchup.
Red Sox vs. Athletics prediction
The Red Sox won 7-0 in the first game of this series, as Garrett Crochet pitched another gem in his first year with the club. The offense was alive, too, as the team finished with 12 hits and seven runs.
Boston doesn’t have its ace tonight, so the Athletics will face Connelly Early, who is making his MLB debut. He spent this year in Double-A and Triple-A, holding a 2.60 ERA across 21 games. Although the Athletics are 13 games under .500, they can have some solid offensive showings at times.
Players such as Nick Kurtz, Shea Langeliers, Jacob Wilson, Brent Rooker and Tyler Soderstrom have all had solid 2025 seasons. They can take advantage of a rookie pitcher if Early is not playing his best.
The Athletics will start Jeffrey Springs, who played one season with the Red Sox in 2020. The 32-year-old has a 4.13 ERA through 157 innings, which is serviceable for a team at the bottom of the AL West. He’s not magnificent by any means, but he has had solid starts.
Springs allowed two earned runs through six innings against the Cardinals in his last outing, and he allowed one earned run on two hits in 5.1 innings against the Mariners on Aug. 23. The downside is that he’s also allowed three, four and five earned runs in games since Aug. 11.
It could be a difficult night as he pitches against a hungry Red Sox team.
Red Sox vs. Athletics pick, best bet
Springs vs. Early is a recipe for a high-scoring affair, and DraftKings Sportsbook reflects that. The total is set at 10.5 runs, which is the highest on tonight’s slate.
Early has been good in the minors, but that doesn’t always translate to the majors. The Athletics shouldn’t get shut out in back-to-back games, so they’ll score some runs against the rookie.
Meanwhile, the Red Sox will likely handle the bulk of the scoring. Springs is solid, but he’s not an ace. Even if he does pitch six great innings, the Athletics’ bullpen ranks 27th in the majors with a 4.79 ERA. Boston will score runs one way or another.
Getting the Red Sox moneyline at -113 is tempting, but that’s banking on Early to pitch well or the offense exploding. I’d rather take the total.