It’s impossible to see these two teams play without thinking of the Mookie Betts trade, especially when we’re just days away from this season’s deadline.
That said, there’s no need to litigate history when you have a matchup between two teams this good in the present. The Dodgers own the league’s best winning percentage (.633), while the Red Sox have only lost four games in the entirety of July.
Let’s preview this interleague clash of titans and make a couple picks on the DraftKings Sportsbook.
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Red Sox vs. Dodgers prediction, preview
The biggest story for tonight’s game is the health of Ranger Suarez. Well, I guess it’s more about his conditioning. Suarez was named a 2026 American League All-Star, but was forced to miss the Midsummer Classic due to an injury. He finally returned to action last Sunday against the Blue Jays, yet he was limited to facing 15 batters on 64 pitches. Trust me, it wasn’t a results-based decision for Chad Tracy, either, as Suarez had pitched four scoreless innings with six strikeouts. The Red Sox’s big free agent addition has been everything the franchise could have hoped for, as Suarez has maintained a 3.02 ERA and a 2.51 FIP across 95.1 innings of work. Among pitchers with at least 90 innings thrown, that FIP is the fourth-lowest mark in baseball, trailing only the likes of Jacob Misiorowski, Dylan Cease and Chris Sale. Not too shabby. Look for Suarez to flirt with five frames and 80 pitches this evening.
Alright. I guess Suarez isn’t the only injury storyline worth monitoring for this contest. There’s also some guy named Shohei Ohtani, who missed Thursday’s Dodgers game with a knee issue. Dave Roberts did say that he expects the reigning NL MVP to be available to DH on Friday, but Ohtani’s health is suddenly massive news, as it’s unclear when he’ll take the mound next in 2026. The 32-year-old has been a monster as a pitcher this season, maintaining a 1.79 ERA and a 2.61 FIP over 85.2 innings. Still, he’ll provide Los Angeles more than enough value just as an offensive weapon in the immediate, as Ohtani is also slashing .301/.385/.590 with a 156 wRC+ since the beginning of June. There’s nothing left to say about the man. He’s a phenom.
The only real issue with Ohtani not being able to pitch is the strain it puts on the Dodgers’ other starters. We all know Los Angeles would prefer to give Yoshinobu Yamamoto extra rest when possible — unless it’s Game 7 of the World Series — and the club will do just that on Friday. Yamamoto was initially lined up to start this series opener, yet he’ll now be pushed back to Saturday. In his place, the Dodgers will implement a bullpen game, with Edgardo Henriquez drawing the first “start” of his career. The 24-year-old has a 2.61 xERA and a fastball that has an average velocity over 100 mph. Good luck to the top of Boston’s order. I’d also expect to see a lot of Will Klein, who has not worked since the weekend and has a handful of multi-inning appearances under his belt in 2026.
Red Sox vs. Dodgers pick, best bet
Best Bet: Red Sox ML (+112)
Road dog at plus-money is the play. Even if he’s limited, the advantage of having Ranger Suarez up against a bullpen game is almost incalculable. It’s not like the Dodgers’ lineup has been performing at a high level recently, either. Over the past 30 days, the team ranks 24th in ISO (.149) and 20th in wRC+ (94).
Strong Lean: NRFI (-115)
Opening Edgardo Henriquez gives the Dodgers a high-leverage reliever in the first inning. A man with a 2.61 xERA that hits triple-digits with ease. Meanwhile, opponents are slashing just .190/.235/.261 off Suarez the first time through the order this season.
