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The Detroit Tigers (28-28) and Boston Red Sox (28-29) meet Friday as they continue a 4-game series at Fenway Park. First pitch is slated for 7:10 p.m. ET (Apple TV). Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Tigers vs. Red Sox odds and make our expert MLB picks and predictions for the best bets.
Season series: Detroit leads 1-0
Detroit logged its 2nd shutout win in as many days Thursday when it blanked Boston 5-0 in the series opener. The Tigers are 5-1 across their last 6 games.
The Red Sox have been outscored 11-1 while losing back-to-back games. They are 2-5 over their last 7 games, and Boston pitching has been saddled with a 5.75 ERA over that stretch.
Tigers at Red Sox projected starters
RHP Kenta Maeda vs. RHP Tanner Houck
Maeda (2-1, 5.80 ERA) is making his 9th start. He has a 1.32 WHIP, 2.5 BB/9 and 6.1 K/9 in 35 2/3 IP.
- Last outing: Win, 5 IP, 0 ER, 4 H, 0 BB, 1 K in 6-2 win vs. Toronto Blue Jays Friday
- Career vs. Red Sox: 0-3, 4.50 ERA (12 IP, 6 ER), 12 H, 4 BB, 12 K in 3 starts
Houck (4-5, 1.90 ERA) makes his 12th start. He has a 0.99 WHIP, 1.7 BB/9 and 8.8 K/9 in 71 IP.
- Last outing: No-decision, 6 IP, 1 ER, 7 H, 1 BB, 7 K in 2-1 win vs. Milwaukee Brewers Sunday
- Career vs. Tigers: 1-0, 3.00 ERA (6 IP, 2 ER), 4 H, 2 BB, 5 K in 1 start
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Tigers at Red Sox odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 9:16 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline: Tigers +135 (bet $100 to win $135) | Red Sox -160 (bet $160 to win $100)
- Run line (RL)/Against the spread (ATS): Tigers +1.5 (-150) | Red Sox -1.5 (+125)
- Over/Under (O/U): 8 (O: -125 | U: -105)
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Tigers at Red Sox picks and predictions
Prediction
Red Sox 4, Tigers 3
Moneyline
The Red Sox have gone a robust 10-2 over their last dozen games against the Tigers. Boston has underplayed its run profile of 4.28 runs per game for and 3.95 against. Peg the Sox as being a bit undervalued.
Maeda has not been in good form of late, and Houck gives Boston a green check mark here. And he’s backed by the better bullpen.
BACK BOSTON (-160).
Run line/Against the spread
PASS: Better relative value lives on the ML here.
Over/Under
The Under has hit in 5 straight Detroit-Boston games and in 6 of the last 7 series games played at Fenway.
There is some Under pressure coming from the Detroit side of this matchup. Peg some pushback from this mound matchup (not that Houck isn’t solid, just that he’s likely overrated by his surface ERA).
Consider a partial-unit play on the UNDER 8.5 (-110). That tag is available on FanDuel Sportsbook.
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