[gambcom-standard rankid=”3011″ ]
The Boston Red Sox (13-10) and Cleveland Guardians (16-6) open a 3-game series Tuesday at Progressive Field. First pitch is scheduled for 6:10 p.m. ET. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Red Sox vs. Guardians odds and make our expert MLB picks and predictions for the best bets.
Season series: Guardians lead 3-1
Boston swept a 3-game interleague series in Pittsburgh to kick off a 6-game road trip, winning each outing as an underdog. The Under cashed in the past 2 games after opening with an Over result Friday against the Pirates. Boston has won 4 in a row on the road, and it is 9-1 in the past 10 away from home.
Cleveland swept a 3-game series against the Oakland Athletics, outscoring the A’s 22-7. The Over cashed in each game of the series, while going 9-3 in the past 12 outings. The Cleveland offense has racked up 5 or more runs in 4 straight games, and 7 of the past 8 contests.
Red Sox at Guardians projected starters
RHP Tanner Houck vs. RHP Ben Lively
Houck (3-1, 1.35 ERA) makes his 5th start of the season. He has a 0.90 WHIP, 0.7 BB/9 and 9.5 K/9 in 26 2/3 innings.
- Last start: Win, CG, 9 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, 0 BB, 9 K in 2-0 win vs. Cleveland Guardians Wednesday
- 2024 road splits: 2-0, 0.00 ERA (12 IP, 0 ER), 7 H, 2 BB, 17 K, .167 opponent batting average (OBA) in 2 starts
Lively (0-1, 3.60 ERA) makes his 2nd start of the season. He has a 0.80 WHIP, 1.8 BB/9 and 12.6 K/9 in 5 innings.
- Last start: Loss, 5 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 1 BB, 7 K in 2-0 road loss vs. Boston Red Sox Wednesday
- 2023 home splits (for Reds): 2-2, 4.70 ERA (38 1/3 IP, 20 ER), 34 H, 16 BB, 39 K in 6 starts and 2 relief appearances
Win your fantasy baseball league with BaseballHQ.com. For decades, BHQ has been helping players just like you win! BHQ offers Draft Prep and full-season subscriptions. Sign up today and start winning!
Red Sox at Guardians odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 3:16 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Red Sox -115 (bet $115 to win $100) | Guardians -105 (bet $105 to win $100)
- Run line (RL)/Against the spread (ATS): Red Sox -1.5 (+145) | Guardians +1.5 (-175)
- Over/Under (O/U): 8.5 (O: -105 | U: -115)
[gambcom-standard rankid=”3012″ ]
Red Sox at Guardians picks and predictions
Prediction
Red Sox 4, Guardians 3
Moneyline
The RED SOX (-115) are a decent play in the series opener as they look to avenge a series loss at Fenway Park last week against the Guardians (-105).
Houck has been on fire so far this season, turning in 3 quality starts. In fact, he has 6 or more scoreless innings in each of those outings. His only poor outing was a loss April 12 against the Los Angeles Angels when he yielded 7 runs (4 earned) in 5 2/3 innings.
The Guardians turn to Lively, who actually pitched pretty well in Boston in his team debut. However, he hasn’t been on the same level as Houck, and he is likely to get outpitched again in Tuesday’s opener.
Run line/Against the spread
The Guardians +1.5 (-175) are a little on the pricey side in this series opener. While Cleveland has the best record in baseball during the early going, it’s hard to trust it with Lively on the bump.
PASS.
Over/Under
UNDER 8.5 (-115) is the lean, but go with a half-unit play at most.
While Cleveland has cashed the Over in 4 straight games, the total split 2-2 in the 4-game set with Boston. The Under cashed the first head-to-head matchup between Houck and Lively.
The Under has cashed in the past 2 games in Pittsburgh, while the total has gone low in 7 of the past 10 games for Boston.
Play our free daily Pick’em Challenge and win! Play now!
[gambcom-standard rankid=”5″ ]
For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.
Follow Kevin J. Erickson on Twitter/X. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and like us on Facebook.
Additional MLB coverage:
BaseballHQ Fantasy Baseball
[lawrence-newsletter]
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1372]