Boston Red Sox vs. Detroit Tigers: Odds, Preview, & Prediction | Wednesday, June 22nd
Boston Red Sox vs. Detroit Tigers Preview: Very good pitching matchup could keep runs at a minimum
The Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers meet tonight in the second game of their series. Boston took the first game by a score of 5-4 and will look to play a little better tonight. The pitching matchup in this game is a very good one. It seems to be trending toward a low-scoring game.
Below, you will find a brief preview of each team followed by a prediction for the game.
Boston Red Sox Preview:
Rumor is the ball still hasn't landed.
Play of the Game Presented by @STIHLUSA https://t.co/OPhwQ2LzX6
"Rumor is this ball still hasn't landed." - Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox recovered from a bad start to the season and are now sitting in a good spot to make a playoff push. Both the offense and pitching staff rank inside the top 10 in the MLB. The team is finally beginning to live up to the big expectations they had at the start of the season.
Led by Rafeal Devers, J.D. Martinez, Xander Bogaerts, and Trevor Story, the Red Sox offense ranks third in the MLB in many important categories. This lineup has a lot of talent dispersed throughout, and they are only getting better as the season has progressed. In terms of runs per game, the Boston Red Sox rank seventh in the league while scoring 4.74 runs per nine innings.
Michael Wacha will start the game for Boston, and he has been one of their better pitchers so far. Wacha has a 5-1 record and an ERA of 2.28. In 11 starts, Wacha has given up two runs or fewer in nine of those starts. He's in a great position to succeed against a poor Tigers lineup.
Detroit Tigers Preview:
Couldn't complete the comeback. https://t.co/BrSt99r7kP
"Couldn't complete the comeback" - Detroit Tigers
Last night, Detroit made a great effort at a late game comeback but fell short. Tonight, they have a great opportunity to pick up an upset win with their best pitcher on the mound. Tarik Skubal will pitch for the Tigers. Skubal has struggled in his last three starts but seems to be in a decent position to bounce back.
The Detroit offense has been poor this season, with a team average of .227 that ranks in the bottom five in the league. Javy Baez and Miguel Cabrera have been the most productive hitters in their lineup, so the Tigers will rely on them tonight.
Pick/Prediction: No Run First Inning (NRFI) (-120)
Given the pitching matchup, it doesn't seem to be asking too much for a no-run first inning. Both Skubal and Wacha have the ability to get three quick outs and cash this bet for us!