Updated August 23, 2023By Dean Etheridge
The Houston Astros host the Boston Red Sox in the third fixture of their four-match mini-series tonight. The Astros are in a titanic battle with the Texas Rangers and the Seattle Mariners at the top of the AL West. Dusty Baker knows his team can’t afford any slip-ups if they want to top the division. Here we look ahead to the match and tell you how we think they will get on in our latest MLB betting picks.
What; 2023 MLB
Who; Houston Astros vs Boston Red Sox
Where; Minute Maid Park, Houston, Texas
When; Wednesday, August 23rd, 2023
Time; 8.10 pm ET
The AL West is one of the most competitive divisions in Major League Baseball this season. At the top, the Astros, Rangers, and Mariners are all fighting for top billing. And with less than a quarter of the regular-season left to go, teams now know that any mistake made can be crucial.
In the latest betting to win the AS West, the best MLB betting sites are struggling to decide who are the betting favorites. At the moment, the Texas Rangers lead the way at +130. The Astros are +140, and the Mariners are +350. But with every passing fixture, the odds are changing.
This is why the Astros mustn’t slip up in matches like this. The Red Sox are competitive, but they’re not one of the favorites to win the 2023 World Series. Far from it, in fact. Alex Cora’s team is +6600 to repeat their victory of 2018.
Betting to win the 2023 World Series
The best MLB World Series betting sites have tonight’s hosts, the Houston Astros, as one of the betting favorites to win the 2023 World Series.
The Astros, who are defending the World Series, are third-favorite to win the title this season at odds of +750. Putting Dusty Baker’s team behind the two favorites, the Atlanta Braves (+310) and the LA Dodgers (+450).
Also sitting on odds of +750 to win the 2023 World Series are the Texas Rangers. One of the two sides tussling with the Braves to win the AL West. The Orioles and the Rays are +850, with the third side competing to win the AL West, the Seattle Mariners, at +2000.
Houston Astros vs Boston Red Sox Betting
It will come as no major surprise to see that the Houston Astros are the betting favorites to win the third match of the series. The best MLB bookmakers have the Astros at -116 to win on the money line, with the Red Sox at +106.
On the handicap line, the Red Sox are favorites to win at -205. It would take a huge leap of faith to bet on an away win at odds-on, even with the 1.5-point head start. For the record, the Astros are +175 to cover the spread. The odds we have used for our betting table are from the best MLB sportsbooks. To read more about these sites, please visit our best online sportsbook reviews page.
Astros take the honors in match two of the mini-series
After winning the second fixture of the mini-series 7-3 on Tuesday night, the Astros now lead the four-match series 2-0. The opening match was 9-4 to Houston, and so far they have dominated the Red Sox.
The win last night was the second in succession for the Astros after they lost three in a row at home to the Mariners when they were on the wrong end of a rare sweep. Houston is now 5-5 in their last ten.
From the perspective of the Red Sox, they are also 5-5 in their last ten. But it must be disappointing to lose two on the spin after they swept the Yankees 3-0 in New York in their previous series.
The results probably say more about how bad the Yankees are than anything. But the facts are that Boston would have come into this series with higher expectations. So to only be in with a chance of halving the series after two matches will be seen as a setback.
Our Pick
The Astros have been a bit up and down lately. They’re going through one of those phases where you think they are back on track, only for them to throw in another patchy performance.
But they’ve just beaten the Red Sox by margins of five and four, and they are +175 to win and cover the spread in the third match. Okay, so they may throw in a dodgy performance. But how can the odds of +175 at home to the Red Sox be ignored?
The Astros are decent enough odds at -116 on the money line. And that looks like good value. We were expecting to see them a lot shorter.
But our pick for this match is obvious. It simply has to be for the same pattern to continue, and we are backing the Astros to make it three wins in a row and taking them to cover the spread at +175.
Houston Astros to win and cover the spreadAstros vs Red Sox
+175
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Summary
Event
Houston Astros vs Boston Red Sox
Location
Minute Maid Park,Houston,Texas
Starting on
August 23, 2023
Ending on
August 23, 2023
About the Author
Dean Etheridge
Over the last 10 years, Dean has sharpened his expertise in crafting and revising content for his soccer and cricket betting platforms. Driven by his passion for sports betting and writing, he embarked on a journey of writing about sports wagering.
Although Dean’s preferred areas of focus are the English Premier League and cricket, his extensive sports knowledge enables him to tackle nearly any sport.
Gone are the days of traveling the world to witness events like FIFA World Cups and Ashes cricket, as Dean now prefers the comfort of his own home while enjoying sports.
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