Red Sox Look To Stop Three-Game Skid In Series Against Red-Hot Twins

The Boston Red Sox will be battling to end their current three-game losing streak on Monday when they take on the red-hot Minnesota Twins as -172 moneyline favorites on the baseball odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.

The Red Sox have staggered home following a disastrous road trip last week, losing six of seven contests including a three-game sweep at the hands of the Twins in Minnesota. That was followed by losses in three of four games against the Texas Rangers over the weekend.

While their current woes leave them in last place in the American League East standings, Boston enters Monday night’s Twins vs. Red Sox betting matchup at Fenway Park just four games back of the New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays for the top spot in baseball’s weakest division.

One of the bright spots of Boston’s season, and the primary reason for their favored status in Monday’s contest, will be on the mound for the Red Sox in the first of their four-game series against Minnesota.

Clay Buchholz will be looking for his first win in his last four starts when he faces the Twins for the second time in the past week. While Buchholz takes the hill with a 2-6 record, those numbers are deceiving.

The 30-year-old has surrendered just five total earned runs and three walks in 22 2/3 innings of work over his past three starts, but with Red Sox hitters producing just three total runs in those contests, Buchholz was tagged with a pair of losses.

Mike Pelfrey, who faced Buchholz in a pitching duel last week, gets the nod for the Twins, who travel to Boston with seven wins in their last eight outings and a slim half-game lead over the Kansas City Royals in the AL Central standings.

Pelfrey held Red Sox batters to just five hits and one earned run in seven innings of work to pick up the win in the Twins’ 2-1 victory last Tuesday, improving his record to 4-1 with a solid 2.77 ERA.

Despite their strong play, the Twins continue to lag behind the favorites at 28-1 odds to win the World Series at the sportsbooks. However, those odds are a vast improvement over the 100-1 odds the club sported back at the start of the season.

The Washington Nationals continue to lead the pack as 6-1 World Series favorites followed by the Los Angeles Dodgers at 13-2 odds, while the Kansas City Royals sit alongside the St. Louis Cardinals at 15-2 odds.