Resurgent Red Sox Favored Over Marlins In Series Opener At Fenway Park
After taking two of three from the Houston Astros on the weekend to stay within six games of the first-place New York Yankees in the American League East standings, the Boston Red Sox kick off a two-game mini-series with the Miami Marlins on Tuesday as the -143 moneyline favorites at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Boston’s solid performance on the weekend, in which it outscored the Astros 11-5 in a pair of wins after falling to Houston in a 12-8 Friday night slugfest, improved it to 12-7 in the 19 games since a seven-game losing streak in early June sent it tumbling into the division basement and threatened to derail the season.
Boston started the season as a strong betting favorite to win both the AL East title and the AL pennant at the sportsbooks, but has since fallen well off the pace, entering Tuesday night’s Astros vs. Red Sox betting matchup at Fenway Park well back of the pack with 12-1 odds to reach the World Series for the fourth time since 2004.
However, with none of its four divisional rivals seizing the opportunity to run away with the AL East, Boston’s postseason hopes remain alive.
With a pair of games against the fading Marlins, followed by a showdown with the Yankees this weekend, Boston can make up some important ground this week.
The Marlins arrive at Fenway on Tuesday looking to end a two-game losing streak after dropping two of the three to the Cubs in Chicago over the weekend.
The losses ended a four-game Marlins winning streak that improved them to 21-22 at home this season. However, Miami has struggled on the road this season, going 14-26 to date with just three victories in its last 13 road contests.
The Red Sox have also had Miami’s number in recent meetings, winning their last five matchups according to the OddsShark MLB Database, and are 7-2 in their last nine games against the Marlins at Fenway Park dating back to 2003.
Despite their recent turnaround, the Red Sox have failed to gain momentum on the World Series odds, where they remain stalled at a distant 33-1.
The Kansas City Royals, Washington Nationals and St. Louis Cardinals continue to battle it out at the top of the MLB futures, with the three clubs deadlocked at 7-1. The Los Angeles Dodgers, who opened the week with a four-game lead in the National League West, follow closely at 8-1, while the Astros sit alongside the Cubs at 12-1.
Thumbnail photo via Gregory Fisher/USA TODAY Sports Images
