Detroit Tigers (76-41) +125, o/u 9 ½ at Boston Red Sox (68-48), 7 p.m. Eastern
by Ultimatecapper.com Staff
The Boston Red Sox, winners of three games in a row, play host to the Detroit Tigers, losers of their last five games, in the opener of a three-game series Monday night at Fenway Park.
Boston, which lost five games in a row last week in Tampa and Kansas City, swept three games from Baltimore over the weekend. The Red Sox now sit in second place in the American League East, 1 ½ games behind the division-leading New York Yankees. The BoSox also reside in second place in the AL wild-card race, two games back of the Chicago White Sox.
Detroit just got swept by those White Sox over the weekend, and has seen its lead in the AL Central shrink to 5 ½ games over Chicago. But the Tigers still own the best record in baseball.
Detroit is 39-22 on the road this season, and 21-16 as underdogs.
Boston is 38-17 at home this year, and 57-34 as favorites.
The Red Sox took two of three games from the Tigers in Detroit in June in the teams’ only encounter thus far this season. Boston also won the season series with Detroit last year six games to four.
Lefty Nate Robertson (10-8, 3.82) takes the mound for the Tigers Monday night. Robertson has allowed 10 ER and 28 H+W in his last 19 1/3 IP. Detroit is 12-11 in Robertson’s starts this season, the over/under 8-14.
Robertson made three starts vs. the Red Sox last year, giving up 12 ER and 29 H+W in 20 1/3 IP.
Boston counters with Josh Beckett (13-6, 4.92) in the series opener Monday night. Beckett has allowed 12 ER and 25 H+W in his last 18 innings of work, and he’s been tagged for 31 home runs this season. Nonetheless, the Sox are 15-9 in Beckett’s starts this year, the o/u also 15-9.
This will be Beckett’s first start ever vs. the Tigers.
Detroit owns a .331 team OBP this season, which ranks just 10th-best in the AL, and is averaging 5.1 runs per game.
Boston leads the majors with its .363 team OBP, and is averaging 5.6 RPG. But that average dips a bit, to 5.1 RPG, vs. LH pitching.
The Tigers bullpen has allowed 6 ER and 19 H+W in its last 10 2/3 IP.
The BoSox pen has given up 7 ER and 21 H+W in its last 14 innings of work.
Boston is still without catcher Jason Varitek and OF Trot Nixon, who are both still on the DL.
The o/u is 46-67 in Tigers games this year, 62-50 in Red Sox games, and 32-22 at Fenway Park.
The Ultimatecapper Pick: Both teams have shown some lackluster play as of late. If we were forced to make a pick here we'd side with the Tigers as a dog. Not a real valuable game to bet though.
