Boston Red Sox vs. Baltimore Orioles: Odds, Analysis, MLB Betting Pick
July 25, 2018
Baseball's best team will take on the worst Wednesday when the Boston Red Sox (71-32) visit the Baltimore Orioles (29-73) as large road favorites at the sportsbooks.
The American League East foes have split the first two games of this series, with the Orioles coming through with a 7-6 victory Tuesday.
MLB betting line: The Red Sox opened as -180 favorites (wager $180 to win $100); the total is at nine runs, according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark. (Line updates and matchup report)
MLB betting pick, via OddsShark computer: 6.5-3.1, Red Sox (MLB picks on every game)
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Why the Red Sox can pay on the MLB lines
Despite their loss in the latest meeting, the Red Sox have still won 13 of the past 15 games between the teams, according to the OddsShark MLB Database.
Their six-game series winning streak was snapped with the defeat, but they will have a great chance to bounce back with David Price (11-6, 4.17 ERA) on the hill.
The 32-year-old has won his last two starts, pitching 6.1 shutout innings in a 1-0 road victory against the Detroit Tigers on Friday, allowing four hits with one walk and five strikeouts.
Price beat Baltimore on May 17, giving up two runs and five hits in a complete-game win.
Why the Orioles can pay on the MLB lines
The Orioles are home underdogs in this spot for good reason, but that does not mean they do not offer any value, especially with Price toeing the rubber.
Before his win over the Tigers, he had surrendered 15 runs over his previous three outings combined, which totaled just 14.2 innings.
Price did not complete five innings in two of them, so Baltimore has a shot even though Dylan Bundy (6-9, 4.57 ERA) has struggled lately.
However, the 25-year-old has gone 0-2 in three starts versus Boston this season with a respectable 2.29 ERA, holding the opposition to a .203 batting average.
Smart betting pick
This game is more important to the Red Sox as they try to hold off the New York Yankees for the division title.
The Yankees picked up former All-Star reliever Zach Britton from the Orioles on Tuesday in a trade for three prospects, leaving the latter without a reliable closer.
That will help Boston here, as Bundy has not gone more than five innings in his last three starts.
A bad bullpen may be the difference, so take the Red Sox on the runline, with their past 11 wins in the series decided by two runs or more.
MLB betting trends
Boston is 15-3 in its last 18 games.
Boston is 9-2 in its last 11 games on the road.
Baltimore is 1-4 in its last five games.
All MLB odds and betting trends according to Bleacher Report's official odds partner, OddsShark. Check out OddsShark on Twitter and Instagram or head to YouTube for more betting picks and analysis on this week's top games. You can also download the free odds tracker app.