BROOKLYN vs BOSTON
When: 12/25/2020 5:00 PM
Where:

TV: 5:00 PM
LINE: 3
PREDICTION: BOSTON , BROOKLYN

Oddsmakers currently have the BOSTON listed as 3 point favorites versus the BROOKLYN, while the game’s total is sitting at 230.

The pairing of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant created big expectations for the Brooklyn Nets, and the duo did not disappoint in their debut.

The pairing also created a desire by the NBA’s television partners to give the Nets as many nationally televised games as possible, and that includes the league’s five-game Christmas Day showcase on Friday when Brooklyn visits the Boston Celtics.

Due to injuries, the Nets and their fans waited 18 months to see Durant and Irving together. Durant was recovering from rupturing his Achilles in the 2019 NBA Finals with Golden State, while Irving was limited to 20 games in 2019-20 due to shoulder injuries in a season in which he averaged 27.4 points.

On Tuesday, the Nets rolled to a 125-99 win against the Warriors in the NBA’s season opener. Irving scored 26 and Durant had 22 against his old team. They combined for 17-of-32 shooting in a game Brooklyn led by as many as 38.

“It’s been a long time coming,” Irving said. “And I’m grateful that we could let our games do the talking.”

Both players sat out the fourth quarter in Steve Nash’s successful coaching debut due to the lopsided margin.

“He looks like Kevin, he plays like Kevin, but I don’t want to start making expectations of him until he gets going and gets some games and some rhythm under his belt,” Nash said.

The pairing of the superstars has resulted in Brooklyn’s first Christmas Day game since a 95-78 home loss to the Chicago Bulls in 2013. That was the franchise’s second season in Brooklyn when it acquired Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce in a trade from Boston that landed the Celtics four first-round picks.

Those acquisitions resulted in a 44-win season and also forced a rebuild by 2016. The rebuild went quicker than anticipated, resulting in a playoff berth by 2018-19 and the signings of Irving and Durant when free agency started in July 2019.

The Celtics are appearing in a Christmas Day game for the 34th time and for the fourth straight year.

Besides the return of Irving, who starred for the Celtics from 2017-19, the focus in Boston is on the emergence of forward Jayson Tatum.

Tatum averaged a career-high 23.4 points last season and signed a max extension last month. He is among the No. 1 options for the Celtics while they wait for Kemba Walker to return from a knee injury sometime next month.

In the season opener on Wednesday, Tatum led the Celtics to a dramatic 122-121 win over the Milwaukee Bucks. He scored 30 points and banked in the go-ahead 3-pointer in the final seconds.

“Ever since I was a kid, I always wanted to be in that position,” Tatum said. “If it goes down or not, that’s what I work so hard for. You just want to be in that moment.”

Jaylen Brown scored 33 points for the Celtics, who got the dramatic win after entering the fourth quarter with a 17-point lead. The Celtics also got solid showings from newcomers Jeff Teague (19 points) and Tristan Thompson (12 points, eight rebounds).

“Those are the type of shots that we trust JT with, that he looks forward to,” Brown said. “I don’t know if he called glass, but I’ll take it.”

The teams split four meetings last season. Caris LeVert scored a career-high 51 points in Brooklyn’s 129-120 overtime win at Boston on March 3 and the Celtics shot 56.8 percent in a 149-115 romp in the Orlando bubble on Aug. 5.

The post BROOKLYN vs. BOSTON 12/25/2020 Odds, Picks & Preview appeared first on IdealCapper.

BOSTON vs ST LOUIS
When: 6/3/2019 8:00 PM
Where:

TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBC, CBC, Sportsnet, TVA
LINE: 0
PREDICTION: Bruins 3, Blues 2

Oddsmakers currently have the BOSTON listed as 100-moneyline favorites versus the ST LOUIS, while the game’s total is sitting at 5.5.

The St. Louis Blues waited 49 years between hosting games in the Stanley Cup Final, and another such contest after Monday’s Game 4 might not be in the cards if they don’t take a more disciplined approach against the Boston Bruins. The Bruins scored four power-play goals on as many shots to breeze to a 7-2 victory on Saturday and take a 2-1 edge in the series.

Boston has scored with the man advantage in each of its past seven games to match a franchise postseason record, while its 23 power-play goals are one shy of the club mark for one playoff season (1991). Defenseman Torey Krug made St. Louis pay for its infractions in Game 3, collecting the primary assist on three of the goals with the man advantage and scoring on the other one for a franchise-best four points in the Finals. The power play surge contributed to five goals being allowed on 19 shots for Calder Trophy finalist Jordan Binnington, who was pulled for the first time in 52 starts this season. “You prepare the same way,” the 25-year-old Binnington told reporters of his mindset for Game 4. “Believe in your teammates and believe in yourself. Got to do your job. You just have to handle adversity. It’s not going to be perfect. These things will happen. You regroup and move on.”

ABOUT THE BRUINS: The members of the “Perfection Line” contributed to Boston’s potent power play, with Patrice Bergeron scoring a goal and setting up two others to lower the volume on audible speculation that he is playing through an injury. “Watch the game tonight. Does he look hurt?” linemate Brad Marchand told reporters of the four-time Selke Trophy recipient, whose NHL-best seven power-play goals are two shy of the league playoff record (Mike Bossy, Cam Neely). Marchand notched his ninth power-play assist on Krug’s goal and David Pastrnak scored with the man advantage just 41 seconds into the second period for his eighth tally of the playoffs.

ABOUT THE BLUES: St. Louis coach Craig Berube is at a loss as to why his club has been whistled for penalties as much as it has in the first three games of Stanley Cup Final. “First of all, we were the least penalized team in the league in the first three rounds; now all of a sudden we’ve taken 14 penalties in one series,” Berube told the media on Sunday. “So I don’t know. I don’t buy into all of that, to be honest with you.” While the Bruins’ power play is a staggering 6-for-14 in the series, the Blues have converted just one of their 10 opportunities with the man advantage.

OVERTIME

1. St. Louis F Ivan Barbashev has collected four points (three goals, one assist) in his last seven games.

2. Boston G Tuukka Rask has turned aside 164 of 168 shots to win his last five road starts.

3. The Blues were 1-2 in Game 4 of their first three postseason series.

PREDICTION: Bruins 3, Blues 2

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CLEVELAND vs BOSTON
GAME: Cleveland Indians (26-27) at Boston Red Sox (29-25)
DATE/TIME: Tuesday, May 28 – 7:10 PM EST
WHERE: Fenway Park, Boston, Massachusetts

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, STO (Cleveland), NESN (Boston)
LINE: -185
PREDICTION: Red Sox 6, Indians 3

Oddsmakers currently have the BOSTON listed as -185 point favorites versus the CLEVELAND, while the game’s total is sitting at 9.5.

Slugger J.D. Martinez looks to continue his success against Cleveland pitching when the Boston Red Sox host the stumbling Indians for the second of a three-game set Tuesday night. Martinez entered the series 1-for-14 in his previous five games overall but launched two solo homers in Monday’s 12-5 victory to push his career totals to 20 blasts and 56 RBIs against the Indians – both the most against any team in the majors.

The reigning World Series champion Red Sox are 18-8 in their last 26 contests after a slow start to the season, and 22-year-old third baseman Rafael Devers is playing a big role with an eight-game hitting streak in which he is 15-for-36 with four homers to raise his batting average from .307 to .327. Left-hander David Price, who has been slowed by illness recently, is slated to take the mound for Boston (29-25) in Tuesday’s contest, while right-hander Zach Plesac makes his major-league debut for Cleveland. The Indians tumbled under the .500 mark (26-27) after losing for the seventh time in eight games Tuesday and dropped 2 1/2 games out in the American League wild-card race. One of the bright spots for Cleveland during a rough stretch has been the play of rookie outfielder Oscar Mercado, who had two hits Monday and is 10-for-31 with a homer, four RBIs and nine runs scored in his first 10 major-league contests.

PITCHING MATCHUP: Indians RH Zach Plesac (NR) vs. Red Sox LH David Price (2-2, 3.24 ERA)

Plesac, the nephew of former major-league relief pitcher Dan Plesac, was drafted in the 12th round out of Ball State in 2016 and is 16-9 with a 2.99 ERA in 49 minor-league games (48 starts). The 24-year-old is a combined 4-1 with a 1.41 ERA in nine starts at Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus this year to earn his first chance with the Indians. Plesac struck out 22 and walked just one over 20 innings in his last three starts with Columbus.

Price threw just 15 pitches to three batters on Saturday against Houston before manager Alex Cora pulled the 33-year-old, who was still struggling with flu-like symptoms. The Vanderbilt product has limited opponents to three or fewer runs in each of his last five full starts, beating Toronto after permitting two unearned runs over five innings on May 20. Carlos Santana is 11-for-34 with four doubles versus Price, who is 11-2 with a 2.06 ERA in 15 career starts against Cleveland.

WALK-OFFS

1. Cleveland 2B Jason Kipnis had two hits Monday and has reached base safely in 21 of his last 22 contests.

2. Boston 2B Dustin Pedroia, the AL MVP in 2008, announced Monday he is taking an indefinite leave as he deals with a lingering knee injury.

3. The Indians have been outscored 50-24 over the last eight games and are 14th in the AL in runs scored (203).

PREDICTION: Red Sox 6, Indians 3

The post CLEVELAND vs. BOSTON 5/28/2019 MLB Odds, Pick & Preview appeared first on IdealCapper.

CLEVELAND vs BOSTON
GAME: Cleveland Indians (26-26) at Boston Red Sox (28-25)
DATE/TIME: Monday, May 27 – 4:05 PM EST
WHERE: Fenway Park, Boston, Massachusetts

TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, ESPN, STO (Cleveland), NESN (Boston)
LINE: -185
PREDICTION: Red Sox 5, Indians 4

Oddsmakers currently have the BOSTON listed as -185 point favorites versus the CLEVELAND, while the game’s total is sitting at 9.5.

The Boston Red Sox and the Cleveland Indians expected to be at or near the top of their respective divisions around Memorial Day, but both are lagging behind. The Red Sox will try to take advantage of the slumping Indians when they host the opener of a three-game series on Monday.

Boston, which avoided a three-game sweep at Houston with a 4-1 win on Sunday, enters the final week of May 6 1/2 games behind the New York Yankees in the American League East with a four-game series in the Bronx looming next weekend. The Red Sox grabbed the win on Sunday behind a two-hit day from third baseman Rafael Devers, who homered for the fourth time in the last six games and lifted his team-best batting average to .330. Cleveland dropped six of its last seven games and finished off a frustrating 11-game homestand with a 6-3 loss to Tampa Bay on Sunday that dropped it to 10 games behind the surprising Minnesota Twins in the AL Central. The Indians will try not to lose any more ground behind right-hander Jefry Rodriguez on Monday while Boston sends righty Rick Porcello to the mound.

PITCHING MATCHUP: Indians RH Jefry Rodriguez (1-4, 4.08 ERA) vs. Red Sox RH Rick Porcello (3-4, 4.45)

Rodriguez is coming off his roughest start of the young season after allowing the Oakland Athletics five runs – four earned – on seven hits and a season-high four walks in a season-low four innings. The 25-year-old Dominican worked at least six innings in each of his previous four outings. Rodriguez, who received a total three runs of support in his four losses, is making his first career appearance against Boston.

Porcello turned in a quality start for the fifth time in his last six outings when he held the Toronto Blue Jays to one run on three hits in six innings Wednesday but was held out of the decision after watching the bullpen squander a lead. The New Jersey native was pulled after 80 pitches against the Blue Jays and did not walk a batter while striking out four. Porcello made a pair of starts against Cleveland last season and went 0-1 while allowing a total of nine runs – eight earned – and 14 hits in 12 innings.

WALK-OFFS

1. Red Sox LHP David Price (illness) left his start after 15 pitches on Saturday and could be moved up in the rotation to start Tuesday or Wednesday.

2. Cleveland 3B Jose Ramirez went 0-for-3 with a strikeout on Sunday, dropping his batting average to .197.

3. Boston UTL Brock Holt (eye, shoulder) is expected to be activated off the IL on Monday.

PREDICTION: Red Sox 5, Indians 4

The post CLEVELAND vs. BOSTON 5/27/2019 MLB Odds, Pick & Preview appeared first on IdealCapper.

BOSTON vs HOUSTON
GAME: Boston Red Sox (27-25) at Houston Astros (35-18)
DATE/TIME: Sunday, May 26 – 2:10 PM EST
WHERE: Minute Maid Park, Houston, Texas

TV: 2:10 PM
LINE: -180
PREDICTION: Astros 3, Red Sox 2

Oddsmakers currently have the HOUSTON listed as -180 point favorites versus the BOSTON, while the game’s total is sitting at 8.5.

Justin Verlander is 36 but acts and plays much younger as he takes the ball when the Houston Astros try for a three-game sweep of the visiting Boston Red Sox on Sunday. Verlander, who flirted with his third career no-hitter in his last start, is signed through 2021 but wants to pitch well into his 40s.

“I can’t see stopping. I enjoy playing,” Verlander, who has eight of his 212 career victories this season, told reporters. “I enjoy coming to the park every day, all that. None of that’s changed. But really, what it comes down to is just the competitiveness, the sheer will to go out and be my best.” Houston prevailed 4-3 on Saturday on a walk-off single by Carlos Correa and played without George Springer (17 home runs, 43 RBIs – both American League highs), who suffered a hamstring injury Friday and was placed on the 10-day injured list Saturday. The Astros are 17-4 in their last 21 games, including a 2-1 series win at Boston last weekend, and are a major league-best 20-6 at home. The Red Sox, who send a struggling Eduardo Rodriguez to the mound Sunday, have lost two in a row at Minute Maid Park after winning five straight – including three in the 2018 AL Championship Series.

PITCHING MATCHUP: Red Sox LH Eduardo Rodriguez (4-3, 5.43 ERA) vs. Astros RH Justin Verlander (8-1, 2.24)

Rodriguez allowed six runs and six hits (season-high three home runs) in five innings of a 10-3 loss at Toronto on Tuesday. The 26-year-old Venezuelan escaped with a no-decision in Boston’s 6-5 victory over Colorado on May 15, yielding five runs with a season-high 10 strikeouts in six frames after going 3-0 with a 2.28 ERA in his previous four starts. Houston’s Alex Bregman is 2-for-4 with two homers and Carlos Correa is 4-for-5 with two walks versus Rodriguez, who is 0-2 with a 9.90 ERA in three career starts against the Astros.

Verlander permitted only a home run to Jose Abreu while walking one and striking out a season-high 12 in eight innings of Tuesday’s 5-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox. The Virginia native, who needs nine strikeouts to pass Cy Young and move into 21st on the all-time list, has recorded nine quality starts in his 11 turns and has allowed 36 hits in 72 1/3 frames this season. Boston’s Mookie Betts is 0-for-13 versus Verlander, who is 5-5 with a 2.89 ERA in 18 regular-season starts against the Red Sox but lost to them in the deciding Game 5 of the ALCS.

WALK-OFFS

1. Boston 3B Rafael Devers (.326) went 3-for-4 on Saturday and is 11-for-23 with three home runs and seven RBIs in his last five games.

2. Astros RHP Roberto Osuna was 13-for-13 in save opportunities this season and recorded one in 28 straight games, including a franchise-record 25 in a row, before allowing two runs in the ninth inning Saturday.

3. Boston INF/OF Brock Holt (shoulder, cornea) could be activated as soon as Sunday and play for the first time since April 5.

PREDICTION: Astros 3, Red Sox 2

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BOSTON vs TORONTO
GAME: Boston Red Sox (25-23) at Toronto Blue Jays (20-28)
DATE/TIME: Wednesday, May 22 – 7:07 PM EST
WHERE: Rogers Centre, Toronto, Ontario

TV: 7:07 p.m. ET, NESN (Boston), Sportsnet One (Toronto)
LINE: 135
PREDICTION: Red Sox 5, Blue Jays 4

Oddsmakers currently have the TORONTO listed as 135 point favorites versus the BOSTON, while the game’s total is sitting at 9.5.

After Boston rolled to a 10-run victory in the series opener at Toronto, the Red Sox improved to 14-5 while the Blue Jays fell to 5-14 over their past 19 games. Toronto exacted a bit of revenge with a 10-3 drubbing on Tuesday and will look to post back-to-back victories for the first time in nearly a month in the third of a four-game set versus visiting Boston on Wednesday night.

Rowdy Tellez did the bulk of the damage, ending a 14-game homerless drought with a pair of blasts and five RBIs to extend his hitting streak to six games. Randal Grichuk also homered and Brandon Drury had a pair of hits and three RBIs as the Blue Jays won for only the second time in their last eight home games. The Red Sox clubbed three homers in Tuesday’s loss to give them seven for the series but they were 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position and left 10 on base. Jackie Bradley Jr., who arrived in Toronto batting .144, and Rafael Devers have each gone deep in back-to-back contests for Boston.

PITCHING MATCHUP: Red Sox RH Rick Porcello (3-4, 4.80 ERA) vs. Blue Jays RH Aaron Sanchez (3-4, 3.88)

Porcello watched a stellar effort turn into a loss last time out against Houston when he served up a two-run homer in the eighth inning to end his five-start unbeaten streak. Since he was battered for 19 runs in losing his first three starts of the year, he has shaved more than six runs off his ERA while permitting three runs or fewer in five of his six outings. Porcello was 1-2 with an ugly 9.15 ERA in four starts against the Blue Jays last year and must be wary of Justin Smoak, who has five homers in 40 at-bats against him.

Sanchez has been bothered by blisters throughout his career and the issue resurfaced in his last outing, when he settled for a no-decision after giving up two runs and three hits in three-plus innings at the Chicago White Sox. He lost each of his previous three starts, giving up a combined 13 runs and four homers, although he struck out a season-high 11 versus Chicago on May 12. Sanchez is winless in his last six starts versus Boston since the start of 2017 after giving up four runs in five innings on April 11.

WALK-OFFS

1. Red Sox 1B/DH Mitch Moreland swatted his team-high 13th homer and is 10 shy of matching his career best.

2. The Blue Jays placed RH Ryan Tepera (elbow) on the 10-day injured list Tuesday.

3. Red Sox DH J.D. Martinez missed his second straight game due to a reported illness.

PREDICTION: Red Sox 5, Blue Jays 4

The post BOSTON vs. TORONTO 5/22/2019 MLB Odds, Pick & Preview appeared first on IdealCapper.

BOSTON vs TORONTO
GAME: Boston Red Sox (25-22) at Toronto Blue Jays (19-28)
DATE/TIME: Tuesday, May 21 – 7:07 PM EST
WHERE: Rogers Centre, Toronto, Ontario

TV: 7:07 p.m. ET, NESN (Boston), Sportsnet One (Toronto)
LINE: 145
PREDICTION: Red Sox 6, Blue Jays 3

Oddsmakers currently have the TORONTO listed as 145 point favorites versus the BOSTON, while the game’s total is sitting at 8.5.

The Boston Red Sox’s recent offensive resurgence hit a bit of a lull over the weekend, but it returned in full force in the opener of a four-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays. The Red Sox hope to carry over the momentum generated from their fourth double-digit offensive output in less than three weeks on Tuesday, when they play the second contest of the four-game set in Toronto.

Boston scored at least two runs in five different innings, received three-hit efforts from Mitch Moreland, Xander Bogaerts and Rafael Devers and clubbed four home runs en route to a 12-2 rout of its American League East rival on Monday. The Red Sox, who were held to a total of eight runs while dropping two of three to Houston in their previous series, improved to 12-5 while outscoring their opponents 116-57 this month. The Blue Jays own the worst team batting average in the major leagues (.217) and did not help themselves in that regard with their performance in the series opener, finishing with only three hits in 31 at-bats. Luke Maile’s two-run blast accounted for all of the offense for Toronto, which has dropped 14 of 19 since beginning the season 14-14.

PITCHING MATCHUP: Red Sox LH Eduardo Rodriguez (4-2, 4.89 ERA) vs. Blue Jays RH Marcus Stroman (1-6, 2.95)

Rodriguez registered a season-high 10 strikeouts and remained unbeaten since April 4 following Wednesday’s effort against Colorado despite allowing five runs and nine hits in six innings. The outing was a bit of an uncharacteristic one of late for the 26-year-old, who is 4-0 with a 3.46 ERA in his last seven turns and has watched his offense score at least six runs in each outing. Rodriguez hasn’t surrendered a homer in a career-best five straight starts and owns a 4.34 ERA in 12 career appearances (11 starts) versus Toronto.

Stroman’s winless streak reached five games despite a solid performance in Chicago on Thursday, settling for a no-decision after yielding two runs – one earned – over six innings against the White Sox. The Duke product was able to rediscover the form he flashed in April (1.76 ERA) after struggling in his first three turns this month and has permitted fewer than two earned runs in half of his 10 outings. Bogaerts (11-for-31, two homers) and Moreland (5-for-13) have tormented Stroman, who is 4-3 with a 3.87 ERA in 12 career starts versus Boston.

WALK-OFFS

1. Boston has won each of the last 16 games in which it scored at least five runs after opening the season 4-5 in such contests.

2. Four of Maile’s 10 career home runs have come against the Red Sox, who selected him in the 43rd round of the 2009 draft.

3. Boston OF Jackie Bradley Jr. belted a two-run homer in the sixth inning on Monday, ending his regular-season drought of 152 at-bats dating back to last season.

PREDICTION: Red Sox 6, Blue Jays 3

The post BOSTON vs. TORONTO 5/21/2019 MLB Odds, Pick & Preview appeared first on IdealCapper.

BOSTON vs TORONTO
GAME: Boston Red Sox (24-22) at Toronto Blue Jays (19-27)
DATE/TIME: Monday, May 20 – 1:07 PM EST
WHERE: Rogers Centre, Toronto, Ontario

TV: 1:07 p.m. ET, MLB Network, NESN (Boston), Sportsnet (Toronto)
LINE: 190
PREDICTION: Red Sox 5, Blue Jays 3

Oddsmakers currently have the TORONTO listed as 190 point favorites versus the BOSTON, while the game’s total is sitting at 9.5.

The Boston Red Sox fell short in their first test against the Houston Astros over the weekend but managed to salvage the finale and stay above .500 as they put the pieces together. The Red Sox will try to avoid looking ahead to another showdown in Houston next weekend when they visit the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday in the opener of a four-game series.

Boston, which is beginning a stretch of 14 of 17 on the road, dropped the first two over the weekend to the Astros but battled back from an early deficit to earn a 4-3 victory on Sunday and improve to 24-22. The Red Sox are still trying to figure out the structure of the bullpen since the offseason departures of Joe Kelly and Craig Kimbrel and may have found someone to pitch in high-leverage spots in right-hander Marcus Walden, who came on with the bases loaded in the sixth and got out of the jam before handing it off to Matt Barnes and Brandon Workman. The Blue Jays dropped 13 of their last 18 games but are coming off a 5-2 victory at the Chicago White Sox on Sunday and will play the next seven at home, where they are 8-13. The weekend against the Astros helped make it clear that the Red Sox are one elite starter short of the team they were last season, and they are set to add just such an arm on Monday, when left-hander David Price (elbow) comes off the injured list to make the start opposite well-traveled righty Edwin Jackson.

PITCHING MATCHUP: Red Sox LH David Price (1-2, 3.75 ERA) vs. Blue Jays RH Edwin Jackson (0-0, 3.60)

Price was riding a string of four consecutive solid starts when he went down but was winless in his last three outings. The former Cy Young Award winner surrendered three runs on seven hits in six innings at the Chicago White Sox on May 2 before going on the injured list. Price made four starts against Toronto in 2018 and earned the win in all four, posting a 2.63 ERA while striking out 25 in 24 total innings.

Jackson set a major league record by appearing for his 14th team when he made his Blue Jays debut at San Francisco on Wednesday. The 35-year-old allowed three runs – two earned – on six hits and a walk in five innings while striking out a pair in the no-decision. Jackson last faced Boston as a member of the San Diego Padres in 2016 and is 3-4 with a 4.64 ERA in 15 career games – 12 starts – against the Red Sox.

WALK-OFFS

1. Blue Jays rookie 3B Vladimir Guerrero Jr. homered four times in the last six games.

2. Workman earned his first career save on Sunday.

3. Red Sox 3B Rafael Devers is 1-for-16 with five strikeouts in the last four games.

PREDICTION: Red Sox 5, Blue Jays 3

The post BOSTON vs. TORONTO 5/20/2019 MLB Odds, Pick & Preview appeared first on IdealCapper.

HOUSTON vs BOSTON
GAME: Houston Astros (29-15) at Boston Red Sox (23-20)
DATE/TIME: Friday, May 17 – 7:10 PM EST
WHERE: Fenway Park, Boston, Massachusetts

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network; AT&T SportsNet Southwest (Houston), NESN (Boston)
LINE: 115
PREDICTION: Astros 5, Red Sox 2

Oddsmakers currently have the BOSTON listed as 115 point favorites versus the HOUSTON, while the game’s total is sitting at 9.5.

The Houston Astros and Boston Red Sox took turns knocking each other off in the playoffs en route to a World Series title the last two seasons, and both teams look primed for deep runs again in 2019. The teams will meet for the first time this regular season when the Astros visit the Red Sox in the opener of a three-game series Friday.

Houston owns the best record in the majors at 29-15 and comes in hot with wins in eight straight after No. 9 hitter Jake Marisnick keyed a 5-1 win at Detroit on Wednesday with a pair of hits and two RBIs. “It’s a testament to how good this lineup is,” Marisnick told reporters. “I mean, it’s a dangerous lineup. It’s long. We make pitchers work all the way through.” The Red Sox boast a similar attack and won for the 12th time in 15 games on Wednesday when rookie Michael Chavis – a rookie batting out of the No. 7 spot in the lineup – provided the walk-off RBI single in the 10th inning of a 6-5 triumph over the Colorado Rockies. Astros right-hander Gerrit Cole will try to hold Chavis and company in check while Boston’s Rick Porcello deals with Marisnick, George Springer, Alex Bregman and the rest of the stacked Houston lineup.

PITCHING MATCHUP: Astros RH Gerrit Cole (4-4, 3.88 ERA) vs. Red Sox RH Rick Porcello (3-3, 5.15)

Cole struck out 12 over six innings against Texas on Saturday and was charged with one run and four hits to earn his third straight win. The UCLA product leads the majors with 86 strikeouts and fanned at least nine in each of his last four turns. Cole lost his lone start at Boston in the ALCS last fall, surrendering five runs – four earned – on six hits and a pair of walks in six innings while striking out five.

Porcello allowed four runs on five hits in the first inning against Seattle on Saturday but settled down and did not allow a hit the rest of the way while lasting 6 2/3 innings and earning the win. The former Cy Young Award winner went 0-3 with an 11.12 ERA in his first three starts but is 3-0 with a 3.06 ERA in his last five outings. Porcello made two appearances – one start – in the ALCS against Houston last October and allowed a total of four runs and seven hits in five innings.

WALK-OFFS

1. Red Sox LHP David Price (elbow) is expected to come off the injured list next week, when the team visits Toronto.

2. Bregman homered four times in the last four games, bringing his season total to 14.

3. Boston DH J.D. Martinez homered four times in the last three games and scored at least one run in each of the last five contests.

PREDICTION: Astros 5, Red Sox 2

The post HOUSTON vs. BOSTON 5/17/2019 MLB Odds, Pick & Preview appeared first on IdealCapper.

BOSTON vs CAROLINA
When: 5/14/2019 8:00 PM
Where: PNC Arena

TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network, CBC, Sportsnet, TVAS
LINE: -115
PREDICTION: Bruins 3, Hurricanes 2

Oddsmakers currently have the BOSTON listed as -115-moneyline favorites versus the CAROLINA, while the game’s total is sitting at 5.5.

The Carolina Hurricanes have been perfect at home through the first two rounds of the playoffs and they will need to keep that streak intact if they hope to get back into the Easten Conference finals. After getting blown out in back-to-back losses in Boston, the Hurricanes face a must-win situation when they host the Bruins in Game 3 on Tuesday night.

Although Carolina overcame a 2-0 series deficit against reigning Stanley Cup champion Washington in the opening round, the team needs to make a statement that it can play with Boston. “Playoffs are all about putting pressure on the other team and seeing how they do with a little bit of pressure,” captain Justin Williams said. “So we need to get a win … and then push back a little bit and see how they respond. Just squeeze the other team a little bit. They’ve squeezed us twice. We need to do a little bit of punching back.” The Bruins came from behind to win each of their first two series but they have outscored the Hurricanes 11-4 in extending their postseason winning streak to five games. “It’s 2-0, that’s good,” goaltender Tuukka Rask said after his team scored the first six goals in Sunday’s 6-2 drubbing. “We took care of business at home, which is what we wanted to do.”

ABOUT THE BRUINS: Perhaps the best sign for Boston in the Game 2 mauling was that its vaunted No. 1 unit contributed only two assists while the third line of Charlie Coyle, Marcus Johansson and Dalton Heinen combined for seven points to boost their totals to 11 goals and 17 assists in the playoffs. “Depth scoring is so crucial for playoffs,” defenseman Torey Krug said. “I said it all along that if we were going to make it and go on a run, it was going to be those bottom two lines that feed energy into this team and score big timely goals and we’re going to need that going forward.” Krug and his fellow blue-liners did their part Sunday by supplying three goals and three assists.

ABOUT THE HURRICANES: Petr Mrazek was hurt in Game 2 of the second round against the New York Islanders and did not return until the series opener against Boston, but he said the injury and subsequent layoff were not factors in giving up 10 goals in the first two games. “I’m feeling good, no issue with that,” Mrazek said. “I don’t think it was that long a break, maybe nine or 10 days. I was feeling pretty good. I’m not going to look past, just look forward to the next one.” Coach Rod Brind’Amour acknowledged that he is contemplating a change in net for Game 3, which would mean a switch to Curtis McElhinney, who earned three wins by turning aside 71 of 75 shots in 7 1/2 periods against New York.

OVERTIME

1. Krug became the fifth Boston defenseman to register three assists in multiple games in the postseason.

2. Hurricanes F Teuvo Teravainen has scored four times in four games to lift his team-high total to seven goals.

3. Boston is 4-for-9 on the power play versus Carolina and has had 19 different players score in the playoffs, matching a franchise record.

PREDICTION: Bruins 3, Hurricanes 2

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