Red Sox vs Astros Game 2 Odds, Betting Lines and Probable Pitchers
- The Houston Astros are -145 moneyline favorites over the Boston Red Sox in Game 2 of the ALCS on Saturday (October 16th, 4:20 pm ET)
- Houston will give the ball to Luis Garcia (0-0, 16.88 ERA), while Boston will counter with Nathan Eovaldi (1-0, 2.61 ERA)
- Read below for odds, analysis and a betting prediction
It took over four hours, but Houston got the job done in Game 1 of the ALCS versus Boston. The Astros squeaked out a 5-4 victory in the series opener, and will look to take a 2-0 lead when they meet again on Saturday (October 16th).
Red Sox vs Astros Game 2 Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Runline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Red Sox | +125 | +1.5 (-150) | O 8.5 (-110) |
| Houston Astros | -145 | -1.5 (+130) | U 8.5 (-110) |
Odds as of Oct. 15th at DraftKings.
Houston is a -145 moneyline favorite, in a contest that features a total of 8.5. First pitch is scheduled for 4:20 pm ET at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas, with a perfect afternoon for playoff baseball on deck. The forecast currently calls for sunshine and 72 degree temperatures.
Probable Pitchers
The Astros will give the ball to Luis Garcia, who’s looking to bounce back after a truly horrific 2021 playoff debut. The 24-year-old lasted just 2.2 innings in Game 3 of the ALDS, coughing up five hits and five runs on the road to the Chicago White Sox.
The outing marked his second straight horrendous start after surrendering six runs and eight hits to Tampa Bay in his regular season finale. The two starts prior he actually pitched quite well, but those outings were against Texas and the LA Angels, who weren’t exactly offensive juggernauts this past season.
“Some times you’re forced to grow up sooner than you want to,” Dusty Baker says of his starting pitchers Framber Valdez, Luis Garcia and Jose Urquidy.
He says they’ve done a good job growing up. #Astros #ForTheH— Jose de Jesus Ortiz (@OrtizKicks) October 15, 2021
Garcia threw 7 innings of one run ball in his only appearance against the Red Sox this season, but that was back in early June when he was in much better form.
For what it’s worth, Garcia pitched much better at home than on the road this season, posting a 2.39 ERA (versus 4.24 on the road), while yielding a .210 opponent batting average (compared to .252 on the road).
Eovaldi vs Garcia 2021 Playoff Stats
| 1-0 | Record | 0-0 |
| 2.61 | ERA | 16.88 |
| 0.77 | WHIP | 3.00 |
| .179 | OBA | .385 |
| 16.0 | SO/W Ratio | 1.0 |
One Red Sox hitter Garcia is going to have to be very careful with is Kike Hernandez. The 30-year-old was 4-for-5 with two home runs in Game 1, and is now 13-for-19 over his past four outings.
It is ALL @kikehndez right now!
(MLB x @ftx_app) pic.twitter.com/wvkcX0o5pB
— MLB (@MLB) October 16, 2021
The Red Sox will counter with Nathan Eovaldi, who’s been solid in two 2021 playoff starts so far. The 31-year-old was called upon to start the Wild Card game versus the Yankees, and followed up that victory by pitching the series finale in the ALDS.
In 7 #postseason appearances Nathan Eovaldi has a 1.63 ERA. pic.twitter.com/G4kAaIDNsa
— MLB Stats (@MLBStats) October 6, 2021
He went 5 innings in both starts, allowing a single run to the Yankees, and two runs to Tampa Bay. He posted 16 strikeouts over the two outings, while walking just one. He’s 3-1 in four career playoff starts, but was hit hard in his only meeting with the Astros during the regular season.
Batting Average vs Starting Pitchers
| Red Sox Batters | Batting Average vs Garcia | Astros Batters | Batting Average vs Eovaldi |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alex Verdugo | .667 | Jose Altuve | .316 |
| Xander Bogaerts | .000 | Yordan Alvarez | 1.000 |
| Danny Santana | .333 | Michael Brantley | .200 |
| Rafael Devers | .000 | Alex Bregman | .500 |
| Enrique Hernandez | .000 | Martin Maldonado | .500 |
| J.D. Martinez | .000 | Carlos Correa | .313 |
| Hunter Renfroe | .333 | Kyle Tucker | .333 |
| Christian Vazquez | .333 | Yuli Gurriel | .167 |
Houston got him for 11 hits and five runs over 5.2 innings back in June, en route to an 8-3 victory.
Red Sox vs Astros Pick
Both teams pounded double-digit hits in Game 1, helping the contest eclipse the total. Saturday’s matchup could be on the higher scoring side as well, especially from a Boston perspective.
Check out what pure joy looks like.#ALCS2021 #RedSox #KiKeHernandez pic.twitter.com/cpm3aZpgz7
— Billy Krumb (@ClubhouseCancer) October 16, 2021
The Red Sox lineup has crossed the plate 28 times in their last four games and should find success versus Garcia. They feasted on right-handed pitching during the regular season to the tune of a .460 slugging percentage and .788 OPS, and Garcia’s current form makes him extremely vulnerable.
Eovaldi meanwhile, will look to shake off his previous struggles against Houston and there’s reason to believe he can do so. He’s flashed strong stuff twice already this postseason and owns a career 2.11 ERA and 0.79 WHIP in the playoffs.
Pick: Boston Red Sox Moneyline (+125)
As SBD's resident Swiss Army Knife, Chris covers virtually every sport including NFL, PGA, NBA, MLB, NCAAB, NCAAF and the Olympics. A true grinder, he'd rather pick off small edges in the player props market than swing for the fences with a 5-leg parlay.
