Red Sox vs. Astros: How to Bet Game 1 of the ALCS

The ALCS gets underway on Friday night when the Boston Red Sox take on the Houston Astros in a rematch of the 2018 Championship Series. 

The Astros are favored to win the series and advance to their third World Series in five years, but the Red Sox bolster a strong lineup with top end talent in the pitching rotation. 

Who has the edge in the opening game? 

Here are the odds, courtesy of WynnBET Sportsbook.

Red Sox vs. Astros Odds

Moneyline:

• Red Sox: +125
• Astros: -135

Runline:

• Red Sox: +1.5 (-160)
• Astros: -1.5 (+140)

Total: 8 (Over -120/Under -100)

The Astros pitching staff is the key to this series. Lance McCullers Jr. has been ruled out for at least the first two games of the series, if not all of it, leaving a shallow Houston pitching staff vulnerable against a Red Sox lineup that averaged nearly nine runs per game after being shutout in Game 1 of the ALDS.

The Red Sox bullpen has been up-and-down this season, but the team got a shot of life when Chris Sale returned to the rotation in August. The Game 1 starter has a history of success against the Astros lineup, allowing a .239 batting average in 138 at bats, and I’m confident he can hold up his end of the bargain despite only pitching one inning in the DS after getting lit up by Tampa Bay. 

If Sale is able to give four or five strong innings, the Red Sox can turn to the likes of Game 3 hero Nick Pivetta out of the pen.

Neither team is elite at hitting lefties, but Boston has the edge in this department, especially considering the Astros are starting Framber Valdez. He allowed four runs and seven hits in four-and-a-third innings against the White Sox. 

Valdez concerns me, and I’m not a believer in the Astros to string together a bullpen-centric game, so I’ll ride the surging Red Sox to take home field and win in Houston. 

Pick: Red Sox +125