Braves vs Red Sox Odds: Atlanta Asserting Itself as World Series Favorite

The Boston Red Sox will host the Atlanta Braves for a quick two-game interleague series starting Tuesday at Fenway Park. This will be the second meeting between the teams this season after splitting a pair of games in Atlanta in May.

The projected total for the series opener is 8.5, with the Under juiced to +100. However, there were no other odds posted as of Tuesday morning. Read on for our Braves vs Red Sox odds preview.

Boston Hanging Tough

The Boston Red Sox took two of three from the New York Mets over the weekend to improve to 53-47. Despite being tied for last place in the American League East, Boston remains firmly in the postseason hunt. They’re just 2.0 games back of the third and final Wild Card spot, with plenty of time to make up ground.

Oddsmakers are still a bit skeptical, pricing the Red Sox +300 to make the playoffs. However, they’re trending in the right direction. Their plus-41 run differential is sixth-best in the AL, indicating they may have staying power.

First baseman Triston Casas has been particularly hot of late, going 8-for-17 with two home runs and a robust 1.532 OPS over the last seven days. Casas homered twice off Max Scherzer in Saturday’s 8-6 win over New York and is batting .247 with 14 homers, 36 RBI, and a .816 OPS for the season. Rookie outfielder Masataka Yoshida also remains an offensive threat for Boston. The 30-year-old Japanese import ranks fifth in baseball with a .315 average to go with 51 RBI and a .870 OPS, per MLB stats. He is currently +225 to win AL Rookie of the Year, trailing only Rangers third baseman Josh Jung (+175) and Orioles third baseman Gunnar Henderson (+200).

Atlanta Cruising in NL East

The Atlanta Braves continue to build their case as World Series favorites. Their .652 winning percentage is the best in baseball, while their plus-148 run differential leads the National League.

Though they are just 4-6 over their last 10 games, the Braves remain a legitimate threat to play deep into October. At 64-34, the Braves 11.5-game lead in the NL East is easily the largest in baseball. In addition to being a near lock to win the division at -8000, the Braves are also a +375 favorite to win the World Series, up from +1000 in spring training.

How have they gotten to this point? No look further than their thunderous lineup. Fueled by the outfielder and NL MVP favorite (-500) Ronald Acuna Jr., first baseman Matt Olson, second baseman Ozzie Albies, and catcher Sean Murphy, the Braves lead the MLB power rankings in the home run and rank third in runs scored.

Notably, third baseman Austin Riley homered in five straight games last week, trying a franchise record. Over the last seven days, Riley is 10-of-25 with six home runs, 16 RBI, and a 1.640 OPS. That’s worth considering when weighing the Braves vs Red Sox odds.

Odds Outlook

Boston is 53-47 against the run line, including 25-26 at home. Conversely, Atlanta is 50-48 ATS, including 27-20 on the road. The Braves’ 52-43-3 record against the Over is fourth-best in baseball. Keep that in mind when assessing the Braves vs Red Sox betting odds.

Even at 39, Morton remains a steady hand in the rotation. The right-hander is tied for second in baseball with 10 wins and has a 3.36 ERA and 119 strikeouts in 109.2 innings. He allowed two runs over six innings in a 9-3 victory over Boston on May 9.

Following an off day on Monday, the Red Sox are planning to have a bullpen game against the Braves. Right-hander Nick Pivetta, who last pitched Saturday against the Mets, could see a bulk of the work.

Bello will now pitch Wednesday instead of Tuesday, which was his originally scheduled start. The 24-year-old right-hander has been on paternity leave. He’s 7-6 with a 3.60 ERA but has not pitched since July 19 against the Oakland Athletics. He limited Atlanta to two runs over six innings in a 5-2 win on May 10.

The Braves will counter with Strider, who is tied for the MLB lead with 11 wins. He also leads the majors in strikeouts (189) and is +250 to win the NL Cy Young, trailing only Arizona‘s Zac Gallen (+200). Strider’s 354 strikeouts over his first 40 starts are the most by any pitcher since the mound was set to its current distance in 1893.

For MLB predictions, betting odds, analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.

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