The defending World Series champion Boston Red Sox will look to shake off their slow start to get back on track when they visit the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday to kick off an early-season, three-game Inter-League series on Friday night. Now, with both teams looking to bounce back from humbling losses the last time out, let’s find out where the best value lies in this contest.
Red Sox vs Diamondbacks Week 1 Odds, Game Preview, and Predictions
Back at Chase Field for the first time since 2007!
Your @ParkWhiz Lineup: pic.twitter.com/14aOAzhmzJ — Boston Red Sox (@RedSox) 5 de abril de 2019
- When: Friday, April 05 – 7:10 PM EST
- Where: Chase Field, Phoenix, Arizona
- TV: FSAZ, NESN
- Live Stream: MLB.tv
- Opening MLB Odds: Boston -128/ Arizona +118 (total 9)
- Starting Pitchers
- Boston – Rick Porcello – (R, 0-1, 13.50 ERA)
- Arizona – Zack Godley – R, 11.81 ERA)
Why Bet On Boston?
The Red Sox are looking to improve their play after dropping five of their last six games including a humbling 7-3 smackdown loss against Oakland on Thursday night. Boston has struggled mightily on the mound by compiling a high, 6.00 ERA while the team’s starters have been even worse in putting together a dismal 0-6 record and 9.08 ERA. Boston will hand the ball to right-hander Rick Porcello in this one with the veteran looking to rebound from a pitiful start the last time he took the mound. Porcello was smacked around for nine runs (four earned) on six hits while walking four in 73 pitches in just 2.2 innings of a 10-8 loss at Seattle on Sunday.
“Not good,” the 30-year-old New Jersey native and 2016 Cy Young Award winner told reporters. “… No excuses. Gotta pick it up, turn the page, and get ready for the next one.”
The Red Sox have allowed 11 runs in their last three games and six or more runs in six of their first eight games. Boston is averaging 4.1 runs per game (15th) while allowing 6.0 runs per game defensively (28th). J.D. Martinez leads the Red Sox with 10 hits and seven RBI.
Team Statistics
Offense:- Runs/G: 4.12
- Hits /G: 8.38
- Walks /G: 3.12
- Strike Outs /G: 8.12
- Runs/G: 6.50
- Hits /G: 9.00
- Walks /G: 4.12
- Strike Outs /G: 8.38
Why Bet On Arizona?
The Diamondbacks have lost three of five and saw their modest two-game winning streak snapped in their 4-1 road loss against San Diego on Wednesday. While the D-Backs are averaging a stellar 5.8 runs per game, the D-Backs are also giving up a whopping 7.1 runs per game to rank dead last in runs allowed.
“I know they’re going to be fine,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo told reporters about his pitchers. “I want to see them get after it a little bit and I know that will be the challenge to them.”
Arizona has allowed eight runs or more in two of their last three losses including their pitiful 18-5 loss to the Dodgers on March 30. The Diamondbacks will hand the ball to right-hander Zack Godley in this one with the 28-year-old looking to bounce back after allowing eight runs (seven earned) in that blowout loss against the Dodgers the last time he took the mound. Offensively, David Peralta leads Arizona with 15 hits and four RBI.
Team Statistics
Offense:- Runs/G: 5.86
- Hits /G: 10.71
- Walks /G: 2.71
- Strike Outs /G: 9.00
- Runs/G: 7.71
- Hits /G: 10.29
- Walks /G: 5.14
- Strike Outs /G: 7.71
Expert Analysis and Prediction
Boston might be struggling mightily right now, but the Red Sox are the easy pick for me in this contest, seeing as how they’ve gone 41-10 in their last 51 Interleague games, 20-6 in their last 25 Interleague games overall and 7-3 in Rick Porcello’s last 10 starts. On the flip side of the coin, Arizona has gone 3-8 in their last 11 games, 1-10 in their last 11 games against teams from the AL East and 1-5 in Zack Godley’s last 11 starts. Boston has won 10 of the last 11 meetings against Arizona and they’ll get another in this affair.
Pick: Boston 6 Arizona 4
