The season isn't over for the Boston Red Sox quite yet, but they need to get hot sooner rather than later if they want to get firmly back in the mix.
Winning this weekend's series against the Royals would be a step in the right direction, so this afternoon's rubber match is a big time game for them.
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Now, let's dive into today's action.
Red Sox vs. Royals odds, run line, and total
Red Sox vs. Royals prediction and pick
Instead of betting on a side in this game, I'm going to bet the total instead and take the OVER. The Red Sox should win, but a -200 price tag is too steep for me to go that direction.
Chris Sale hasn't had his best stuff lately, sporting a 5.40 ERA since the All-Star Break. He has also struggled when pitching on the road this season. His ERA goes from 3.96 at home to 5.44 on the road. It also doesn't help matters that the Royals have 13th best OPS against left-handed pitching since the middle of July.
Meanwhile, the Red Sox offense should do its part when it comes to hitting the OVER. They have the fifth best batting average and eighth best OPS since the All-Star Break, and continuously find ways to produce runs.
Let's just sit back and root for runs in this Sunday matinee matchup.
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
You can check out all of Iain's bets here!