Is this the week that the Red Sox make a move vs. the MLB odds in the American League East? They are getting former MVP Dustin Pedroia back this week so it would be a perfect time to make up some ground. Boston is in the midst of a very important nine-game home stand that will see them favored on a daily basis vs. the MLB lines.
MLB odds will favor Boston but can you make any money betting on the Red Sox over the next week or so? The Red Sox host the Angels, Blue Jays and Mariners on the home stand. They are going to be laying the wood a lot so the Sox would have to win 6 of the 9 to show any type of profit. Let’s say that Boston does go 6-3 on the home stand. Does that do them any good? They would likely only gain a game at most against Tampa or New York and at this stage that is not enough. The Red Sox really need to go 8-1 on the home stand and that won’t be easy. The Blue Jays are no pushovers and the Angels always seem to find a way to win a game.
Pedroia: Getting Pedroia back should help Boston. The team went just 23-21 while he was out and a .500 record is not going to cut it when you are chasing the Rays and Yankees. Pedroia will help the offense but scoring runs has not been Boston’s problem. They are second in the league in runs scored.
Pitching: Boston’s pitching has been the problem and if they don’t make the playoffs, the starting rotation will be the reason why. Boston is 20th in the league in ERA. Do you want to be wagering on a Boston team vs. the MLB lines that is that bad in pitching? Taking Jon Lester when he is on the mound seems like a good idea but the rest of the staff has been very unreliable.
Now or Never: It is really now or never for the Red Sox. They can’t wait until the end of the season and hope to make up any ground. Six of their last ten games are against the Yankees and the other four are against the White Sox. Good luck in those games.