The Boston Red Sox got the man they wanted but it wasn’t cheap. Chris Sale, who will make his first start in a Red Sox jersey against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday, cost Boston two of its top three prospects and then some in a December trade with the Chicago White Sox. Now it is up to Sale to justify the price tag by continuing his stellar play in his new home.
- Chris Sale has a 3.63 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP in six career appearances at Fenway Park.
- The visiting team is 2-9 SU in the last 11 games between the Pirates and Red Sox.
- The total has gone UNDER in 8 of the Red Sox' last 9 games.
Sale will almost certainly be worth the price if he can continue to pitch as well as he has in the past several seasons. In his seven-year career, Sale has a 3.00 ERA while posting 10.1 strikeouts per nine innings and has posted a WAR of 4.9 in four of the five years he was a full-time starter.
Opposing Sale will be youngster Jameson Taillon, who looked great during his time with the big club last season. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2010 MLB draft posted a 3.38 ERA and a 2.6 WAR in 18 starts with the Bucs last season. Taillon did struggle a bit more on the road with a 4.26 ERA away from PNC Park.
Sportsbook Odds & Computer Pick
Boston was a -195 moneyline favorites earlier in the day at Sportsbook, based on the starting pitcher matchup. That pairing made odds makers at Sportsbook pick an Sportsbook over under number of 8.5.
Odds Shark computer prediction formulas pick a 3.7-3.2 win for the Red Sox on Wednesday. View the computer score prediction and who will win the pick on the moneyline for all upcoming MLB matchups here.
Pittsburgh Pirates vs Boston Red Sox Matchup
Team Betting Records & Power Rankings
The Boston Red Sox sport a record of 1-0 heading into this matchup, while the Pittsburgh Pirates sit at 0-1 on the season Stay Informed: follow us on Twitter for odds specials, betting line moves and Boston vs Pittsburgh injuries news.
According to MLB Power Rankings here, it's the No. 5-ranked Boston Red Sox and the No. 16-rated Pittsburgh Pirates in this matchup.
Statistical Matchup
Rating these teams in several key categories is important for handicappers and Boston has baseball's No. 8-rated offensive output, at 10 hits per game. The Pittsburgh Pirates average 8 hits per game, good for No. 15 on the list.
Comparing defensive stats, Pittsburgh owns the No. 12-rated road mark, allowing 5 runs per game on the highway. Boston, on the other hand, rates No. 7 in scoring at home.
Recent Outings Betting Recap
- Pittsburgh is 2-10 ATS in its last 12 games
- Pittsburgh is 0-4-1 SU in its last 5 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Pittsburgh's last 5 games
- Pittsburgh is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
- Boston is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
- Boston is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Boston's last 9 games
- Boston is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games at home
Next Betting Matchups
Pittsburgh at Boston, Thursday, April 6th
