Boston Red Sox at Philadelphia Phillies Betting Odds

Betting Odds

Moneyline: Philadelphia (-116)
Game Total Line: 9.5
Run Line: Philadelphia -1.5 (+165)
(wagering lines available at 5Dimes)

The Boston Red Sox will look to even things up tonight in Game 2 of their three-game series with the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park after being blanked on Tuesday night by Cliff Lee. Game time is set for 7:05 p.m. (ET) and it will be broadcast nationally on ESPN2.

Boston had no answer for Lee last night as its powerful lineup was held to just two hits in a 5-0 loss as a 129 road underdog. The total stayed ‘under’ the seven-run line. The setback dropped the Red Sox to 45-33 and 1.5 games in back of New York in the AL East. They are 22-16 at home and 23-17 on the road.

The Boston lineup leads the Majors in hitting with a team batting average of .275 and runs scored with 409, but it has ground to a halt as of late. The Red Sox have only managed to score a total of 14 runs in its last six games and have been held to one run or less in three of them. Adrian Gonzalez, who leads the Majors with 71 RBI, knocked in four of the 14 runs.

John Lackey will be on the mound tonight for Boston. This has not been one of his better seasons with a 5-6 record and 7.36 ERA in 11 previous starts. His last time out in a loss to San Diego, he gave up five earned runs on four hits in just 3.1 innings of work. Lifetime against the Phillies, Lackey is 2-1 with an ERA of 3.44.

Last night’s win was Philadelphia’s fifth in its last seven games. It remains 4.5 games ahead of Atlanta in the NL East and the first team in the league to reach 50 wins with an overall record of 50-30. The Phillies are 19-17 on the road and 31-13 at home.

Scoring has not come as easy as it had in the past for this current Philadelphia lineup as it is ranked eighth in the NL with 325 runs which is an average of 4.1 runs per game. Ryan Howard remains the primary force for the Phillies with a team-high 62 RBI and 16 home runs.

Roy Oswalt is back on the 15-day DL with a bad back so Vance Worley will get the start in his place. This will be his seventh start of the season after posting a 2-1 record with a 2.83 ERA in his first six. Worley’s last outing was his best of the year after taking a no-hitter into the sixth inning against Oakland. He has a 0.82 ERA in his last 11 innings pitched; giving up just one earned run.

Ron Kulpa will be calling balls and strikes tonight. He has slightly favored the ‘under’ this season with a 6-9 record against the total line in his 15 called games. The average runs scored in these games has been 8.1.

Boston is 12-5 as an underdog this season. The total has stayed ‘under’ in four of its last five games but is 38-33-5 overall this year.

Philadelphia is 42-21 as a favorite. The total has stayed ‘under’ in eight of its last 10 games and is 34-39-7 overall.

Head-to-head, the Red Sox won four of six games last season and were 2-1 on the road. The total was evenly split 3-3 overall and 1-2 in Philly.

MLB Betting Pick

Despite the recent trends favoring the ‘under’ for both teams, these lineups are poised to explode with some runs tonight. Take Boston and the ‘over’ as the Red Sox even things up at one game apiece. Take Over 9.5 runs at 5Dimes and get reduced Juice and 5 Cent MLB Overnight Lines!!