Free Picks: Oakland Athletics vs. Boston Red Sox

Oakland and Boston have had different starts to the season, but find themselves on top of their respective divisions. Tonight, the Red Sox play host to the Athletics for a three-game, mid-week set. These two powerhouses are near perfect, but I found one flaw that has me excited to wager on. Can Oakland take down the hometown Red Sox, or will Boston do work at Fenway?

Approaching the middle of May, Oakland and Boston own the two best records in the American League, while also being two of four teams in the MLB with at least 20 wins. 

Tuesday night, the Red Sox and A’s begin a three-game set that is a proving ground for each ball club. 

For a game that features two top teams, I always look at starting pitching, betting value/return, and the weather. 

Chris Bassitt will get the start for the visiting A’s. This season, Bassitt is 2-2 with a 3.70 ERA and 43 strikeouts. The righty has racked up seven strikeouts in each of his last four starts. 

Opposite of Bassitt will be another RHP in Natha Eovaldi. Eovaldi is 4-2 with a 4.62 ERA and is 1-2 against Oakland in seven career starts with a 4.28 ERA. 

Turning to the weather, no precipitation is expected. The game will be rather chilly if attending in person, but tonight should be clear of any rainfall.

With that being said, there are a couple of wagers that catch my eye for this MLB prediction. I like the Red Sox to score first at +105, but Oakland hitting first has hesitated me. 

I think your best MLB bet will be taking the Red Sox on the Run Line. This season, Boston has a run differential of +33, while the A’s are -10. 

It’s clear that in previous losses, the A’s tend to lose by two or more runs. Of their 15 losses this season, 11 of them have been by more than 2 runs. This is perfect for the Run Line. 

With this bet, I am also saying that I think the Red Sox can win straight up. The Red Sox are 10-9 at home but have scored 103 runs in the process at Fenway. 

On the road, the A’s have tallied 50 runs throughout 8 games. That is a high number, but 22 of those runs came against teams like the D-Backs and Orioles.

I love the value and think Boston at home is pure money. Let’s roll with the Red Sox Run Line for this BetPicks Prediction.

• Oakland ranks 16th in road offense. 
• The Red Sox rank 1st in runs scored at home. 
• Boston is 21-15 against the spread this season.