Orioles vs. Red Sox Friday Prediction
The Baltimore Orioles were nearly shutout completely by David Price on Thursday night. Will the O’s bring out the bats Friday night when they visit the Boston Red Sox again at 7:10 p.m. ET?
Game Snapshot & Odds
917 Baltimore Orioles (+155) at 918 Boston Red Sox (-175); 10 runs
Friday, May 18, 2018
7:10 p.m. ET, Fenway Park
TV: BAL (MSN2); BOS (NESN)
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Public Betting Trends
Oddsmakers from online sportsbooks currently list the Red Sox as a -175 favorite. As of this writing, 77% of the betting tickets wagered at online sportsbooks are on the Red Sox to beat the Orioles on the money line. This information is subject to change, however, so be sure to check out our MLB Public Betting Page for updated figures on this game.
Orioles’ Cobb dinged for four runs by Rays
Starting the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader against the Rays, Alex Cobb surrendered four runs (three earned) on seven hits over 5 2/3 innings while taking a loss.
Cobb never let the game truly devolve, but paper cuts slice all the same and he gave up solitary runs in each of the first four frames. Despite these small-but-consistent wobbles, he looked like he might be able to pitch into the seventh — or even the eighth — before a lengthy rain delay with two outs in the sixth inning halted him in his path at 69 pitches thrown.
He would not re-enter the contest once the game rebooted. While the end results were not stellar, this wasn’t a stinker of a start by any stretch of the imagination and Cobb has been pitching well of late. He’ll try to tighten up by degrees when he carries a still-rough 7.06 ERA and 1.88 WHIP into a tricky road start against the Red Sox next time he takes to the mound.
Red Sox Pomeranz walks five in no-decision vs. Blue Jays
Drew Pomeranz gave up three runs over four innings of work while earning a no-decision against the Blue Jays on Sunday. Pomeranz was able to strike out six, but it was his five walks that doomed him from factoring into the decision on Sunday. His ERA is now up to 5.47 on the season, and he’s walked 13 hitters in his 24 2/3 innings in 2018. He’ll try and throw more strikes when he’s back on the mound on Friday against the Orioles.
MLB Betting Trends
Baltimore
Following their 6-2 loss on Thursday night, the Orioles are now winless in their last seven games versus the Red Sox and are winless in their last four games played at Fenway Park.
Boston
The under is 4-0-1 in Pomeranz’s last five starts versus the Orioles.
Prediction:
This pitching matchup is an over bettor’s dream. Pomeranz comes in with a 3.58 ERA but his 4.33 SIERA suggests that a negative regression is on its way. He does own a 23.5% strikeout rate and this Baltimore lineup has plenty of swing-and-miss potential littered throughout. That said, even if the Orioles can chip in with three or four runs throughout the game, that should be enough to push the score over the total. That’s because Boston should own Cobb, who has a 4.14 ERA, has not been striking many batters out (16.3%) and who is being hit hard to the tune of a 37.0% hard-contact rate. The over is expensive tonight (10 runs) but the Red Sox scored six last night and I see plenty of crooked numbers on the scoreboard tonight.
The Pick: Orioles/Red Sox over 10