The Baltimore Orioles are 8-4 over their last 12 games, moving the team into a tie for first place in the AL East with the Boston Red Sox. That tie will be broken this week as the two teams meet for a three-game series starting this Tuesday night in Boston.
Orioles vs. Red Sox 2016 odds: Baltimore odds underdog at Boston in series opener Tuesday
The Baltimore Orioles and Boston Red Sox will battle for first place in the AL East this week, with the BoSox odds favorites for Tuesday’s opener.
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Baltimore is a +153 betting underdog for Tuesday’s series opener at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com. Chris Tillman will take the hill for the Orioles against David Price and the Red Sox going off as -173 favorites.
The Orioles had an 8-1 hot streak cooled off over the weekend with three straight losses to the Toronto Blue Jays. Baltimore’s offense has been crushing the ball over the last two weeks, averaging 6.75 runs per game over the team’s last 12 games. Manny Machado, Chris Davis and Mark Trumbo make up a dangerous heart of the order that has combined for 52 home runs in 62 games this season.
Tillman has been the highlight of Baltimore’s staff with a 3.01 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP in 13 starts this season. The Orioles have an 11-2 record in those 13 starts per the OddsShark MLB Database.
Since storming out of the gate to a 29-17 record, the Red Sox have gone just 7-9 over their last 16 games. Boston continues to lead MLB in runs (5.95 per game) and team batting average (.291) but has been hampered by a starting staff that ranks 20th in the league with a 4.55 ERA.
Price has shaken off his early season struggles to produce six straight quality starts, but he still hasn’t looked like the dominant pitcher he has been over the course of his career. Boston is 19-12 at home this season.
Tuesday night’s total is set at 8.5 runs. The OVER is 4-2-1 in the last seven games between these division rivals.
The race for the AL East figures to be a hotly contested one all season long, making these division rivalry series particularly important for both teams. Boston’s Steven Wright is set to start against Baltimore’s Tyler Wilson on Wednesday, followed by a matchup between Eduardo Rodriguez and Kevin Gausman in the series finale on Thursday.
