Astros vs Red Sox Free Pick, MLB Free Picks, MLB Predictions 8/1/25
- J.A. Cavalier
- Aug 1
- 3 min read
HOUSTON @ BOSTON (HOU -135, 7.5)
MLB ODDS, MLB PREDICTIONS, MLB PREVIEWS
ASTROS @ RED SOX 8/1/25
On Friday, the Astros will begin a nine-game road trip against the Boston Red Sox, and few hitters in the American League are having as successful a month as Jose Altuve of Houston. Altuve helped Houston defeat Washington 9-1 on Wednesday with four hits, including a three-run home run. In 24 games during July, he hit .363 (33-for-91) with seven doubles, five home runs, and 21 RBIs.
The Astros ended a five-game losing streak Tuesday in which they were held to a total of eight runs. They scored 16 runs in their last two games.
When Houston acquired infielder Carlos Correa from Minnesota on Thursday, it created quite a stir. Prior to signing with the Twins as a free agent, Correa spent his first seven Major League seasons in Houston. Correa played shortstop during his first stint in Houston. He will play third base now.
Additionally, the Astros acquired outfielder Jesus Sanchez in a trade with Miami on Thursday and infielder Ramon Urias in a trade with Baltimore on Wednesday.
Prior to the trade deadline, the Red Sox acquired two pitchers. One day after acquiring left-handed pitcher Steven Matz from St. Louis, Boston acquired right-hander Dustin May from the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday.
Jarren Duran of Boston is also coming off a successful month at the plate, despite his numbers not being as strong as Altuve's. He hit .317 in 23 July games, including five home runs, three triples, nine doubles, and 21 RBIs.
On Wednesday, Boston defeated Minnesota 13-1, and Duran had three hits and a home run. In the three-game series against the Twins, Duran had five extra-base hits and has hit three home runs in his last eight games.
Hunter Brown, a right-hander (9-5, 2.54 ERA), is projected to start for Houston on Friday. In August 2024, Brown made his lone career appearance against the Red Sox, giving up two runs on five hits in 5.1 innings. The starting pitcher for Boston in Friday's game has not yet been announced.
The Astros hope All-Star shortstop Jeremy Pena (ribs) will be able to play on Friday after they went 12–13 in July, their first losing month of the season.
Alex Bregman, who signed with the Red Sox in the offseason, will be playing his first game against his old team on Friday. Bregman, who was given Wednesday off, was a key member of the Astros' 2017 and 2022 World Series winning teams.
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FREE PICK: RED SOX TEAM TOTAL OVER 3.5 RUNS
The Red Sox have yet to announce a starting pitcher, but they will go up against Hunter Brown of Houston. Brown is one of the top pitchers in baseball, but his month of July was awful. Houston lost 3 of his 5 starts last month and his ERA was 5.54. For the season, Brown is 9-5 with a 2.54 ERA. Boston has scored at least 4 runs in 7 of their last 10 games and in 57 percent of games this season. At home in Fenway Park, Boston has cashed this team total Over in 8 of their last 10 and in 64 percent of their home games this season. They’ve also scored 4 or more in 5 of the last 6 games against the Astros.
