The Boston Red Sox melted down late in Game 4, but bettors are counting on a rebound against the Houston Astros in Game 5.
Not only is Boston seeing the majority of bets and dollars early in the market, the Red Sox are also a popular play in the prop market.
According to data released by BetMGM on Wednesday, 54% of tickets are on the Red Sox as slight favorites with Chris Sale on the mound against Astros lefty Framber Valdez. However, an alternate line and team total have been appearing as well.
The two most-bet player props in the hours leading up to Game 5 in Boston are on the Red Sox to win by exactly two runs and the Red Sox to score more than 5.5 runs.
Both props are offered at plus money, with the exact differential paying +900 (bet $100, profit $900) and the team total over 5.5 coming in at +135 (bet $100, profit $135).
The Red Sox scored at least six runs in two of the four games thus far, putting up 9 and 12 runs in Games 3 and 4, respectively. Boston lost 5-4 in Game 1 and a late rally by Houston erased a 2-1 deficit and turned it into a 9-2 win for the Astros.
Boston is a -125 favorite; the Astros are +105 underdogs. The total is set at 9.5.
This will be Valdez's third playoff start this postseason. He allowed four runs in 4.1 innings against the White Sox and two earned runs in 2.2 innings against the Red Sox. Houston won both games.
This will also be Sale's third start in the playoffs. His results have been mixed, having allowed five runs in one inning against the Tampa Bay Rays and holding the Astros to one run but only lasting 2.2 innings in his ALCS start.
