Trent Reinsmith
- Date & Location: Friday October 22, 2021 at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas.
- Odds: Boston Red Sox (+320) vs. Houston Astros (-400) via Sportsbetting.
- Prediction: Houston Astros to win Game 6 of ALCS
Things are very interesting in the 2021 American League Championship Series. The Boston Red Sox left Houston with the series knotted at 1-1 after the first two games. The teams return to Houston for Friday’s Game 6 with the Astros one win away from clinching a World Series berth.
The Red Sox topped Houston in Game 3 by a score of 12-3, but the Astros bats got hot in Games 4 and 5 while the Red Sox struggled at the plate. Houston beat the Sox 9-2 in Game 4 and 9-1 in Game 5.
Game 6 of the 2021 ALCS takes place on Friday, October 22 at Minute Maid Park in Houston. An Astros win sends them to the 2021 World Series to face the Los Angeles Dodgers or the Atlanta Braves. A Red Sox win on Friday, forces a Game 7 in Houston on Saturday, October 23.
Please check to our MLB 2021 betting guide for baseball betting tips and advice with the World Series closing in. Also, don’t forget to check out the picks and odds for the AL Pennant and NL Pennant races.
Pitching
Boston is expected to have Nathan Eovaldi on the mound for the must-win Game 6. The right-handed Eovaldi won Game 2 of the 2021 ALCS against Houston. He held the Astros to three runs in 5 1/3 innings. Eovaldi was the Red Sox best pitcher during the 2021 season with an 11-9 record and a 3.75 ERA. His 2021 playoff stats have been better. He is 2-0 with a 3.45 ERA.
The Astros starter is expected to be Luis Garcia. Garcia started Game 2 of the series, but left after one inning with a knee strain. He did not throw well during his time on the mound. He gave up five runs. Garcia was excellent at home for the Astros in 2021. He put up a 2.73 ERA during his games at Minute Maid Park.
Both teams should have a deep and well-rested bullpen for Game 6.
Red Sox to beat Houston Astros in Game 6 of 2021 ALCS +360 via Bovada.
Hitting
Boston had five hits in Game 4 and three in Game 5. That’s a far cry from the 10,11 and 11 they put up in the first three games of the series. The Astros were not bad at the plate in the first three games of the series, but they could not score the runs needed to top the Sox. That all changed in Games 4 and 5 and the Houston club will have all the momentum on its side as the clubs head back to Minute Maid Park.
Houston Astros to beat Boston Red Sox in Game 6 of ALCS -380 via Betonline.
Players to Watch
Kiké Hernández was the hot bat for the Red Sox in games 2 and 3 of the ALCS, but his bat has turned ice cold. Hernández has generated only one hit in nine at-bats in the two most recent games. If the Red Sox hope to extend the series to seven games and head to the World Series, Hernández needs to rediscover his magic at the plate.
Another player the Red Sox hope will suddenly get hot is Hunter Renfroe. Renfroe is 1-for-14 in the 2021 ALCS and has struck out seven times and left 11 Boston players stranded on base.
Yordan Alvarez has eight hits in 19 appearances at the plate for the Astros. He had three RBIs in Game 5.
Yuli Gurriel had a fantastic Game 5. He went 3-for-5 at the plate and earned three RBIs. He has nine hits in the series and his hitting .474.
Jose Altuve is hitting .150 in the postseason, but his home run in Game 4, was the hit that tied the game at 2 and opened the floodgates for a 9-2 Astros win.
Pick
The Red Sox fell apart late in Game 4. The Boston club had a 2-1 lead heading into the eighth inning. The Astros put up eight runs in the final two innings of that game. Houston scored in the second inning of Game 5 to take a 1-0 lead and never surrendered that lead before winning 9-1.
Since MLB has gone with the 2-3-2 format, teams who have been tied 2-2, teams winning Game 5 on the road have returned home to win 18 of 23 series.
With the way the Astros have handled Boston pitching in this series combined with the Boston bats growing cold. It’s hard to bet against Houston and Game 6, and I will not do that.
Houston Astros to beat Boston Red Sox in Game 6 of ALCS -400 via Sportsbetting.
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