The Texas Rangers host the Boston Red Sox for the second game of their series on Friday, March 28. First pitch from Globe Life Field is scheduled for 8:05 p.m. ET; the game will be broadcast on MLB.TV.
Find my MLB betting preview and Red Sox vs Rangers prediction and pick below, which is a Tanner Houck player prop focusing on his strikeouts over/under.
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- Red Sox vs Rangers picks: Tanner Houck Under 4.5 Strikeouts (-125)
Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live MLB odds page.
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Red Sox vs Rangers Odds, Spread, Prediction
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- Red Sox vs Rangers Moneyline: Red Sox -115, Rangers -105
- Red Sox vs Rangers Over/Under: 8.5 (-125o / +105u)
- Red Sox vs Rangers Spread: Red Sox -1.5 (+143), Rangers +1.5 (-170)
- Red Sox vs Rangers Best Bet: Tanner Houck Over 4.5 Ks
Red Sox vs Rangers Projected Starting Pitchers
Stats from 2024 season
| RHP Tanner Houck (BOS) | Stat | RHP Jack Leiter (TEX) |
|---|---|---|
| 9-10 | W-L | 0-3 |
| 3.12 | ERA | 8.83 |
| 1.14 | WHIP | 1.71 |
| 7.8 | K/9 | 7.8 |
| 3.21 | K/BB | 1.82 |
The Red Sox opened the season with a win on Opening Day over the Rangers. Boston won 5-2 on the back of a two-homer day from Wilyer Abreu, who went 3-for-3 with a walk and four RBIs. The rest of the Boston lineup combined for three hits and two walks.
Garrett Crochet made his Red Sox debut and allowed two runs on five hits and two walks while striking out four over five innings. The Boston bullpen held Texas scoreless over the final four frames, allowing just two hits.
Nate Eovaldi delivered a strong quality start to begin his 2025, allowing two runs on three hits without a walk while striking out nine over six innings. Luke Jackson gave up the decisive home run to Abreu in relief in the ninth inning.
Red Sox vs Rangers Pick, Prediction: Tanner Houck Strikeouts
Tanner Houck had a big first half in 2024 and earned an All-Star selection. His bat-missing ability faltered to close the season, though, as he posted a 16.1% K% from July on (13 starts).
This year, Houck capped his Grapefruit League season by getting obliterated for 10 earned runs over in 3 2/3 innings. In total, Houck allowed 17 earned runs in just four spring appearances.
Obviously, Spring Training isn’t everything, but it’s a concerning development after Houck seemed to run out of gas in the second half of 2024. He threw a career-high 178 2/3 innings last season, a 72 2/3-inning jump from 2023.
Texas struck out at the seventh-lowest rate in the majors against righties last season. The Rangers also brought in Jake Burger for Nathaniel Lowe at first base in the offseason, which is a clear strikeout downgrade.
However, the Rangers also brought in lefty Joc Pederson to be their primary DH against right-handed starters. Tonight’s projected Rangers lineup features four lefties, which is an issue for Houck, who struck out just 18.3% of lefties last season. In the second half of the season, that rate was just 14.3%.
Pick: Tanner Houck Under 4.5 Strikeouts (-125)
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Red Sox vs Rangers Betting Trends
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Red Sox vs Rangers starts at 8:05 p.m. EDT on Friday, live from Globe Life Field. The game will be broadcast on NESN and MLB.TV.
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