Athletics vs Red Sox Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for July 7 (Luis Medina Aims to Continue Strong Stretch)

The Boston Red Sox (45-43) will look to make up ground in a crowded American League Wild Card race when they host the Oakland Athletics (25-64) on Friday night.

Athletics vs Red Sox Game Info

• Date: Friday, July 7, 2023
• Time: 7:10 p.m. ET
• Venue: Fenway Park -- Boston, MA
• Coverage: NBCSCA and NESN

Boston enters Friday as a victor in five of its last six games following a series win over the Texas Rangers this week. Meanwhile, Oakland checks in as a loser in 14 of its last 20 games, but did just earn a series win over the Detroit Tigers. These teams haven't met on the field since June of 2022.

Athletics vs Red Sox Odds & Spread

• All MLB betting lines, odds and prop bets are from FanDuel Sportsbook.
• Moneyline: OAK: (+205) | BOS: (-250)
• Spread: OAK: +1.5 (+108) | BOS: -1.5 (-130)
• Total: 10.5 -- Over: (-110) | Under: (-110)

The Red Sox enter this contest as clear home favorites on the moneyline and spread per FanDuel Sportsbook's odds. This 7:10 p.m. ET clash also features an over/under of 10.5 runs with both sides available at -110 odds.

Athletics vs Red Sox Betting Trends

• Oakland is 3-6 straight up in its last nine away games.
• The total has hit the over in six of Oakland's last eight games.
• Boston is 6-1 straight up in its last seven games against Oakland.
• The total has hit the under in four of Boston's last five home games.

Athletics vs Red Sox Prediction & Pick

There haven't been many bright spots on Oakland's roster in what is a forgetful season. It's easy to look at Luis Medina's 6.37 ERA and think he is not one of those bright spots, but the 24-year-old has found some momentum as of late. He has allowed 2 earned runs or less in three of his last five starts.

Boston will counter by sending Brennan Bernadino to the mound on Friday night. Bernadino is being used as an opener here and sports a 2.70 ERA across 26.2 innings. Brandon Walter is expected to be relied on for a bulk of the innings once Bernadino leaves. Walter has posted a 3.12 ERA in 8.2 innings.

It's tempting to take the Athletics in an upset on the road, but their bullpen ranks dead last in terms of ERA (5.69). Any help that Medina can provide is likely just going to be wiped out in the last few innings. Take Boston to emerge victorious as it has won six of its last seven matchups against Oakland.

Final Score Prediction: Athletics: 4 | Red Sox: 5

Athletics vs Red Sox Best Bet

It's already been mentioned how Medina has settled into a groove over his last few outings. His ability to punch out hitters has been a big reason as to how he has done that. Medina has tallied at least 4 strikeouts in eight of his last nine outings overall. Boston is not an easy lineup to face, but it is a lineup that ranks 24th in called strike percentage (17.4%). The Red Sox regularly lets strikes go right on by.

Bet: Luis Medina Over 3.5 Strikeouts (-130)

Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel. 

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.