Astros vs Red Sox

After a 6-3 Boston win in the first game of the series, the 14-21 Red Sox hope for a similar result tonight as they host the 23-13 Astros at 7:10 PM EST.

Part of getting that done is going to require Harden to take some sort of pay cut.” Windhorst believes that the 76ers have the assets to pull off a big-time swap, as long as a star player is willing to force their way to Philly. “A key factor here is that they have Tobias Harris, who would have value in a possible trade, and they have Tyrese Maxey who would have value in a possible trade,” he explained. David Aldridge of The Athletic takes a look at what the offseason holds for the four teams eliminated in round two, examining the key areas for the Grizzlies, Bucks, Sixers and Suns to address this summer. Having opened a league office in Lagos earlier this year, the NBA is on the lookout for the next Giannis Antetokounmpo in Nigeria, according to Lindsay du Plessis of ESPN, who spoke to NBA Africa VP Gbemisola Abudu about NBA Nigeria’s goals in the country. "You would need a player, potentially near the end of his contract, to come and say, 'I would like to go play in Philadelphia,'" Windhorst said. Windhorst dropped a nugget about the Sixers possibly looking to acquire another superstar to play alongside the duo of Harden and Embiid. "I promise you that Daryl Morey has big, giant plans to acquire another star," Windhorst said. Amick explained there is a belief that Vogel didn't properly utilize Westbrook and that if the point guard is going to stay in Los Angeles, there needs to be a coach in place who can put him in a position to succeed. Houston is first in the AL West with a 23-12 record and have allowed 3.17 runs per game, third lowest in MLB. Windhorst didn't name any players in particular when it comes to the "star" the Sixers might be looking to acquire; he did say the target would likely be a player in a contract year. Eovaldi has been excellent in his last four starts, but all four came against teams that rank in the bottom-half of the league in OPS over the last three weeks. Allen insisted earlier this month he believes Winston will be fully recovered from the torn ACL and damage to his MCL he suffered last Halloween in time to start this coming September. Dalton will serve as New Orleans' temporary QB1 if Winston is sidelined. According to a new report from ESPN's Ed Werder, Brees may not physically be able to play in at least Week 1 of the 2022 season if he is serious about ending his retirement. Jose Urquidy only threw three innings in his last start against the Twins due to a rain delay, but was pitching well.

BOTTOM LINE: The Boston Red Sox host the Houston Astros with a 1-0 series lead. Boston has a 5-9 record in home games and a 14-21 record overall. The Red ...

The Red Sox have the ninth-ranked team slugging percentage in the AL at .359. The Astros have a 13-0 record in games when they hit two or more home runs. Boston Red Sox (14-21, fourth in the AL East)

Mike Ianniello previews Tuesday's MLB game between the Astros and Red Sox, including betting odds and a prediction.

He has also walked more batters in his last two starts than his previous five. He leads the Astros in wRC+. Jeremy Peña has been great at shortstop, hitting .448 over the last two weeks but is day-to-day with a knee injury. In each of his last two starts, he has allowed three earned runs. It has a big advantage on offense, especially against a right-handed pitcher. The Astros have won the division in four of the last five years — although there was the whole cheating scandal. The good news for Houston fans is Urquidy showed signs of improvement over his last two starts. Opponents have a .309 wOBA against him, and his curveball remains effective once again. Nathan Eovaldi (RHP) has been his usual reliable self this season. Despite finishing last season third in wOBA and sixth in wRC+ and adding two-time All-Star Trevor Story, the Boston offense has been as cold as winter in the South Shore. The Red Sox are in the bottom five of the league in wOBA and wRC+. Only Detroit has hit fewer home runs. He has allowed just one run over nine innings in his last two outings. It can be nearly impossible to take personal biases out of gambling. Shame. Houston, meanwhile, is back in its usual spot atop the AL West standings.