Red Sox vs. Astros: The best player prop bets for Oct. 22

The Houston Astros are just one win away from their third World Series appearance in five years.

Houston moved closer to baseball’s promised land on Wednesday with a decisive 9-1 win over the Boston Red Sox. Yordan Alvarez and Yuli Gurriel provided the muscle while Framber Valdez silenced Boston’s bats in his finest performance of the postseason. The Astros have now outscored the Red Sox 18-3 over the last two games to take a commanding 3-2 lead in the American League Championship Series.

Boston will try to stop the bleeding tonight when it sends Nathan Eovaldi (11-9, 3.75 ERA) to the mound. The right-hander has won each of his last two October starts, but was roughed up badly in relief in Game 4, giving up four earned runs in less than an inning.

The Astros will counter with Luis Garcia (11-8, 3.30 ERA). The Venezuelan rookie has failed to make it out of the third inning in each of his last two starts and coughed up five runs in one frame to the Red Sox in Game 2.

First pitch is scheduled for 8:08 p.m. ET, and we have the three best player prop bets below.

Nathan Eovaldi Over/Under 4.5 strikeouts

The Astros will be ready to welcome Eovaldi with open arms when he enters the game tonight. Houston’s batters are hitting .370 lifetime against the 31-year-old hurler and have tagged him for seven earned runs over six innings this postseason.

Eovaldi didn’t fare much better against Houston in his lone regular season outing against the AL West champs either, giving up 11 hits and five earned runs in 5.2 innings pitched on June 9. The Astros, quite simply, have his number, and will be looking to drive Eovaldi’s four-seam fastball into the cheap seats the first chance they get.

Although five strikeouts isn’t a lot for a player who averaged 9.6 punchouts per nine innings in 2021, it’s an insurmountable total for a shell-shocked hurler who’s making his second appearance this week and is likely to be on a very tight leash. Ride the Under.

Pick: Under 4.5 strikeouts (-132)

Jose Altuve Over/Under 0.5 runs

No one will be happier to see Eovaldi than Jose Altuve. The seven-time All-Star is hitting .316 with one double and three home runs in 19 at bats against the Red Sox ace.

Even if Eovaldi gets chased out of the game early, as we suspect, Altuve has proven himself to be a terror on the basepaths against whomever Boston sends to the bump. The former MVP has scored two runs in each of his last two games and leads all players in runs this postseason with 15. In fact, he and Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers are the only two players with 10 runs or more in October.

Altuve’s ability to get on base combined with his speed makes this an especially attractive prop bet.

Pick: Over 0.5 runs (-114)

Luis Garcia Over/Under 4.5 strikeouts 

Like Eovaldi, Garcia is also coming off an outing he'd probably like to forget. The 24-year-old righty was rocked for five earned runs in one inning in Game 2, and was lifted after just 33 pitches due to right knee discomfort.

Garcia insists he's feeling better, but his balky knee is only part of the problem. The Astros rookie has given up 10 earned runs in 3.2 innings in October, and hasn't won a game since a 12-1 shellacking of the Texas Rangers on Sept. 16. Garcia has also only topped five strikeouts once in his last six outings.

Dusty Baker has only been to the World Series once as a manager, and he isn't about to risk a repeat visit on a rookie with knee issues and flagging confidence. Expect Garcia to get the hook well before he has a chance to ring up five batters.

Pick: Under 4.5 strikeouts (-148)