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Early Preview Lineups: Projected Odds Posted 5 min read

Houston Astros vs Boston Red Sox Preview

Houston Astros visit Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park with Mike Burrows starting against TBD. Low total projected at 5.3 runs for Tuesday night

Houston Astros at Boston Red Sox MLB game preview for May 1, 2026
HOU
Houston Astros
Mike Burrows RHP
@
7:10 PM ET
Fenway Park
BOS
Boston Red Sox
Jake Bennett ?HP
Last updated Friday, May 1, 2026
Final This game has finished. Read the recap for final score, model grades, and box score.

Key Facts

Matchup
Houston Astros at Boston Red Sox
Date
Friday, May 1, 2026
First Pitch
7:10 PM ET
Venue
Fenway Park
Probable Starters
Mike Burrows (RHP) vs Jake Bennett (?HP)
Lineups
Projected
Odds Snapshot
May 1, 7:11 PM ET
Last Updated
May 1, 6:04 PM ET

Betting Board

Snapshot May 1, 7:11 PM ET
Moneyline
HOU +107
BOS -116
Total
Over 9 -118
Under 9 -104
Run Line
HOU -1.5 +164
BOS +1.5 -200

Model Angles

NRFI Model
NRFI · 54%
+0.1% edge
Projected Total
5.3
model combined runs
Park Factor
1.08
Hitter friendly · HR 1.15
First Pitch Weather
60°F
9 mph W
The Houston Astros travel to Fenway Park on Tuesday night to face the Boston Red Sox in a matchup featuring two teams fighting to climb above .500. Houston enters with a 12-20 record but rides a one-game winning streak, while Boston sits at 12-19 after dropping two straight. Mike Burrows takes the mound for the Astros, bringing a 6.25 ERA and 1.67 WHIP into the assignment, though his 9.38 strikeouts per nine innings show swing-and-miss ability. The Red Sox have yet to announce their starter for the 7:10 PM ET first pitch. The projected total sits at a modest 5.3 runs, with both offenses expected to produce 2.7 runs apiece. Fenway's 1.08 park factor suggests a slight boost to scoring, while first-pitch conditions call for 60-degree temperatures and nine-mile-per-hour winds out of the west.
  • Burrows carries 6.25 ERA and 1.67 WHIP into Fenway
  • Boston has not announced starting pitcher for game
  • Projected total of 5.3 runs with even offensive splits

Pitching Matchup

HOU Away
Mike Burrows
RHP · 1-3 · 6 GS
ERA
6.25
WHIP
1.67
K/9
9.38
IP
31.2
Career: 4.47 ERA · 1.35 WHIP · 9.07 K/9
NRFI: 75.0%
1st Inn ERA: 4.05
BOS Home
?HP · undefined-undefined · undefined GS
ERA
undefined
WHIP
undefined
K/9
undefined
IP
undefined
Career: undefined ERA · undefined WHIP · undefined K/9
  • K projections: Mike Burrows at 5.1 (line 5.5)
  • Jake Bennett projected at 4.6 (line 5.5).
  • Mike Burrows has a 75.0% career NRFI rate. No first-inning data available for Jake Bennett.
  • This is a RHP vs ?HP matchup, creating potential platoon advantages in both lineups.

Strikeout Projections

Mike Burrows vs BOS
Proj: 5.1Line: 5.5
-0.4
Confidence:
Jake Bennett vs HOU
Proj: 4.6Line: 5.5
-0.9
Confidence:
View all K projections on SlateIQ

Our strikeout model weighs pitcher K rate, opponent lineup whiff tendency, park factors, and umpire zone size to project total strikeouts per starter.

Mike Burrows (Houston Astros) is projected for 5.1 strikeouts against a posted line of 5.5. The projection is close to the line with no actionable edge.
He faces a moderate-K lineup that strikes out at 22.0% with a 28.0% whiff rate.

Jake Bennett (Boston Red Sox) is projected for 4.6 strikeouts against a posted line of 5.5. The projection is close to the line with no actionable edge.
He faces a moderate-K lineup that strikes out at 22.0% with a 28.0% whiff rate.

The Houston Astros lineup is more vulnerable to strikeouts in this matchup. Boston Red Sox batters K at 22.0%, Houston Astros batters at 22.0%.

NRFI & First 5 Analysis

NRFI Model
54.2%
probability of NRFI
+0.1%
market edge
Monitor
Market implied: 54.1%Model: 54.2%
First 5 Innings
2.9est. F5 runs
HOU
6.25 ERA
5.2 inn/start
BOS
— ERA
F5 lean: Slight BOS
HOU K Projection
Mike Burrows
5.1proj
Line: 5.5
-0.4 NEUTRAL
Confidence
BOS K Projection
Jake Bennett
4.6proj
Line: 5.5
-0.9 NEUTRAL
Confidence
Explore all model projections

Our NRFI model analyzes both starting pitchers' first-inning profiles, the top-of-order hitters in each lineup, the umpire's historical zone, and environmental factors to produce a probability estimate. For this game, the model assigns a 54.2% probability of no runs in the first inning, compared to the market's implied probability of 54.1%.

  • That creates a slim 0.1% edge on NRFI.
  • The best available line is NRFI -118 / YRFI -104 at FanDuel.
  • Home plate umpire Chris Segal runs a wide zone. See the umpire section below for full career data.
  • Our NRFI model sits at 34-33 (50.7%) on official picks this season.

Prop Edges

2 model signals detected
Home Run Very Strong 0.5
15.1%
Home Run Very Strong 0.5
13.8%
See all today's picks and edges

Lineup & Matchup Breakdown

Houston Astros Projected
K%: 22.0
Whiff rate: 28.0%Team page
Boston Red Sox Projected
K%: 22.0
7Wilyer AbreuLRF
Whiff rate: 28.0%Team page
Batter vs Pitcher matchup tool

Lineups are projected as of this writing.

Houston Astros K vulnerability: 22.0% strikeout rate, 28.0% whiff rate.

Boston Red Sox K vulnerability: 22.0% strikeout rate, 28.0% whiff rate.

Ballpark, Weather & Umpire

Fenway Park
Run Factor1.08
HR Factor1.15
Full park profile
Home Plate Umpire
Chris Segal
Slightly wide NRFI: 51.7% 89 games
Full umpire profile
Hourly Game Forecast
60°
7 PM
9 mph
W
60°
8 PM
9 mph
W
60°
9 PM
9 mph
W
60°
10 PM
9 mph
W
  • Fenway Park carries a 1.08 run factor (hitter-friendly).
  • Home run factor: 1.15 — the park elevates HR power.
  • Park notes: Green Monster (37ft wall in left field); Pesky's Pole (302ft in right field); Triangle in center field.
  • First pitch forecast: 60F with 9 mph winds from the W. Humidity: 30%.
  • Wind advisory: 9 mph winds from the W may impact fly balls.
  • Home plate umpire: Chris Segal.
  • Career NRFI rate: 51.7% across 89 games tracked.
  • Zone tendency: Slightly wide.
  • K factor: 0.998 (league average strikeouts in his games).

Run Projections & Total

  • Our projection model puts the total at 5.3 combined runs, with Houston Astros projected for 2.7 and Boston Red Sox for 2.7.
  • That's 3.7 runs below the posted total of 9.0, suggesting a lean toward the Under.
  • The run projection is essentially a coin flip between these two teams.
The Bottom Line
With Houston on a one-game winning streak and Boston sliding after two consecutive losses, the pitching matchup remains incomplete. Burrows owns pedestrian surface numbers but generates strikeouts at a solid rate. The low projected total reflects uncertainty and offensive limitations on both sides.
This preview is generated from thecapper.io projection models and publicly available data. All projections are model estimates, not guarantees. Gamble responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER.