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Carrie Stroup here and I have your Game 1 line for the Red Sox vs. Tigers series beginning April 4, 2012. You can find all the latest Major League Baseball lines here at Sportsbook.com. Get up to $250 in FREE CASH for each friend you refer and up to $250 on your first deposit (based on deposit amount).
Sportsbook.com Line & Total: Detroit -145 & 7 under -115
Two World Series hopefuls open their seasons on Thursday afternoon when the Red Sox visit the Tigers with reigning AL MVP Justin Verlander on the mound.
The core of Boston’s ML-leading offense (5.4 runs PG) remains intact with All-Stars OF Jacoby Ellsbury, 1B Adrian Gonzalez and 2B Dustin Pedroia. However, the Red Sox have some injury concerns with OF Carl Crawford out indefinitely with a wrist injury and new closer Andrew Bailey out 4-to-5 months with a torn ligament in his right thumb. Meanwhile, Detroit has the luxury of trotting out the best pitcher in the majors’ last year, Justin Verlander, who has dominated this Boston lineup in the past three seasons (4 GS, 2-0, 1.76 ERA, 0.85 WHIP). And he’ll get further run support with the huge free-agent acquisition 1B Prince Fielder who joins teammate 3B Miguel Cabrera in the middle of a very good lineup.
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The Red Sox brought in some new faces this season with Bobby Valentine taking over as the new manager and three newcomers who will be in the starting lineup in corner OFs Cody Ross and Ryan Sweeney plus Mike Aviles, who replaces Marco Scutaro at shortstop.
On Thursday, the team’s ace, Jon Lester takes the hill. The left-hander has won 15+ games in each of the past four seasons, ending 2011 with a 15-9 mark, 3.47 ERA and 1.26 WHIP. He’s only pitched once in Detroit (7 IP, 4 ER in 2010), but has faced the Tigers three times in his career, going 0-2 with a 5.89 ERA and 1.64 WHIP.
Detroit also has some solid hitters besides Cabrera and Fielder. 2B Ryan Raburn posted a .911 OPS in last year’s playoffs, LF Brennan Boesch hit .283 with 16 homers in 2011 and SS Jhonny Peralta batted .299 with 21 homers last season.
Verlander won both the Cy Young and MVP Awards in 2011 as he went 24-5 with a 2.40 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and 250 K in 251 innings. He has been nearly unbeatable at home over the past three seasons, posting an amazing record of 32-8 with an ERA of 2.50 and a WHIP of just 1.02. Verlander has 352 strikeouts in these 346 innings at Comerica Park. The only negative about Verlander is that he has a tendency to start the season slowly, going 9-14 with a 4.72 ERA in his career in the month of April.
- Carrie Stroup, Gambling911.com Senior Reporter
