MLB Betting Preview Red Sox vs Royals - 07-28-11

July 28 - Tonight (Thursday, July 28), the Boston Red Sox will attempt to win their 4-game series against the Kansas City Royals 3-1 in front of their home fans at Fenway Park. The question, is whether they can pull off a third consecutive win?,

Take a look at our MLB Betting Preview Red Sox vs Royals below to find out:

For our MLB betting buck, you better believe they can. Boston fans were excused for grimacing after the Red Sox went down unexpectedly 1-3 to the visiting Royals on Monday at Fenway Park. But to the credit of the Red Sox, they bounced right back with a vengeance on Tuesday, winning 13-9 to tie the series.

Boston proceeded to dominate a bewildered Kansas City

Which is why MLB betting fans were champing at the bit to see if the Red Sox would continue their winning form in game 3 last night. And they didn't have to wait long to find out, as Boston proceeded to dominate a scrabbling Kansas City, ultimately winning the game by a convincing 12-5, to go 2-1 up in the series.

Much of the credit for Boston's change in form from game 1 to game 3 has to go to the team's much-improved offense as well as to the talented Jacoby Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia. And while Red Sox starting pitcher Andrew Miller also started off the series fast asleep, he has more than made up for it in subsequent games.

So given that the Red Sox have such a large fire burning in their bellies, what hope do the Royals have of tying the series 2-2? Very little, according to most MLB oddsmakers, including leading online sportsbook Bodog, which has the Boston Red Sox as the -300 favorites to win tonight's game and thus the overall series.

Will the Kansas City Royals prove to be worthy underdogs?

However, if you factor in talented Royals pitcher Luke Hochevar, who is on the cusp of repeating his career high of seven wins after trouncing Tampa Bay 10-4 last Friday, anything could happen. That said, in that game Hochevar seemed to be firing on only 9 of his 12 cylinders, because in 5 1/3 innings he gave up three walks, six hits and four runs.

But assuming (and this may be a big assumption) that he fires on all 12 cylinders this evening, as does Carl Crawford (who was rested last night after going 1 for 11 with six strikeouts in the first two games of this series) the Kansas City Royals may just prove to be worthy underdogs, and level the series to the chagrin of Red Sox fans and yours truly.

Here are the latest MLB odds at Bodog: