MLB wagering interest swings to the Cleveland vs Boston battle on Wednesday at Progressive Field as the Indians try to defend home turf and reward moneyline bettors.

Jon Lester, with a record of 6-1 on the season, gets the ball for the Red Sox, while the Indians trot Mitch Talbot to the mound in this one. He is 1-0 so far in 2011.



View Boston vs Cleveland Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
The visitors opened as 140 moneyline favorites in this one at most online sportsbooks tracked at Odds Shark. The total opened at 8 for those preferring over under wagers.

Power Rankings:
The Indians sit at No. 2 in the American League in the current MLB power poll here at Odds Shark, while the Red Sox sit at an American League No. 6 on the same chart.



How They Match Up:
When it comes to getting on base, the visiting Red Sox rank No. 1 in the American League at 9 hits per game. That compares with Cleveland’s No. 4 ranking in that category.

Comparing defensive stats, Boston owns the American League's No. 8-rated road mark, allowing 4.2 runs per game on the highway. Cleveland, on the other hand, rates No. 1 in scoring at home.

The Red Sox were a 4-2 Sportsbook in their most recent outing on the road against the Indians. That made Sportsbooks of bettors who got Boston at -140 on the moneyline, while the total score (6) was good news for UNDER bettors. The Red Sox enjoyed a 4-2 victory at the expense of the Indians on Tuesday, with Josh Beckett throwing 6 2/3 innings of 5-hit ball at Progressive Field.




Boston Red Sox Trends:
When playing on Wednesday are 5-5
Before playing Detroit are 7-3
After playing Cleveland are 6-4
After a win are 7-3

Cleveland Indians Trends:
When playing on Wednesday are 4-6
Before playing Tampa Bay are 3-7
After playing Boston are 7-3
After a loss are 6-4

A few Red Sox at Indians trends to consider:
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Boston's last 6 games when playing Cleveland
Boston is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games
Boston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Boston's last 5 games on the road
Cleveland is 19-3 SU in its last 22 games at home
Cleveland is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Boston
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Cleveland's last 6 games when playing Boston
Cleveland is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games


Next up:
Boston at Detroit, Thursday, May 26
Cleveland at Tampa Bay, Friday, May 27