First pitch: Monday, 8:05 p.m. EDT
Line: Texas -130, Boston +120, Total: 9

Boston will travel to Texas to start a four-game series with the Rangers on Monday night in hopes to change its recent failures against the defending AL champs. Texas has won nine of the past 11 meetings with the Sox and is 10-2 at home against Boston since 2009.

Erik Bedard is still looking for his first win in a Red Sox uniform, but has pitched pretty well, with a 3.38 ERA and 17 K in 16 innings. Fellow lefty C.J. Wilson gets the ball for Texas and is 3-0 with a 1.35 ERA in four career starts against Boston. The Sox have the best road record in the majors this year (39-25), but are just 18-34 (.346) against good teams (Win Pct. 54% to 62%) in the second half of a season over the last three years. When the Rangers are a favorite of -125 to -175 this year, they are 35-15, including 8-2 with Wilson on the mound. The pick here is TEXAS to take Monday’s opener.

The FoxSheets provide two more reasons to fade the Red Sox.

BEDARD is 2-13 (13.3%, -13.5 Units) against the money line vs. teams whose hitters strike out 6 or less times/game in the second half of the season since 1997 (Team's Record). The average score was BEDARD 3.9, OPPONENT 6.0 - (Rating = 2*).

BOSTON is 13-24 (35.1%, -23.0 Units) against the money line revenging a loss vs opponent as a road favorite over the last 2 seasons. The average score was BOSTON 4.1, OPPONENT 4.9 - (Rating = 3*).

Boston was swept by Texas back in April as part of an 0-6 start to the season. The Sox have played fantastic baseball since and find themselves ½-game back of the Yankees in the AL East. Bedard (4-8, 3.44 ERA) pitched well Tuesday against the Rays, but suffered an unfortunate 6-2 loss. He threw six innings, giving up three runs (1 ER), with six strikeouts and no walks. Bedard has posted solid numbers in four starts versus the Rangers since 2009, sporting a 2.92 ERA and 0.97 WHIP.

The Rangers started off their just-completed, 10-game road trip winning six in a row including three straight over the second-place Angels. Texas then concluded the trip by losing three of four, scoring a mere three total runs in the three defeats. Wilson (12-5, 3.20 ERA) has pitched very well of late, winning his past two starts and posting a 1.38 ERA with 13 strikeouts in 13 innings. Since 2009, Wilson has a whopping 19-4 record at home.