The Boston Red Sox will conclude a three-game series against the Oakland Athletics on Thursday afternoon. Boston is tied for the second Wild Card spot in the American League going into Thursday’s play. They will look to secure a series win that will move them closer to the postseason in this contest. Before this game begins in Boston, you can continue reading to get my Athletics vs Red Sox prediction below.
Our Athletics vs Red Sox Pick
- Pick: Red Sox -1.5
- Confidence: 4/5
- Get Your Bonus Bets: Use bet365 bonus code ATSBONUS to bet $5 and get $200 in bonus bets for this game!
Game Snapshot
- Matchup: Athletics vs Boston Red Sox
- Date & Time: Thursday, September 18, 2025, 1:35 PM ET
- Starting Pitchers: J.T. Ginn (OAK) vs Brayan Bello (BOS)
- Stadium: Fenway Park, Boston, MA
- Broadcast: NESN, NBCS-CA
Key Storylines
- Pitching matchup: J.T. Ginn is 3-6 with a 4.69 ERA and he will take the mound for the Athletics here. Ginn has pitched very well in his last two starts. He has thrown 9.1 innings and allowed one earned run over his two starts in the month of September and he will look to stay hot here. Brayan Bello is 11-7 with a 3.25 ERA and starts for the Red Sox here. Bello has allowed three or more earned runs in three straight starts this month and will need to be better to get his team a big win here.
- Recent team streaks: The Athletics have won four of their last five games, with their lone loss over that stretch coming on Wednesday against Boston. The Red Sox have won two of their last three games entering this game.
- Playoff Implications: Boston comes into this game 2.5 games ahead of the Cleveland Guardians for the final Wild Card spot in the American League going into Thursday. The Guardians are facing Tarik Skubal and the Detroit Tigers on Thursday afternoon right around when the Sox are in action. The Red Sox could take a huge step toward making the postseason with a win and a Tigers loss in this one afternoon.
Betting Trends & H2H
- The Red Sox hold a 3-2 lead in their season series with the Athletics.
- This is the final game of the regular-season series between Boston and the A’s.
- The Athletics are 38-39 on the road this season.
- Boston is 46-31 in their home games in 2025.
Athletics vs Red Sox Model Projection
- Score Projection: Red Sox 5, Athletics 3
- Win Probability: Red Sox 56%, Athletics 44%
Final Thoughts
With postseason hopes hanging in the balance, I expect the Red Sox to capitalize on their home-field advantage and win this game by two runs or more. The Athletics have played some decent ball of late, but Boston has been too good at home to back the A’s here. I’ll take the Red Sox to cover the runline and for them to keep the pressure on the teams beneath them in the AL Wild Card standings to keep winning games to keep pace.
