Rays vs. Red Sox Pick
Can the Boston Red Sox hold off the Tampa Bay Rays for another win at home when the two meet tonight at 7:10PM ET?
According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, the Red Sox are heavily favored at home, as they are getting odds of -250 to win, while the Rays are listed with a money line of +215 to prevail. The over/under total for the contest has been set at 7.5 runs.
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The pitching matchup tonight has Chris Sale (15-7, 2.85 ERA) on the mound for the Red Sox to face Matt Andriese (5-2, 3.78) of the Rays. Andriese is coming off one of his worst outings, allowing five runs over five innings to the White Sox. He has 60 strikeouts this season with 23 walks and a 1.29 WHIP. Sale has been in a slight funk, allowing 14 runs over his last four starts, a total of 21.1 innings. Sale has 270 strikeouts this year with 37 walks and a 0.94 WHIP.
The Red Sox opened this weekend series with a 9-3 win over Tampa Bay. Boston has won three straight meetings with the Rays. Tampa is now 70-72 overall and 34-38 on the road while Boston is 80-61 overall and 43-26 at home.
Friday saw the Red Sox light up Chris Archer. Tampa’s starter gave up eight runs in just three innings to fall to 9-9 on the season. Drew Pomeranz allowed just two runs over six innings to improve to 15-5 on the season. Mookie Betts drove in three runs to lead the Red Sox in the win while Rafael Devers had three hits and scored two runs. Jesus Sucre had two hits and two RBI to lead the Rays.
Sale has looked shaky somewhat lately, but his poor starts came against the likes of the Yankees and Indians, two very respectable lineups. His last start against Tampa Bay saw him pitch eight scoreless innings. In four starts against the Rays this year, Sale has a 2.48 ERA with a 3-1 record. I like him to have another impressive outing tonight, as Tampa’s hitting isn’t consistent enough to light him up. The Red Sox carry a -130 line if giving up 1.5 runs tonight. I think that will hit for you.
MLB DAILY PREDICTION: BOSTON RED SOX -1.5 (-130)