The Boston Red Sox (76-76) travel to face off against the Tampa Bay Rays (74-78) on Thursday, September 19th. This game will be played at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg and televised on BSSUN. The Red Sox are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Rays are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Red Sox. First pitch is set for 5:50 CT.
Red Sox vs. Rays Betting Prediction
- Money Line Prediction: Red Sox (-106)
- Over/Under Prediction: Over 7.5 Runs
- The Red Sox have scored 7 or more runs in 4 of their last 15 games, showcasing their ability to produce high-scoring games.
- In their last 15 games, the Red Sox have won 3 out of 4 games when scoring 5 or more runs.
- The Red Sox have a recent win against the Rays, defeating them 2-1 on September 18th.
- Boston has a better away record (41-36) compared to Tampa Bay’s home record (38-39), indicating stronger performance on the road.
- The Red Sox have won 4 of their last 6 games against division opponents, demonstrating their competitiveness within the division.
Red Sox vs Rays
Boston picked up a 2-1 road win over the Rays in the most recent game of this series. The Red Sox offense only had two more hits than the Rays and struck out 14 times, but still picked up the win. Heading into the game, they were at -105 on the money line.
Tanner Houck only went four innings for the Red Sox but gave up just one hit and one earned run. He finished the game with four strikeouts but did not issue a walk. Justin Slaten got the win out of the bullpen, and Kenley Jansen got the save.
Trevor Story provided the big blow for the Red Sox, as he homered and scored twice. Taylor Walls had a two-hit game for the Rays, scoring their only run.
Today’s over/under line of 7.5 runs for the Red Sox is the lowest of the season, as their games have averaged 9.4 runs per game. Boston’s over/under record is 75-69 this season, with 75 games going over the total. The Red Sox are 76-76 overall and trail the Yankees by 13 games in the AL East, sitting in 3rd place.
On the road, the Red Sox have a 41-36 record and are 15-6 as the road favorite. Their average run differential in wins is +3.9, while it’s -3.9 in losses. Against the run line, Boston is 44-33 on the road and 28-47 at home. The Red Sox are tied with the Rays in their current series, which is their 6th series tie of the season.
Brayan Bello Gets The Start For The Red Sox
Brayan Bello gets the start for the Red Sox today as he faces the Rays on the road. This year, he has made 28 starts and has a record of 14-7 with an ERA of 4.60. Bello’s WHIP for the season is 1.38, and opponents are batting .250 this year. In his 28 appearances, Bello has turned in 10 quality starts. Looking back at his last outing, Bello picked up the win vs. the Yankees, going 5 1/3 innings and giving up one earned run. He only allowed two hits in that outing. Bello has won each of his last two starts.
Red Sox Offense Breakdown
Heading into today’s game, the Red Sox are 5th in the league in team batting average at .254 and are also 5th in the league in both slugging percentage and OPS. They are averaging 4.7 runs per game, which is 9th in the league. Boston has been even better on the road this season, averaging 4.9 runs per contest.
Rafael Devers has been the team’s top power threat this season, as his 28 homers is 2nd on the team and 14th in the league. Devers also leads the team with 83 RBIs and comes into the game with a batting average of .274. Tyler O’Neill has also been a big power threat for the Red Sox, as his 31 homers is the most on the team and 11th in the league. However, he is batting just .249 and has gone just 3/28 in his last eight games.
Heading into today’s game, the Rays are 74-78 overall and trail the Red Sox by two games for 3rd place in the AL East. They have a 20-25 record in division matchups and are 4-6 in their last 10 games.
As underdogs, the Rays have a 39-47 record this season, and their games have averaged 8.0 runs. Overall, their over/under record is 66-78, and the O/U line for today’s game is 7.5 runs.
Zack Littell Gets The Start For The Rays
Zack Littell gets the start for the Rays today and is coming off a great outing vs. the Guardians, where he didn’t give up a run in six innings of work. In that outing, he only gave up two hits and didn’t issue a walk. Littell has made 27 starts this year and has a record of 7-9 with a 3.73 ERA. Looking at his home/away splits, he has an ERA of 5.73 on the road compared to 3.3 at home. Overall, he has given up 21 homers this year. Per nine innings, Littell is averaging just 1.93 walks compared to 7.9 strikeouts.
Rays Offense Breakdown
For the season, the Rays are averaging just 3.8 runs per game, which is the worst mark in the league. They are also near the bottom of the league in home runs and team batting average. However, they do have a few hitters who have been swinging the bat well of late, as Brandon Lowe and Jonathan Aranda have both gone 7/29 in their last seven games, with two homers apiece.
Yandy Diaz has been the Rays’ top hitter this season, batting .282 with 14 homers and 65 RBIs. Christopher Morel has a team-high 21 homers, but is batting just .196 for the season. Morel is also 2nd on the team in RBIs.
Red Sox vs Rays Prediction
Our predicted final score for this Red Sox and Rays matchup is 6-4 in favor of the Red Sox. Given that they are on the money line at -106, we see this as a great value pick.
Looking at the starting pitchers, Zack Littell is projected to finish with the fewest strikeouts among all starters and is 16th in terms of hits allowed. As for Brayan Bello, he is projected to finish with six strikeouts, and the Red Sox are projected to finish with 11 as a team.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:September 19, 2024 Rays, Red Sox