Rays vs. Red Sox Prediction
| Rays Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Moneyline | Total | Run Line |
-102 | 8.5 -110/-110 | -1.5 +158 |
| Red Sox Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Moneyline | Total | Run Line |
-116 | 8.5 -110/-110 | +1.5 -192 |
For the first time this season, the Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox clash as they meet at Fenway Park tonight to begin a four-game series.
The Rays fell below .500 with Sunday's home loss to the Yankees, while the Red Sox picked up back-to-back wins over the Nationals to move to 21-19 on the season.
Find my Rays vs. Red Sox pick and MLB betting prediction below.
Tampa Bay Rays
Tampa Bay started last season on fire with 13 consecutive wins out of the gate and finished with a 99-63 record before getting swept at home by eventual World Series champion Texas in the American League Wild Card round.
The Rays have gone through many ups and downs through the first six weeks of the 2024 campaign, which includes a 3-9 stretch and a five-game winning streak in the last three weeks.
Tampa Bay dropped two of three games to New York this past weekend to close out a nine-game homestand at 6-3. The road has been a different story as the Rays are in the midst of a 2-7 slump away from Tropicana Field.
Zach Eflin takes the mound for the Rays and is looking to build off a win in his last start as a heavy favorite against the White Sox. Eflin delivered a season-high seven innings and allowed one run in a 5-1 victory, but the Rays have yet to win consecutive starts by the right-hander this season.
The Rays own a 3-5 mark in Eflin's eight starts in 2024, which includes a 1-3 record on the road. In four outings, Eflin has given up one run or fewer, but he has also yielded three runs or more in the other four starts.
Last season, Tampa Bay defeated Boston in each of Eflin's two starts in a pair of high-scoring games. Eflin posted nearly identical stat lines by tossing five innings and allowing five hits and three runs each time.
Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox have lost five of their last six series-openers, which includes a 5-1 defeat to the Nationals on Friday. However, Boston rebounded with consecutive wins over Washington, while limiting the Nationals to two runs in each of the past two victories.
Boston is currently on a 10-1 run to the Under in the last 11 games, including six straight Unders at Fenway Park.
The Sox are only one game off their pace from last season through 40 games, as Alex Cora's team started 22-18 in 2023 but finished 78-84, so Boston is looking to avoid a similar fate this season.
Kutter Crawford has put together a solid start by owning a 1.75 ERA in eight outings, but the Red Sox are just 3-5 in those games.
Crawford allowed two runs in six innings of a 4-2 loss at Atlanta in his last appearance, but he picked up six strikeouts in five of his last six starts. His strikeout total is set at 5.5 tonight with the Over in the +125 range, as the Over is 6-2 on his strikeout props this season.
Amazingly, the Red Sox are 1-7 in Crawford's last eight home starts dating back to 2023, and the Sox went 0-2 in Crawford's two outings against the Rays last season.
Rays vs. Red Sox
Betting Pick & Prediction
Boston has been outscored 32-7 in six home openers this season with only one victory, which came as an underdog against San Francisco.
Both Crawford and Elfin are seeking some sort of consistency and have looked strong at times, but Tampa Bay owned Boston last season with an 11-2 mark in the series.
Let's back the Rays as a short underdog to capture Game 1 at Fenway Park.
