Red Sox vs Rays Prediction - MLB Picks 9/5/23

Tampa Bay Rays (83-55) vs Boston Red Sox (72-66)

Game Info: Tuesday, September 5, 2023 at 6:40 pm (Tropicana Field)

Zach Eflin (13-8) (3.40) vs Kutter Crawford (6-7) (4.08)

Betting Odds: Tampa Bay Rays -142 / Boston Red Sox +120 --- Over/Under: 7.5 Click Here for the Latest Odds

Where to Watch: MLB.tv Stream the MLB Game of the Day all season on ESPN+. Sign up now! Advertisement

The Boston Red Sox will play the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 2 of their series on Tuesday night at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. Boston won the first game in this series by a score of 7-3 on Monday afternoon and they continue to stay within a few games of the last AL Wild Card spot. 

Red Sox Preview

The Boston Red Sox are 72-66 this season and they have won three games in a row. Prior to winning the first game in this series, Boston won two out of three games against the Royals. Prior to the Royals series, Boston had lost five games in a row and six of seven. The Boston pitching staff has a 4.53 ERA, a 1.35 WHIP, and a .260 opponent batting average this year. The Red Sox offense has scored 690 runs with a .264 batting average and a .330 on base percentage. Rafael Devers is batting .269 with 29 home runs and 91 RBI’s for the Red Sox. The projected starting pitcher for Boston is Kutter Crawford, who is 6-7 with a 4.08 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP over 103.2 innings pitched this season. 

Rays Preview

The Tampa Bay Rays are 83-55 this season and they have lost three of their last four games. Tampa Bay came into this series after losing two out of three games to Cleveland on the road. The Rays cannot afford to go on a losing streak now, as they are now 3.5 games behind the Orioles in the AL East. The Tampa Bay pitching staff has a 3.84 ERA, a 1.18 WHIP, and a .232 opponent batting average. The Rays offense has scored 735 runs with a .259 batting average and a .330 on base percentage this season. Isaac Paredes is batting .252 with 27 home runs and 85 RBI’s for the Rays. The projected starting pitcher for Tampa Bay is Zach Eflin, who is 13-8 with a 3.40 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP over 150.2 innings pitched this year. 

Tampa Bay Rays Team Facts

  • The Rays have won 13 of their last 14 home games against the Red Sox.
  • The Rays have covered the run line in each of their last four night games against AL East opponents following a home loss.
  • The Rays have trailed after 7 innings in six of their last nine games as home favorites against American League opponents.

Boston Red Sox Team Facts

  • The Red Sox have won each of their last seven games as road underdogs against AL East opponents.
  • The Red Sox have covered the run line in each of their last eight road games against AL East opponents.
  • The Red Sox have trailed after 3 innings in each of their last five Tuesday games against American League opponents that held a winning record.
  • The Red Sox have trailed after 5 innings in each of their last four games at Tropicana Field.
  • The 'Inning 1 OVER 0.5 runs' market has hit in each of the Red Sox's last nine night games against American League opponents.

Tampa Bay Rays Player Prop Facts

  • Yandy Diaz has hit a home run in each of his last two home appearances against AL East opponents.
  • Yandy Diaz has recorded at least one RBI in each of his last five appearances against AL opponents at Tropicana Field.
  • Randy Arozarena has scored at least one run in nine of the Rays' last 10 games at Tropicana Field.
  • Yandy Diaz has recorded two or more total bases in four of his last five appearances against the Red Sox.
  • Zach Eflin has recorded seven or more strikeouts in four of his last five home appearances against AL opponents.
  • Isaac Paredes has recorded at least one hit in each of his last six home appearances.
  • Zach Eflin ranks T6th in the league for Wins (13) this season.

Boston Red Sox Player Prop Facts

  • Adam Duvall has hit a home run in five of the Red Sox's last six night games against opponents that held a winning record.
  • Adam Duvall has recorded at least one RBI in each of the Red Sox's last five road games against opponents that held a winning record.
  • Justin Turner has scored at least one run in seven of the Red Sox's last eight road games against AL East opponents.
  • Adam Duvall has recorded at least one hit in each of his last nine appearances against AL opponents that held a winning record.
  • Adam Duvall has recorded at least one total base in each of his last 12 appearances against opponents that held a winning record.

Matchup/League Facts

  • The Tampa Bay Rays are one of only 3 teams in the league to rank top 10 in both steals and batting average this season.
  • The Tampa Bay Rays are one of only 3 teams in the league to rank top 10 in both steals and home runs this season.
  • The Boston Red Sox ranks 3rd in the league for batting average this season (.264).
  • The Boston Red Sox are one of only 4 teams in the league to rank top 10 in both strikeouts and on-base percentage this season.

Pick

The Rays jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning on Monday, but they were shutout for the last eight innings and ended with the loss. The Red Sox are really trying to make a last minute push in the AL Wild Card race, but I think they are too far out. Boston is starting Kutter Crawford, who has allowed two earned runs or fewer in three of his last four starts, but did allow six earned runs last time out to Houston. The Rays are starting Zach Eflin, who has allowed two earned runs or fewer in three straight starts and five of his last six starts. Take the Rays to bounce back with a win here. 

David’s Pick Rays ML

Get Premium Picks Start Winning Now »
The pick in this article is the opinion of the writer, not a PickDawgz site consensus.

Mitch's Take...

College Football Parlay For Today Tuesday 10/15/24 NCAAF Pick & Prediction CFB Betting Tips

18+ Has gambling become a problem for you? Call the National Problem Gambling Hotline.
1-800-522-4700 | ncpgambling.org

Credit Guaranteed Packages

Packages with Credit Guarantees automatically give you a credit if the package does not turn a profit—the sum of betting all individual picks. THESE ARE NOT PARLAYS UNLESS OTHERWISE CLEARLY STATED. If a credit guaranteed package does not profit, a credit for its full purchase price is automatically issued after picks are graded and verified.

For example, if you purchase a $39.95 package that doesn’t profit, you’ll get a $39.95 credit towards any future purchase(s) on our site. Credits are usually issued within hours of a game’s conclusion, so please allow a few hours for final verification.

To use your credits, log in to your account and add another package or pass to your cart. Credits will automatically reduce what you owe. Any remaining balance will be settled through our payment system, with any leftover credits available future purchases. Credits do not expire.

Dismiss