The Boston Red Sox (24-24) travel to face off against the Tampa Bay Rays (25-24) on Tuesday, May 21st. This game will be played at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg and televised on NESN. 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 6:50 ET.
Red Sox vs Rays
Thanks to a three-run 4th inning for the Red Sox’ offense, they cruised to a 5-0 win over the Rays in the most recent game of this series. Heading into the game, the Red Sox were at +104 on the money line.
Rafael Devers and Ceddanne Rafaela each homered for the Red Sox, while Tanner Houck pitched well in this one, going seven innings and striking out five without giving up a run. Houck got the win in the game, while Taj Bradley took the loss for the Rays.
Boston’s offense only had two more hits than the Rays and struck out 10 times, but still picked up a convincing win. Heading into the game, the Red Sox had scored the most runs in the league and had the highest run differential.
Boston is at an even 24-24 overall and are 4th in the AL East, trailing the Yankees by 8.5 games. So far, they have gone just 2-6 in divisional games. The Red Sox have won two straight games, and they have won two straight on the road, as well. Their overall series record is 7-7-1, and they have lost two straight series.
At home, the Red Sox are 10-13 this year compared to 14-11 on the road. As the underdog, Boston is 11-15 this year and 13-9 when favored. The Red Sox are 5-5 over their last 10 games, and they will be facing the Rays on the road today.
When it comes to betting the run line, the Red Sox have been a better play on the road this season. Their overall run line record is 22-26, but they are 15-10 against the run line on the road. Their average run margin on the road is +1.7 runs per game, compared to -0.4 runs per game at home. They have covered the run line in two straight road games and are 15-11 against the run line as the underdog.
Today’s O/U line for the Red Sox-Rays game is 8 runs. The Red Sox have played 44 games this season, and 26 of them have had an O/U line set at 8 runs or higher. In those games, the O/U record is 10-14-2. The combined run average in those games is 8.1 runs. Overall, the Red Sox have an O/U record of 18-26 this season.
Cooper Criswell Gets The Start For The Red Sox
Red Sox starter Cooper Criswell has made six starts this season and has a record of 2-1 with an ERA of 2.76. He most recently faced the Rays on May 16th, where he finished with a no-decision after giving up three earned runs in 3 2/3 innings of work. Criswell has finished with a no-decision in each of his last three outings. Opponents are batting .223 off the right-hander this season, and his WHIP is 1.09. Criswell has allowed a total of five home runs this year.
Red Sox Offense Breakdown
Heading into today’s game, the Red Sox are averaging 4.4 runs per game, which is 14th in the majors. They have been a better offensive team on the road this season, averaging 4.8 runs per game. Boston is also one of the better home run hitting teams in the league, coming in 8th in the league in home runs.
Rafael Devers has been swinging a hot bat of late, going 10/37 with six homers over his last nine games. For the season, he is batting .284 with 10 homers, which is 2nd on the team. Ceddanne Rafaela leads the team in RBIs but is batting just .195 for the season.
The Rays are eight games behind the Yankees in the AL East, and they are 25-24 overall with an even 9-9 record in AL East matchups. Tampa Bay has dropped two straight games, and this comes after winning five in a row. At home, the Rays are 14-13 this year.
So far, the Rays have been a perfect 2-0 in series road games, and they are 7-6-2 in series overall. As the home favorite, the Rays are 10-10 this season, and they are 15-16 when favored overall. As for their record as the underdog, the Rays are 10-8 this year.
The Rays have been a tough team to predict on the run line this season, as they are just 22-27 overall. They have been slightly better on the road, going 12-10, while they are just 10-17 at home. They have been a good bet as the underdog, going 12-6 on the run line, while they are just 10-21 as the favorite. Their average run differential is -0.7 runs per game.
The Rays are 25-23 on over/under bets this season, and their average over/under line is 8 runs. Their games have averaged 8.8 runs per game, and their last two games have gone under the total. The over/under line for today’s game against the Red Sox is 8 runs.
Zack Littell Gets The Start For The Rays
Zack Littell is looking to bounce back from a rough outing vs. the Red Sox, as he gets the start for the Rays today. In that May 16th outing, he went five innings, giving up four earned runs, and three home runs. Littell finished with a no-decision in the game. Before that outing, he had turned in a quality start in three straight outings. Littell’s ERA for the season is 3.44, along with a record of 2-2. For the year, he has allowed four homers and is averaging 8.7 strikeouts per nine innings.
Rays Offense Breakdown
Isaac Paredes has been a big bright spot for the Rays this season, as he is batting .303 and has gone deep a team-high nine times. His 26 RBIs are also the best mark on the team. Yandy Diaz has also been swinging a good bat of late, going 14/41 in his last 10 games. This has raised his season average to .259, and he has three homers and 23 RBIs this season.
As a team, the Rays are batting .239, which is 10th in the league, but they are near the bottom of the league in runs scored and home runs. So far, they are averaging just 4 runs per game. Tampa Bay’s offense has been even worse on the road, averaging only 3.9 runs per contest.
Red Sox vs Rays Prediction
The best way to play this Red Sox vs. Rays matchup is to take the Rays on the money line at -137. We have the Rays winning this one by a score of 6-5. With the payout for a Rays win on the money line being -137, we see this as a great payout for a team that we have winning this one.
Looking at the starting pitchers, we have Zack Littell finishing with five strikeouts, which would have him 20th among starters. As for Cooper Criswell, he is projected to finish with six strikeouts, which has him at sixth among starters.
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:May 21, 2024 Rays, Red Sox