Tampa Bay Rays vs Boston Red Sox Prediction 9-17-24 MLB Picks

The Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays meet Tuesday in MLB action from Tropicana Field. Here’s a Tampa Bay Rays vs Boston Red Sox prediction. This will be the first installment in a three-game series. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Rays vs Red Sox pick.

Boston Red Sox Betting Preview

Boston took on the rival New York Yankees over the weekend. The Red Sox lost the first two games, then powered out a 7-1 win on Saturday. In the Sunday finale, Boston fell again, this time 5-2 to drop the series. Starter Kutter Crawford gave up four earned in 4.1 innings in that one.

In the starter slot for Tuesday’s matchup the Red Sox will send out Nick Pivetta. So far Pivetta is 5-10 with a 4.24 ERA in 24 games (23 starts). Pivetta is 55-69 with a 4.78 ERA in 220 career games (175 starts).

Tampa Bay Rays Betting Preview

Over on the Rays’ side, they played the Cleveland Guardians in their last set. Tampa Bay won the first pair 5-2 and 3-1 before a 6-1 loss on Saturday. The Rays also lost the final game Sunday, this time 2-0. Tampa Bay’s Taj Bradley finished with 4.1 innings and two earned runs in that one.

The starter for Tuesday will be the Rays’ Shane Baz. This year Baz is 2-3 with a 3.28 ERA in 11 starts. Baz is 5-5 with a 3.58 ERA in 20 starts over his career.

Total Runs Facts

• Seven of the Rays’ last eight games have gone UNDER the total runs line.
• Five of the Red Sox’s last six games against AL East opponents have gone UNDER the total runs line.
• The ‘Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in each of the Rays’ last three games.
• The ‘Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in each of the Red Sox’s last three games.

Tampa Bay Rays Player Prop Facts

• Yandy Diaz has recorded at least one hit in each of his last 13 home appearances after not playing the previous day.
• Yandy Diaz has recorded at least one Single in each of his last 10 home appearances after not playing the previous day.
• Yandy Diaz has recorded at least one RBI in three of his last four home appearances against AL opponents.
• Yandy Diaz has recorded at least one total base in each of his last 13 home appearances after not playing the previous day.
• Yandy Diaz has scored a run in each of his last five home appearances after not playing the previous day.
• Yandy Diaz has hit a home run in two of his last three home appearances after not playing the previous day.

Boston Red Sox Player Prop Facts

• Wilyer Abreu has recorded at least one RBI in four of his last five road appearances against opponents that held a losing record.
• Jarren Duran has recorded at least one total base in each of the Red Sox’s last 16 road games against opponents that held a losing record.
• Rafael Devers has scored at least one run in each of the Red Sox’s last seven games against the Rays.
• Rafael Devers has hit a home run in three of the Red Sox’s last five games against the Rays.
• Rafael Devers has recorded at least one Double in four of the Red Sox’s last five road games against opponents that held a losing record.
• Jarren Duran has recorded at least one hit in each of the Red Sox’s last 16 road games against opponents that held a losing record.
• Jarren Duran has recorded a single in each of the Red Sox’s last six road games against AL opponents that held a losing record.

Tampa Bay Rays vs Boston Red Sox Prediction

I’ll lean toward the Rays. We should have a good starter matchup, though. Baz is 1-1 over his last three starts. In that time he’s given up five earned in a total of 16.1 innings. As for Pivetta, he’s done well over his last trio also. In those three Pivetta is 0-1 but he’s got just four earned in 18.0 innings total.

The Rays started out well against the Guardians in their weekend series but fizzled out in the final two games with just one run between them. Tampa Bay has scored three runs or fewer in four of the last five outings, so it’d be nice to see the bats get going here. That won’t be quite so easy if Pivetta keeps his run going, though. This looks like another low-scoring game if the pens hold up.