Boston Red Sox at Tampa Bay Rays Betting Preview
24 June 2021
Boston comes into this game with a record of 44-30, and they have a slim 0.5 game lead in the AL East. The Red Sox have gone 5-3 in their last eight games, and they have been a surprise team all season.
Tampa Bay was able to snap a seven-game losing streak on Wednesday night, and this team is looking to start a long winning streak. The Rays gave up first place in the division earlier this week but still have a 44-31 record on the season.
The Red Sox are slight betting favorites in the series finale on Thursday night.
Boston Has Big Bats
The Boston Red Sox have scored 373 runs so far this season, and they are hitting .257 as a team. Both of those numbers are top-three in baseball, and the offensive attack has allowed Boston to take control of the division.
Rafael Devers continues to put up big numbers at the plate, hitting 18 home runs to go along with 60 RBIs. Xander Bogaerts is hitting .324 to lead the team, but this Red Sox team has plenty of thunder up and down the lineup.
Nick Pivetta will be on the mound on Thursday night, and he has gone 6-3 with a 4.36 earned run average. The Red Sox bullpen has struggled in this series, and they will need a great start from Pivetta.
Pitching Powering Rays Run
The Tampa Bay Rays have a team ERA of 3.41, which is the seventh-best ERA in all of baseball. That pitching staff struggled during the seven-game losing streak, but that has been a strength of this team all season long.
Michael Wacha is set to start on Thursday night, and he is trying to improve upon a slow start. Wacha has gone just 1-2 with a 5.19 ERA this season, and this might be a game that the Rays bullpen has to cover some innings.
Austin Meadows has 16 home runs and 52 RBIs to lead the Rays on offense, and he homered on Wednesday. The offense has also gotten a boost as young Wander Franco has been called up, and he immediately made an impact in this series.
Rays Win Series Finale
Both Boston and Tampa Bay have continued to win games at a surprising clip, and these teams should battle it out all season long. The Rays dominated the game on Wednesday night, and that should give them some momentum in this game.
The Red Sox do have the edge in the starting pitching matchup on Thursday, but Tampa Bay is a great offensive team at home. This will be another competitive game, but the Tampa Bay bullpen is going to prove to be the difference.
Tampa Bay is going to pick up another win, and they will end this series in first place in the AL East Division. Bet the Tampa Bay Rays money line over the Boston Red Sox in the series finale on Thursday night.
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