Red Sox vs. Rays MLB Preview and Best Bet

The Red Sox will take a trip to the Sunshine State and open up a four-game set against the Rays as they try to make up ground on the AL East division leaders. Let’s analyze this matchup and determine which side will allow us to cash our MLB picks at the top sportsbooks as we begin the week!

Boston Red Sox vs. Tampa Bay Rays

Monday, August 30, 2021 - 07:10 PM EDT at Tropicana Field

Based on where Boston finished last season and their tattered rotation entering the season, it is fair to say the Red Sox were the biggest overachievers in the first half of the season. But eventually things even out, and in the end, you are what you are. With one month left in the regular season, Boston’s 75-57 record puts them well ahead of their 79 ½ season win total.

Yes, if you scanned the MLB odds before the season began you would have found that the oddsmakers didn’t believe the Red Sox would even be a .500 team. But here they are, in control of the second wildcard spot with 30 games remaining on their regular-season slate. However, Sunday’s game did them no favors as they failed to sweep the Indians by falling 7-5 after narrowly beating Cleveland in the previous two games by scores of 4-3 and 5-3 in extra innings.

https://youtu.be/Ey2Vlcgsqm0

Rays Shine Brightly in the East

Speaking of overachievers, a case could be made that the Tampa Bay Rays are the biggest Cinderella story in the American League this season despite their appearance in the World Series last year. The AL East was supposed to be New York’s for the taking but the Rays have powered their way to an 82-48 record, six games ahead of the Yankees, and have nearly reached their projected 85-win total with the entire month of September still looming.

Tampa Bay has won 11 of their last 12 and yesterday was more of the same as they swept the Orioles in a three-game set with a 12-8 victory in Sunday’s series finale. The Rays eviscerated the lowly O’s this season, winning a staggering 18 of 19 meetings. Chris Archer looked solid in just his second start for the Rays, working four innings and allowing two runs on four hits.

"I felt good overall," Archer said. "We did a great job of managing it and not going crazy with the amount of pitches but not capping it too early."

Meanwhile, Joey Wendle provided the offensive fireworks with a solo shot in the sixth before hitting a grand slam the following inning. "It feels good," Wendle said. "I'm starting to see the ball a little bit better. I'm making some better contact. Great team win and great to be able to contribute."

Chris Archer #22 of the Tampa Bay Rays pitches. Mitchell Layton/Getty Images/AFP

Wanna Make a Bet?

The season series between these clubs shows the Rays with a 7-5 advantage but if we look at the second half meetings, we can see a story of two teams going in polar opposite directions, as the Rays have won five of their last six against the mercurial Red Sox.

Nick Pivetta (9-6, 4.57 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 145 strikeouts) will be taking the bump for Boston and will try to improve upon his last pair of outings when he was lit up for four runs on four hits against the Yankees and was yanked before the second inning was through in a 5-2 loss to the Bombers. In his last outing, the 28-year-old righty again surrendered fours runs but lasted four innings in a 9-6 loss to the Twins last Wednesday.

Luis Patino (3-3, 4.53 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 53 strikeouts) goes for the Rays after putting in a solid six innings of two-run, five-hit ball in what resulted in a 5-2 win over the White sox on August 21st. The Rays are managing Patino’s workload down the stretch after he went from pitching just 17 plus innings last year to over 81 innings this year between Tampa’s Triple-A affiliate in Durham and the big-league club.

The Rays are just flat out deeper and more talented than the Red Sox this year and if we take a look at some of the prevailing trends, we see that Boston is 0-5 over the last five meetings in Tampa and 1-7 over the last eight meetings. The Rays have also won six of their last seven Game 1’s of a series and this one will be no different. Lay the lumber and like it on the Rays for our MLB picks.

MLB Pick: (visit our Sportsbook Review)

*The pick reflects the line at the moment the writer made the play, the odds at the beginning of this article show the live line movement. Since the lines might vary, don’t forget to refer back to our live odds.