The Tampa Bay Rays will host the Boston Red Sox Thursday night. The Rays defeated Boston 4-1 on Wednesday to bring their record to 48-40 on the year. Meanwhile, the Red Sox are now 47-42 on the season after the loss. These teams are now separated by 1.5 games in the American League East Division, and they hold the first and second spots in the wild card at the moment.
"Our All-Star gets the win as we win the series. One more vs the Red Sox tomorrow night" - RaysBaseball
Drew Rasmussen, who is 5-3 with a 3.11 ERA, will be on the hill Thursday for Tampa Bay. Rasmussen has been solid this year, and in his three outings against Boston in 2021, he pitched well. He holds a career 2.08 ERA versus the Red Sox, and he'll try to maintain that success Thursday.
Boston scores the sixth-most runs in the MLB, but lately, they've struggled. They're only 2-7 in their previous nine, so look for Rasmussen to capitalize on the visitors' slump.
Boston will go with Kutter Crawford, who currently has a 2-2 record with a 4.50 ERA, for Thursday's game. Crawford has made 12 appearances, but this will be just his fourth start. He'll be tasked with a Rays lineup that ranks in the bottom 10 in scoring. The Red Sox right-hander hasn't lasted more than five frames in a start all year, so look for the bullpen to play a big role in the series finale.
Tampa Bay Rays vs. Boston Red Sox Match Details
Fixture: Boston Red Sox @ Tampa Bay Rays
Date & Time: Thursday, July 14, 7:10 p.m. ET
Venue: Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Florida
Tampa Bay Rays vs. Boston Red Sox Betting Odds
The visiting Red Sox have struggled on artificial turf in recent history, winning just seven of their previous 28 there. Looking at the total, the under has hit in six of the past nine meetings between these clubs. So far, two of the first three games of this series have gone under.
Tampa Bay Rays vs. Boston Red Sox Best Picks
Yandy Diaz is expected to bat first in the lineup today, and he's recently been swinging a hot bat. Diaz is 7-for-14 in his last four games, including four singles. Look for him to get at least one single in Thursday's contest.
"Yandy stays hot and Harold helps him home" - @RaysBaseball
Pick: Yandy Diaz Over 0.5 Singles (-145)
Tampa Bay Rays vs. Boston Red Sox Betting Prediction
The Red Sox have been bad lately, but they will be eager to prevent the sweep. Still, with how badly they've played on turf and with a pitching disadvantage, expect Boston to get swept at the Trop on Thursday.
Prediction: Tampa Bay Rays ML (-126) & Rays Team Total Over 3.5 Runs (-135)