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Tampa Bay Rays vs. Boston Red Sox Pick
The Tampa Bay Rays are on the verge of history. If they somehow surpass the Boston Red Sox in the wild card race, they will be the first team to be down by nine games or more in September, and climb all the way back to make the playoffs.
Date/Time: Saturday, September 17, 4:10 P.M. ET
Venue: Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts
Broadcast: FOX
Spread: Boston Red Sox -1.5
Money Line: Boston Red Sox -170 / Tampa Bay Rays +150
Over/Under: 8.5
Game three of the four-game series between the Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays is expected to be a good one, with history on the line, and two great pitchers dueling against each other.
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The Rays were nine games back at the beginning of September, and now are just three games back of the Red Sox in the wild-card race. Forget about Boston’s worries about winning the division over the Yankees, this team needs to focus on beating Tampa Bay and prevent history from happening in their own house.
John Lester will be pitching for the Red Sox on Saturday, and he is coming off his worst performance of the season. Last Sunday, against this same Rays team, Lester was bullied by their starting lineup, and was taken out in the fifth inning after allowing four runs for an ERA of 9.00.
If Lester continues his bad play against the Rays, it doesn’t look good for the Red Sox.
The Rays will counter with right-hander Jeff Niemann who will take the mound on Saturday night, and he has been lights out as of late..
In Niemann’s last game, he went 7.2 innings, allowing just two earned runs in the Sept. 12 victory over the Baltimore Orioles.
In terms of offensive numbers, Boston is the best, literally.
They are first in runs, on-base percentage and slugging percentage, and second in batting average. They can score at any time, and it takes a special pitcher to hold them at bay.
The only problem with that is, the Rays have held them at bay, and it is costing the Red Sox precious additions to their win total.
The odds makers have the Boston Red Sox as a -1.5 point favorite with an run total of 8.5.
Matt’s Free Prediction: Boston – Even though they haven’t played well against the Rays lately, with all the advantages they have going into this game, they should be able to come out with a victory. If they don’t, we’ll all soon be talking about the biggest collapse in MLB history.
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Boston Red Sox Betting Trends:
- Boston is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games
- The total has gone OVER in 4 of Boston’s last 5 games
- The total has gone OVER in 4 of Boston’s last 5 games at home
- Boston is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games at home
Tampa Bay Rays Betting Trends:
- Tampa Bay is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Tampa Bay’s last 7 games on the road
- Tampa Bay is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Boston
- The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Tampa Bay’s last 5 games when playing on the road against Boston
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