Despite ranking among the MLB strikeout leaders, Boston Red Sox ace Chris Sale is just 4-9 on the season. However, Sale comes off a dominant effort last time out and is a solid favorite on the MLB odds Tuesday night against the American League East rival Tampa Bay Rays.

How to Bet Red Sox at Rays MLB Odds & TV Info

• When: Tuesday, 7:10 PM ET
• Where: Tropicana Field
• Probable pitchers (away/home): Chris Sale/Yonny Chirinos
• TV: MLB Extra Innings
• Live Stream: MLB.tv
• Radio: 95.3 WDAE
• MLB Betting Odds: Boston Red Sox -170 (Total 7.5)

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Why Bet on Boston?

Coming off an embarrassing showing in Baltimore, where they lost two of three and got one-hit by the worst team in baseball, the Red Sox are still in a moderately decent position with regard to the race for the second wild-card spot. The Red Sox are 4-5 against Tampa this year and they’re 1-6 against the Yankees. If those results continue over the next week-plus, then the Red Sox could find themselves out of legitimate contention before the trade deadline hits.

The Red Sox are looking to bolster their bullpen and have been in trade talks for two closers: Toronto’s Ken Giles and San Diego’s Kirby Yates. The Red Sox have had major bullpen issues this season, stemming from their decision to let Craig Kimbrel walk as a free agent, then doing nothing to address their bullpen in the offseason.

Mookie Betts has scored at least 1 run in 25 of his last 28 games (36 R). He leads MLB with 88 runs scored, a 162-game pace of 144 runs The only player ever to score 140+ runs in a season for the Sox is Ted Williams (3 times). Xander Bogaerts and Rafael Devers have combined for more hits, RBI, and doubles than any other pair of teammates in the majors. Their 103 XBH rank 2nd behind Milwaukee’s Christian Yelich and Mike Moustakas (107).

It’s lefty Chris Sale on the mound for Boston. Sale (4-9) allowed two hits and two walks while striking out 12 across six scoreless innings to earn the win Thursday against the Blue Jays. Sale returned to form after a few bumpy outings, dominating the Blue Jays by generating 20 swinging strikes. Both hits he allowed were singles, and he allowed only one runner to reach scoring position throughout the afternoon. While his 4.05 ERA is disappointing, his 172 strikeouts and 1.08 WHIP across 117.2 frames serve as a reminder of how dominant he can be.

His one other start against Tampa Bay this year was a seven-inning, four-run (two earned) effort in a 5-2 loss on April 28.

Team Stats

Offense

• Runs: 5.66
• Hits: 9.68
• Walks: 3.87
• Strike Outs: 8.38

Defense

• Runs: 5.14
• Hits: 8.83
• Walks: 3.40
• Strike Outs: 10.12

Why Bet on Tampa Bay?

This is a Rays team that has figured out Red Sox hitters better than any other club, holding the Sox to .212 batting average and .635 OPS over their meetings thus far. The Rays are 5-4 against Boston this year but have won five of the last 6 games after being swept at Tropicana Field in April. The Rays are 9-4 in their last 13 games against them since Aug 19, 2018. The Rays have lost three straight season series against the Sox, though.

Tampa has lost Gold Glove outfielder Kevin Kiermaier to the injured list with a sprained left thumb. The good news is the team says Kiermaier’s ligament is intact and he will not require surgery. He is hoping to be back in 10-15 days. Guillermo Heredia is replacing Kiermaier on the roster and should see starts in center field.

Rays GM Erik Neander said Monday that Matt Duffy will be activated either Tuesday or Wednesday. Duffy has been out all season due to lingering back and hamstring injuries, but he posted a promising .314/.342/.457 batting line over a 10-game minor league rehab assignment between the Gulf Coast League and Triple-A Durham. Neander said that Duffy will be used at third base initially but could eventually see action all around the infield.

Tampa’s Yonny Chirinos (8-5) took the loss in Game 1 of Tampa Bay’s doubleheader with the Yankees on Thursday, giving up five runs (four earned) on nine hits over five innings, striking out eight and walking two as the Rays fell 6-2. The right-hander couldn’t extend his run of seven straight quality starts, but he emerged with a respectable final line against a tough Yankees lineup against which he’s fared well this season. It was a bit of a bump in the road, but Chirinos is enjoying a fine season for the Rays, as he’s sporting a 3.29 ERA, a 1.02 WHIP and a 97:24 K:BB over 112 innings.

In his three starts in July, Chirinos has gone 1-1 with a 4.26 ERA, which would be his highest ERA in any month this season. He has allowed three home runs over 19 innings this month.

Team Stats

Offense

• Runs: 4.57
• Hits: 8.76
• Walks: 3.24
• Strike Outs: 9.38

Defense

• Runs: 3.75
• Hits: 7.59
• Walks: 2.88
• Strike Outs: 9.74

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Red Sox vs Rays MLB Betting Trends

• Rays are 1-6 in Chirinos’ last 7 starts
• Red Sox are 12-4 in Sale’s last 16 starts following a Quality Start in his last appearance
• Under is 6-1 in the last 7 meetings
• Red Sox are 16-4 SU in their last 20 games on the road
• The total has gone OVER in 14 of Boston’s last 20 games
• Rays are 1-6 SU in their last 7 games
• The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Tampa Bay’s last 8 games against Boston

Expert Final Score Prediction for Red Sox vs Rays

Boston Red Sox 4 – Tampa Bay Rays 3