A key battle on the MLB odds menu sees visiting Tampa Bay duelling Boston on Friday at Fenway Park.

The Red Sox will turn to Jon Lester and his 3-3 record as they look for a win in this one, while the Rays send Alex Cobb (1-0) to the hill.



View Tampa Bay vs Boston Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
The visitors opened as +-165 moneyline underdogs in this one at most online sportsbooks tracked at Odds Shark. The total opened at 9 for those preferring over under wagers.

Power Rankings:
This game matches up the No. 4 (Red Sox) and the No. 3 (Rays) teams in their respective leagues, according to our current MLB Power Rankings.



How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Boston's No. 2 ranked American League offense (5.4 runs per game) against a Rays defense and pitching staff that sits at No. 7 in the American League at 4.1 runs allowed per game. The Red Sox have been averaging 9.7 hits per game, more than the Rays have managed so far this season (8.1 hits on average).

Defensively, Tampa Bay features the American League's No. 13-rated defense on the road, allowing 4.9 runs per game. Boston, meanwhile, comes in at No. 1 in the American League at home, scoring 5.6 runs per game.

The Rays were a 5-4 Sportsbook in their most recent outing at home against the Blue Jays. That made Sportsbooks of bettors who got Tampa Bay at -124 on the moneyline, while the total score (9) was good news for OVER bettors. The Rays hope for a dominant pitching performance similar to their last game when James Shields struck out 10 batters in 5-4 victory on Wednesday at Tropicana Field.

Boston won its last outing, a 6-5 result against the Orioles on May 23. Bettors who backed the Red Sox at +105 on the moneyline won on the day, and the total score (11) sent OVER bettors to the payout window. Boston looks to continue its winning ways following a victory last time out against the Orioles, a 6-5 final on Wednesday in support of Daniel Bard at Camden Yards.


Tampa Bay Rays Trends:
When playing on Friday are 5-5
Before playing Boston are 4-6
After playing Toronto are 9-1
After a win are 6-4

Boston Red Sox Trends:
When playing on Friday are 6-4
Before playing Tampa Bay are 5-5
After playing Baltimore are 3-7
After a win are 6-4

A few Rays at Red Sox trends to consider:
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Tampa Bay's last 5 games when playing on the road against Boston
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Tampa Bay's last 10 games on the road
Tampa Bay is 10-5 SU in its last 15 games when playing Boston
Tampa Bay is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Boston
Boston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Boston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Boston's last 5 games when playing at home against Tampa Bay
The total has gone OVER in 17 of Boston's last 25 games at home


Next up:
Tampa Bay at Boston, Saturday, May 26