The Tampa Bay Rays will try to snap out of their current 0-5 SU losing streak when they host the Boston Red Sox in the first game of a two-game series on Tuesday night. Boston enters this series mired in a three-game losing streak.
- Date/Time: August 4, 6:40 p.m. ET
- Stadium: Tropicana Field
- TV Coverage: ESPN+
- Sportsbook Odds: Rays -145 | O/U 8 (Line History)
- Red Sox vs Rays Matchup Report
Sportsbook Odds Analysis
Tampa Bay opened as a -160 favorite in this matchup. Early bettors decided that price might be a bit too steep for a team that has lost five straight games, betting the Red Sox down to +135 underdogs and the Rays down to -145 home favorites. The total has also moved down from its opener of 8.5 runs to its current line at 8 runs.
Starting Pitchers Analysis
With Chris Sale and Eduardo Rodriguez out for the year, Nathan Eovaldi is the closest thing the Red Sox have to a staff ace. Eovaldi has pitched well through his first two starts in 2020 with a 2.45 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP. The Red Sox are 2-0 SU in the two games Eovaldi has started and 1-7 SU in the eight that he hasn’t.
Charlie Morton bounced back from a poor season debut to allow only two runs in five innings with seven strikeouts against the Atlanta Braves last Wednesday. The veteran right-hander had the best season of his career with the Rays in 2019, recording a 16-6 record with a 3.05 ERA, a 1.08 WHIP and 240 strikeouts in 194.2 innings pitched.
Boston News & Notes
The Red Sox finally snapped out of their recent offensive slumber with 10 hits, three home runs and seven runs on Sunday against the New York Yankees. Unfortunately for Boston, those seven runs weren’t enough as the Yankees managed to complete the series sweep with a 9-7 win. Boston’s pitching staff ranks dead last in opponent batting average (.270) and 28th in team ERA, allowing 5.79 runs per game.
With those three losses to New York, Boston fell to 1-5 in games against AL East rivals this season. The Red Sox are now just 8-23 SU in their last 31 games against their division rivals.
Tampa Bay News & Notes
Tampa Bay burst out of the gate with a 4-1 SU record through the team’s first five games, averaging 6.6 runs per game in series wins at home over the Toronto Blue Jays and Atlanta Braves. But over their last five games on the road, the Rays are 0-5 SU and have scored only 2.6 runs per game, most recently being swept by the lowly Baltimore Orioles over the weekend.
The Rays offense will get some help with the return of Austin Meadows. Meadows isn’t expected to be ready for Tuesday’s game but is projected to return during the team’s current six-game homestand. The 25-year-old had 33 home runs and 89 RBIs with a .291 batting average in 138 games played last season.
Betting Pick: Boston +135
This feels like a pretty even matchup on paper with both teams coming into this series on losing streaks. Eovaldi has given the Red Sox a chance to win in both of his starts this season and is getting the right price in this one with Boston paying +135 to pull off an upset.
- Boston is 1-4 SU in its last 5 road games against Tampa Bay.
- Charlie Morton is 5-1 with a 4.09 ERA in 9 career starts against Boston.
- The total has gone OVER in 6 of Tampa Bay’s last 7 games against Boston.
