Boston Red Sox vs Tampa Bay Rays Prediction, 9/5/2023 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Boston Red Sox vs Tampa Bay Rays

Date: Tuesday, September 5, 2023

Location: Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FL

TV: Bally Sports Sun

Odds/Point Spread: Boston (+120) Tampa Bay (-142)

The Boston Red Sox (71-66) are en route to Tropicana Field on Tuesday where they will attempt to defeat the Tampa Bay Rays (83-54). The odds on this game have Boston at +120 and Tampa Bay is opening at -142. The over/under has been set at 7.5. The expected starting pitchers are Kutter Crawford and Taj Bradley.

Boston has a slugging % of .438 and have been called out on strikes 1,105 times, while drawing a walk on 419 occasions. They have compiled 655 runs batted in in addition to 1,245 hits on the season, and their average at the plate is .264. The Red Sox have hit 299 two-baggers as a squad and have knocked 163 baseballs out of the park. They have a total of 683 runs and hold an OBP of .330. As a team, the Boston Red Sox are putting up 5.0 runs per game, which has them at 8th in the league.

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Their strikeout to walk ratio is 2.91 and the pitching staff holds a collective WHIP of 1.35. Red Sox pitchers have surrendered 181 home runs and 659 runs (20th in MLB). Boston has allowed 1,228 hits (9.1 per 9 innings) and 610 earned runs. The Red Sox have a team ERA of 4.54 on the campaign (21st in baseball), and the staff has rung up 1,186 batters. Their pitching staff has walked 407 batters and their FIP comes in at 4.43 as a team over the course of the season.

Red Sox relief pitchers have entered the contest with runners on base 97 times as well as having 119 appearances in high leverage situations. The relief pitchers have a total of 60 holds so far this season (25th in MLB). The Red Sox bullpen have accumulated a save rate of 76.9% and has entered the game in 113 save situations. They have recorded 40 saves on the season and have blown 12 of 52 save opportunities. The relievers have inherited 150 base runners this year and 30.7% of them ended up crossing the plate. The Red Sox have sent 431 relief pitchers to the hill on the campaign.

The Red Sox have converted 67.3% of balls hit into play into outs out of their 10,890 innings on the diamond, which ranks them 28th in baseball. The Boston Red Sox have 3,630 putouts this year, in addition to 1,226 assists and 92 errors. Their fielding percentage is holding at .981 which ranks 30th in baseball, and have accumulated 118 double plays.

Crawford has taken the mound for 183 frames and has accounted for 181 K's so far in his career. Crawford (9-14 record in his career) is the owner of a FIP of 4.26 while facing 772 opposing batters during his time in the majors. His earned run average is 4.87 (99 earned runs allowed) and he has a WHIP of 1.284. He has conceded 178 base knocks (8.8 hits per 9 innings) and has 57 walks.

Tampa Bay has accumulated 198 long balls on the campaign and 701 runs batted in. They have recorded 229 two-baggers, while walking 431 times and notching 732 runs. The Tampa Bay Rays have accumulated an OBP of .331 in addition to a team batting average of .260 on the campaign. The Rays have a slugging percentage of .446 and they are earning 5.34 runs per game (4th in the league). They have struck out on 1,195 instances (14th in baseball) and have totaled 1,206 base hits.

The Rays hold a team WHIP of 1.183 with a FIP of 3.82 as a unit so far this year. Their K/BB ratio is 9.10 (1,225 strikeouts vs 377 free passes). They rank 3rd in MLB as a pitching staff in total hits relinquished with 1,061. They have conceded 143 dingers and they surrender 4.03 runs per 9 innings (1st in MLB). The Tampa Bay pitching staff have surrendered 544 runs this year while having an ERA of 3.81 (515 earned runs surrendered).

Tampa Bay has called on relievers to step onto the hill in 62 save chances and they have tallied 38 saves. They sit at 20th in the league with a save rate of 61.3%, and they have dispatched 445 relievers onto the diamond this season. Their relievers have taken the field 131 times in high leverage situations and on 101 occasions with runners on. Tampa Bay bullpen pitchers have an inherited score rate of 26.8% out of their 153 inherited base runners. Sitting with 123 save situations, the Rays have 60 holds in addition to 24 blown saves.

The Tampa Bay Rays have gotten 100 double plays and have earned a fielding percentage of .988 (5th in baseball). The Rays have accrued 1,222 assists, 57 errors and are sitting with 3,646 putouts this year. Out of their 10,938 innings played, the Rays have accumulated a defensive efficiency of 70.6% (4th in professional baseball).

Bradley (5-7 win-loss record in his career) holds a 5.67 ERA and has surrendered 9.5 hits per 9 innings. His K/BB ratio is 3.81 and he has faced 330 opposing hitters in his pro baseball career. He has allowed 47 earned runs while holding a WHIP of 1.406 and a FIP of 4.1. In his MLB career, Bradley has surrendered 79 base hits while he has accumulated 99 K's in 74 frames.

Who will win tonight's MLB game against the spread or moneyline?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Boston (+120)

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