The Boston Red Sox (0-3) will try to get their first win of the season when they host the defending AL Champion Tampa Bay Rays (2-1) on Monday night. Things are off to a bad start in Beantown with the Red Sox getting swept at home by Baltimore in its season-opening three-game set.
Tampa Bay is off to a 2-1 start but comes into Monday night’s matchup off a loss on Saturday. With Boston desperate and Tampa Bay looking to get back in the win column, let’s find out where the best MLB Odds betting value lies in this affair.
Tampa Bay Rays at Boston Red Sox
When: Monday, April 5, 2021, at 7:10 p.m. ET
Where: Fenway Park, Boston, MA
TV: NESN, Bally Sports Sun, ESPN
MLB Odds
Tampa Bay -118
Boston +108
Total: 9½
Starting Pitchers
Tampa Bay – Michael Wacha – RHP
Boston – Nick Pivetta – RHP
Defending Champs Look Potent
The Rays had their two-game winning streak snapped in Sunday’s 12-7 loss to the Miami Marlins, but Tampa Bay looks potent already offensively. Mike Zunino had a two-run home run while Yandy Diaz, Joey Wendle, and Manuel Margot all had two hits, but Rich Hill gave up four runs in four innings and Chris Archer allowed three more runs in two innings of relief.
“They swung the bats very well, squared up a lot of balls,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said.
On Monday night, veteran right-hander Michael Wacha will make his Rays debut for Tampa Bay. The 29-year-old former Cardinals ace went 1-4 in seven starts with the Mets last season while posting a high 6.62 ERA in 34 innings pitched.
Big Problems in Beantown Already
Sure, the season might only be three games old, but there are problems in Boston already. The Red Sox lost their regular season opener against the Orioles 3-0 on Friday and fell again to the O’s 4-2 on Saturday. Boston got completely dominated in Sunday’s 11-3 loss.
J.D. Martinez went 2 for 4 with a home run, a double and two RBIs while Kike Hernandez added an RBI in the rout. Starter Garrett Richards gave up a whopping six runs in two innings before left-hander Josh Taylor was touched up for four runs while recording only two outs.
Boston will hand the ball to right-hander Nick Pivetta on Monday night. The 28-year-old went 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA in two starts for Boston last season following four completely mediocre seasons in Philadelphia.
Rays Look Superior In Every Way
Again, it’s very early in the 2021 season and I don’t want to be overly dramatic, but the fact remains, Tampa Bay looks superior to Boston in every way imaginable right now. Tampa Bay is putting up 4.8 runs per game to rank 14th in scoring, while Boston is averaging a pitiful 1.6 runs per game (27th).
Tampa Bay is 6-2 in its last eight series openers and 18-5 in its last 23 games following a loss. On the flip side of the coin, Boston has gone 17-36 in their last 53 home games and 1-4 in their last five games following a loss.
The Rays have dominated this series recently by going 19-7 in the last 26 meetings and 13-3 in the last 16 meetings in Boston. Keep it simple, and back the Tampa Bay Rays to get it done.
