With the last few games in the regular season left to play, the faceoff between the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bays on September 19, 2024, at Tropicana Field seems to be an interesting offering for MLB fans and betters alike. The reason why the game should be important is the fact that both teams are hovering just about .500 – Boston at 76-76 while Tampa Bay has a 74-78 record. Therefore, this game could as well determine their advancement to the playoffs. As a matter of fact, owing to why these deals are treated with a premium nature, such as in this case, our shared exclusive premium handicappers are paying attention to the odds, which are changing, indicating that the odds are that the game will be tough.
Boston Red Sox vs. Tampa Bay Rays 9/19/24 Game Info and Odds |
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| When: | Thursday, September 19, 2024 at 6:50 PM ET |
| Where: | Tropicana Field |
| Watch: | NESN, BSSUN, MLB.TV |
| Red Sox odds: | -105 |
| Rays odds: | -115 |
| Total Line: | 7.5 |
Boston Red Sox (76-76) vs. Tampa Bay Rays (74-78)
The Boston Red Sox are coming off a series of taut neck-and-neck games with the Boston Red Sox wherein the Red Sox won 4 out of the 5 games that took place at Tropicana Field against the Raves. However, like a rabid dog on the road, particularly against division teams such as the New York Yankees, they are struggling and this has led to a miserable record of two wins against 9 losses in the 11 games played away from home. Yet, even with all this said lacing the shoes, Boston’s stubborn attack has aided the team to fight back with a .254 batting average and a .429 slugging percentage as they have been able to score a plump 713 runs this season.
| Boston Red Sox Last 5 Games | |||
| Date | Opponent | Score | SU |
| Sep 18, 2024 | TB | 2-1 | W |
| Sep 17, 2024 | TB | 3-8 | L |
| Sep 15, 2024 | NYY | 2-5 | L |
| Sep 14, 2024 | NYY | 7-1 | W |
| Sep 13, 2024 | NYY | 4-5 | L |
In comparison, the Tampa Bay Rays have had a roller-coaster period with up-and-down forms. Their previous matches, such as those played against the Cleveland Guardians and their recent setbacks, stand in contrast to a great win attained against Boston. However, their .231 team batting average is less than the Red Sox, who scored more runs than them; and with few exceptions, their most recent games resulted in solid pitching with an average ERA of 3.87.
| Tampa Bay Rays Last 5 Games | |||
| Date | Opponent | Score | SU |
| Sep 18, 2024 | BOS | 1-2 | L |
| Sep 17, 2024 | BOS | 8-3 | W |
| Sep 15, 2024 | CLE | 0-2 | L |
| Sep 14, 2024 | CLE | 1-6 | L |
| Sep 13, 2024 | CLE | 3-1 | W |
Brayan Bello (14-7 W-L, 4.6 ERA) vs. Zack Littell (7-9 W-L, 3.73 ERA)
Brayan Bello is 14-7 with an ERA of 4.6, and he has been the workhorse of the Red Sox this season. Though he has a high ERA of 5.40 and WHIP of 1.38, Bello has shown to be capable of fanning batters when it matters the most, accumulating 142 strikeouts over 152.2 innings pitched. His weakness of giving up home runs (19 in pitching) may prove costly against a Rays team, which will be eager to capitalize on any errors made by a pitcher.
On the other hand, Zack Littell does not have that much disgusting performance for the Rays with a 3.73 ERA and cooler 1.29 WHIP. Even though Littell’s win-loss record may not be so impressive at 7-9, it is because of these books and a persuaded pitcher without half-strikes (only 31 balconies) who may create equal difficulties to the Red Sox’s batters in big situations.
MLB Odds/Point Spread: Tampa Bay Rays -115, Total Odds: 7.5
The betting odds indicate that Las Factory has no preference over either Eastside or Dardania. The “over-under” was set at 7.5, with the trends slanting more to the UNDER, indicating that there should be a fastball duel in the offing.
Boston Red Sox Betting Trends
Boston has seen the total line roar towards the UNDER in the last several matches within the FtLE and the overall group as well, which serves to underline their hurlers’ talents and the limited action in the attacks at times. Their trend in games against AL teams has also been that of lower scores, which trend is likely to remain owing to their recent record.
Tampa Bay Rays Betting Trends
In a similar fashion, the total has gone UNDER in most of the recent games for Tampa Bay, too. Besides, their odds of winning are often limited by their inability to produce runs regularly, although they do pitch well, more often than not resulting in closer and more low-scoring games, which is a good thing for those who prefer backing the UNDER.
Boston Red Sox vs. Tampa Bay Rays 9/19/24 Betting Picks
As it appears on the current paper and based on the previous relevant stats, this game should be rather close and not really high-scoring. The Boston Red Sox will lose in this particular game, even though the team is fairly strong. The Rays have some pitching advantage and play at home, so they should win this one. Yet, as they have not been playing well recently, the OVER UNDER is probably the best option in this case.
As for MLB free tips today, taking into consideration the key importance of this matchup and looking at the probable starters of both teams, the UNDER seems like good value as well. There is also potential for outperformance prop bets on undeployable starters over their overall performances, including strikeouts.