MLB Predictions: Will Sale help Red Sox dominate Rays? 7/6/17
Will Chris Sale dominate the Rays tonight at 7:10PM ET when Boston visits Tropicana Field?
The Matchup: Red Sox vs. Rays, 7:10PM ET, Tropicana Field
Boston had its seven-game winning streak snapped last night in Texas, which beat the Red Sox, 8-2. Boston is now 49-36 on the year, 24-22 on the road, and has won eight of its last 10 games overall.
On the other side, Tampa Bay is 44-42 on the season and 24-18 at home. That said, the Rays have dropped six of 10 and is coming off a 7-3 loss to the Cubs in Chicago on Wednesday.
According to oddsmakers, the Red Sox are -175 money line favorites to win tonight in Tampa. That makes the Rays +155 money line underdogs to pull off the upset. The total, meanwhile, sits at 7.5 runs.
The Pitching Matchup: Chris Sale (BOS) vs. Jacob Faria (TB)
Sale enters play tonight with an impressive 11-3 record over 120 2/3 innings pitched this year. He’s coming off a victory in Toronto last weekend, as he pitched seven innings of shutout ball. He struck out 11 and walked one in the victory.
As for Faria, he’s 3-0 on the season and owns a 2.23 ERA over 32 1/3 innings of work. He picked up a no-decision in his last outing, allowing three runs (two earned) over 6 2/3 innings of work versus the Orioles. Faria struck out six and walked none in the team’s 6-4 win.
Our Prediction
The Red Sox have won six of their last seven games and are 5-1 in their last six road games. They’re also 7-1 in Sale’s last eight starts overall and 4-1 in his last five road outings. Boston is expensive tonight, but as long as the club hits, the Red Sox should cash for bettors.
Thursday MLB Prediction: Boston Red Sox -175
