MLB Saturday Preview – Tampa Bay Rays vs Boston Red Sox
Before baseball gambling fans turn their attention to other sports betting events this weekend, we have the Saturday MLB game of the day pick for you. It’s time for our weekly baseball picks for online MLB betting action.
Season Record:
Tampa Bay: 6-3-1 SU
Boston: 4-5-1 SU
CLICK HERE NOW TO VIEW THIS WEEKS BEST MLB BASEBALL HANDICAPPERS —–>
MLB Betting – Rays, Red Sox renew AL East hostilities
We know you’re getting ready to bet NBA playoffs, but the baseball season has started, and one of the best fledging rivalries in baseball will be the focus of a busy Saturday as the Boston Red Sox will host the Tampa Bay Rays, who have gotten off to a quick start on the road this season.
Rays vs Red Sox odds – Saturday, April 17, 7:10 PM ET
James Shields (0-0, 3.97) is coming off a pair of no-decisions to start the season, and he wasn’t particularly efficient in a 7-3 loss to the Yankees at home in his last outing, allowing two runs on four hits over 5.1 innings, but it took him 103 pitches to do so. Shields also struck out five and walked three along the way, and he’ll be facing a Red Sox team that has given him problems in the past.
The 28-year-old righthander is 3-7 in 12 career starts against the Red Sox with a 5.32 ERA, and Boston is hitting .270 off him, along with 10 homers.
The Red Sox will counter with Clay Buchholz (1-0, 3.60), who they’ll need to make the jump to the next level if they want to challenge the Yankees’ MLB betting odds in the East. Buchholz came away with a victory in his first start of the season, an 8-6 win in Kansas City, but he wasn’t overwhelmingly good, allowing three runs (two earned) on seven hits over five innings with two walks and a strikeout.
The 25-year-old righthander, who the Red Sox did not want to include in trade talks last year when they were after Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee, is 2-1 in four starts against the Rays in his career with a 2.39 ERA, and the Ray have gone deep off him just once.
Sportsbooks should favor the Red Sox at Fenway Park, but heading into Friday’s series opener, they had lost two of their first three games at home. The Rays have dropped seven of their last 10 in Boston, including four in a row, and it doesn’t help that Shields is absolutely dreadful at Fenway Park, losing all six of his career starts in front of the “Green Monster”, and he has an 8.04 ERA there.
The Red Sox are taking a minute to get going this year, and they simply need their pitching to be better as Boston has a staff ERA of 4.65, although Tampa isn’t much better at 4.56. Shields hasn’t look good enough this year to have any confidence in him in this game, while Buchholz is generally pretty solid at home.
Gambling Trends:
Boston4-0-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Tampa Bay
Boston4-0-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Tampa Bay
Boston15-7-1 SU in its last 23 games at home
Boston is 4-8-1 SU in its last 13 games
Tampa Bay 4-0-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Tampa Bay 12-5-1 SU in its last 18 games
Tampa Bay is 6-11-1 SU in its last 18 games ,on the road
Tampa Bay is 0-4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Boston
Go with the Boston Red Sox in your sportsbetting picks.
