Rays vs. Red Sox Tips & Odds (July 4th)

July 3, 2022; Chicago, IL, USA; Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers (11) hits an infield single against the Chicago Cubs in the third inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

• The Rays and Red Sox start Monday afternoon with a big three-game set
• Tampa just won three straight games against the Blue Jays
• Below are the Rays vs Red Sox odds and betting predictions

Monday is the start of a very important three-game series between the Tampa Bay Rays (43-36, 18-19 away) and the Boston Red Sox (44-35, 20-16 home) at Fenway Park while both teams the New York Yankees are still in the hunt in the AL East. The first pitch is scheduled for 1:35 p.m. ET.

Tampa is sending Jalen Beeks on the mound here while Michael Wacha is scheduled to get the ball for the Red Sox. However, he is reportedly dealing with a heavy arm, meaning Kutter Crawford could intervene.

Rays vs Red Sox Odds

Odds as of July 3 at DraftKings Sportsbook.

Tampa Bay vs. Boston Probable Pitchers

Beeks, who is primarily a helper for Tampa, will make his fifth start this year as an opener. He actually took on that role in three of his last four appearances, but it wasn’t pretty. The left possesses a 7.36 ERA during this period. However, Beek’s recent performance has been respectable, throwing two innings against the Brew Crew and allowing just one run while beating four batsmen. He posted a 2.70 ERA overall.

Beeks will be opener for #rays on Monday at #RedSox

— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) July 3, 2022

Beeks has yet to face the Red Sox this season, but he is 3-1 in six career games and has compiled a 5.82 ERA against his former ball club. Hopefully the 28-year-old can build on his earlier success against Milwaukee and bring some longevity to the Rays here before handing them over to the rest of the pen.

Beeks vs. Wacha

As previously mentioned, Wacha could be left out for Monday’s start due to a minor arm problem. If that happens, Crawford is the likely replacement. He’s been in Triple-A for a little over a week and has a 6.41 ERA in 10 MLB games this season.

Michael Wacha isn’t feeling great (heavy arm, Cora says) so Sox are considering scraping him and starting Kutter Crawford tomorrow. Nothing decided yet.

— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) July 3, 2022

Crawford’s last start in the major leagues was on June 18 against the Cardinals, giving up four earned runs in just four innings and also giving up two home runs. However, he threw three goalless frames against Tampa early in the campaign.

Tampa is full of confidence

The Rays just wrapped up a long five-game streak with the Blue Jays and although they lost the first two contests, they won the last three. Tampa’s guns, in particular, deserve a lot of credit for limiting Toronto’s electric offensive to just 10 runs.

Ji-Man left his helmet at home. Luckily he was able to go straight back to get it

MLB x @loanDepot pic.twitter.com/Fpmst2pyej

— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) July 3, 2022

Shane Baz pitched and threw six innings of one-run baseball on Sunday while racking up seven strikeouts. At the plate, the Rays were sixth in the lead in the sixth inning and had 14 hits on the day. Ji-Man Choi went ahead and went 3 for 5 with a bomb.

Red Sox avoid the loop

Boston has lost four of its last six games but salvaged a win in Sunday’s series finals at Wrigley against the Cubs. After dropping the first two games, Connor Seabold gave the Red Sox tons of consistency on the bump, going six innings and allowing just one run to Chicago.

Full of hustle and bustle. pic.twitter.com/Q54rNHpAOm

— Red Sox (@RedSox) July 3, 2022

Although Boston scored four runs, they missed numerous opportunities and pinned 14 runners. Rafael Devers (+1000 in NL MVP ratings) and Christian Vazquez both had multiple games, while Xander Bogaerts was eliminated in game seven after suffering a thigh cleat. He is currently in everyday life.

Tampa vs Boston Last 10 Games

Rays versus Red Sox pick

That’s a tough question because we don’t know exactly who will field for Boston. Still, I like Tampa Bay. They just rolled in Toronto and made a statement, throwing well and swinging the bats with authority. Fenway continues in the series opener.

Tip: Ray’s Moneyline (+115)

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