Boston Red Sox vs Tampa Bay Rays Prediction and Betting Odds July 5

Boston Red Sox vs Tampa Bay Rays Betting Preview

WagerTalk MLB handicapper Andy Lang offers his Boston Red Sox vs Tampa Bay Rays betting preview for Tuesday, July 5. After an 0-3 start with an ERA over 8.00 in April, Boston’s Nick Pivetta has been one of baseball’s best pitchers over the last two months. Can he keep the run going tonight against an AL East foe?

Interested in joining WagerTalk at the Westgate’s SuperContest Weekend in Las Vegas? Click here to learn more about the activities (golf, basketball, handicapping panels and more) and the discounted room block as WagerTalk takes over Sin City in August.

Tuesday, July 5	MLB Betting Notes, Courtesy of Caesars
Moneyline:	Boston Red Sox -125 vs Tampa Bay Rays +115
Runline:	Red Sox -1.5 (+150) / Rays +1.5 (-170)
Total:	9.5 Runs (Over -105 / Under -115)
Game Time:	7:10pm ET / 4:10pm PT
Where:	Fenway Park in Boston
Weather:	Occasional Showers with Light Winds Blowing Out to Left

Boston Red Sox vs Tampa Bay Rays Analysis

The Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox meet for second of three games in a crucial American League East divisional series from Fenway Park on Tuesday evening. The Red Sox prevailed on Monday afternoon as they blanked the Rays 4-0.

Tampa Bay will send reliever turned starter Jeffrey Springs to the mound, while Boston will hope Nick Pivetta can continue his winning ways. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 PM EST/4:10 PST.

Sox Put Speed Bumps Behind Them

After a 20-4 June, the Boston Red Sox hit a rough patch by dropping two of three games in back-to-back series against the Toronto Blue Jays and Chicago Cubs. However they have won their last two games after shutting out the Tampa Bay Rays 4-0 on Monday.

It was essentially a bullpen game for the Sox as Austin Davis opened the game followed by Kutter Crawford and John Schreiber. Crawford pitched the bulk of the game, while striking out eight and earning the victory. Trevor Story went 2 for 4 with a solo blast.

This Boston lineup is juggernaut with a heart of the order that includes Rafael Devers, Xander Bogaerts and J.D. Martinez. They rank eighth in runs scored, second in batting average and sixth in OPS.

The veteran righty Nick Pivetta gets the nod for the Sox on Tuesday night. Pivetta has been the Red Sox most consistent starter with an 8-5 record and 3.23 ERA on the season. He’s been lights out in his last four starts with only six runs allowed across 28 innings of work.

These next two weeks will say a lot about this Red Sox team as they play four straight series alternating between their division rival Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees.

Rays Ready For Bounce-Back

The Tampa Bay Rays came into Boston on the heels of three straight victories against the Toronto Blue Jays. However, they were stopped dead in their tracks as they were shutout 4-0 by the Boston Red Sox.

The Rays used a similar pitching strategy to Boston’s as the opener went a few innings and the second man out pitched the bulk of the game. Only difference was Josh Fleming tossed five innings and allowed four runs resulting in a loss. The Rays literally had two singles, so no real offensive standouts. That’s how it’s been for this lackluster lineup, they rank just outside the bottom five in important offensive categories across the board.

Pitching hasn’t been the problem and the youngster Jeffrey Springs hopes to continue that trend. Springs is 3-2 on the season with an impressive 2.25 ERA and 1.00 WHIP. His last nine appearances have been starts and he’s thrown 60 innings on the season between the rotation and pen.

Boston Red Sox vs Tampa Bay Rays Prediction

This is a great starting pitching matchup as both Pivetta and Springs have been sharp recently. The Rays obviously have a bullpen advantage, however I feel like that neutralized by the fact that Pivetta will almost surely pitch deeper into this game than Springs. So what’s left? Hitting, where Boston has a tremendous advantage. The Red Sox are at home with Pivetta on the mound and a reasonable money line, it’s the obvious direction to look for me.

Prediction: Boston Red Sox -125

First Pitch | MLB Predictions for Tuesday, July 5

Join Drew Martin and a rotating panel of guests for First Pitch as we break down the daily baseball slate from a betting perspective. Join WagerTalk’s team of MLB betting experts every weekday at 1:45pm ET / 10:45am PT for First Pitch as we discuss the baseball betting slate.

WagerTalk Live Odds Screen

WagerTalk’s Live Odds Screen features up-to-the-minute lines from a variety of offshore and domestic sports books. Track the MLB moneylines, run lines and betting percentages for all of Tuesday’s baseball games, including this Boston Red Sox vs Tampa Bay Rays showdown, from your desktop or phone.

**************************************************

Meet the Author

Andy Lang has lived in Indianapolis his whole life, and like most people from the Hoosier State, he became fascinated with motor sports. That interest in motor sports turned into a desire to make money off the sport through fantasy contests and sports betting. Like most, he took his lumps when he first got started, but now he is one of the most respected NASCAR bettors in the industry. Andy has expanded that sports betting experience to become profitable in a number of other sports, transforming this interest from a side hobby to a major source of income.

Looking for more free sports picks and sports betting tips?

• Latest Betting Odds and Public Action: Vegas lines updated in real time, including who the public is betting on.
• Last Minute Handicapping Advice: Check out our extensive library of handicapping tips and advice from professional Vegas handicappers (we also recommend taking the time to look over our sports betting tips video library)
• Want an expert opinion? Check out the latest Free Sports Picks and Best Bets from our team of expert sports handicappers.

Make sure to bookmark all the above!