Boston Red Sox vs Tampa Bay Rays Prediction, 6/24/2021 MLB Pick, Tips and Odds

Game: Boston Red Sox vs Tampa Bay Rays

Date: Thursday, June 24, 2021

Location: Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FL

TV: Bally Sports Sun

Odds/Point Spread: Boston (-105) Tampa Bay (-116)

Michael Wacha and the Tampa Bay Rays (43-31, 2nd in AL East) host the Boston Red Sox (44-29, 1st in AL East) at Tropicana Field on Thursday. The Red Sox open this contest at -105 while the Rays are priced at -116. The O/U opens at 8. The starting pitchers are Nick Pivetta and Michael Wacha.

The Red Sox have tallied 160 two-baggers as a unit and have hit 92 balls out of the park. Boston owns a slugging percentage of .441 and have been called out on strikes 649 times, while drawing a walk on 193 occasions. As a squad, the Boston Red Sox are compiling 5.1 runs per outing, which ranks them 3rd in MLB. They have accounted for 348 runs batted in as well as 642 base knocks this year, and their team batting average is sitting at .258. They have tallied 371 runs scored while holding a team on-base percentage of .318.

Red Sox pitchers have relinquished 71 home runs and 333 runs (18th in baseball). They have walked 257 players from the other team and their FIP is 3.82 as a squad on the season. They have a strikeout to walk ratio of 2.68 and the pitching staff holds a collective WHIP of 1.41. The Red Sox have compiled a team earned run average of 4.21 on the campaign (17th in baseball), and their staff has rung up 688 batters.

Red Sox relief pitchers have come into the game with opponents on base 70 times in addition to having 86 appearances in high leverage situations. The relief pitchers have a total of 46 holds this season (6th in MLB). The Red Sox relief pitchers have recorded a save rate of 66.7% and has come into the game in 80 save situations. They have tallied 22 saves so far this year and have blown 11 of their 33 save opportunities. The relievers have inherited 111 runners so far this year with 32.4% of them crossed the plate. The Red Sox have dispatched 239 relievers to the hill on the campaign.

The Red Sox have turned 65.0% of balls in play into outs out of 5,790 innings on the diamond, ranking them 30th in pro baseball. The Boston Red Sox have amassed 1,930 putouts for the season, in addition to 658 assists and 53 errors. Their fielding rate is holding steady at .980 which puts them in 29th in professional baseball, and have accumulated 517 double plays.

Pivetta has taken the hill for 480 innings and has totaled 520 K's so far in his pro baseball career. Pivetta (27-33 career win-loss mark) holds a FIP of 4.53 and he has gone up against 2,088 opposing batters in the majors. His ERA is 5.24 (280 earned runs allowed) and he has a career WHIP of 1.417. He has surrendered 492 base hits (9.2 hits per 9 innings) and has 189 walks.

The Rays hold a slugging % of .390 and they average 4.84 runs per game (8th in baseball). They have hit 129 doubles, while getting a free base 284 times and putting up 358 runs. Tampa Bay has knocked in 88 home runs on the season as well as 341 runs batted in. They have struck out on 777 occasions (1st in MLB) and have earned 579 base hits. The Tampa Bay Rays have compiled a team on-base percentage of .314 in addition to a team batting average of .229 this year.

The Rays have a team WHIP of 1.122 in addition to having a FIP of 3.64 as a team over the course of the season. They have earned a strikeout to walk ratio of 3.50 (703 strikeouts against 201 walks). They are currently ranked 13th in the league as a pitching staff in total hits conceded with 555. They have yielded 81 homers and they relinquish 3.86 runs per 9 innings (6th in baseball). The Tampa Bay pitching staff have allowed 289 runs over the course of the season while having a team ERA of 3.43 (257 earned runs yielded).

Tampa Bay relievers hold an inherited score rate of 26.8% of 71 inherited base runners. Their bullpen pitchers have stepped onto the mound 101 times in high leverage situations and on 60 occasions with base runners. Sitting with 82 save situations, the Rays have earned 48 holds in addition to 10 blown saves. They are currently ranked 7th in the league holding a save rate of 68.8%, and they have dispatched 236 relievers onto the field on the season. Tampa Bay has had relievers enter the contest in 32 save chances and they have come away with 22 saves.

In 6,066 innings on the field, the Rays are sitting with a defensive efficiency of 71.3% (5th in the majors). The Tampa Bay Rays have twisted 67 double plays and have a fielding rate of .989 (1st in the majors). The Rays have accrued 687 assists, 29 errors and have earned a total of 2,022 putouts during this campaign.

So far in his career, Wacha has given up 943 hits while he has tallied 828 strikeouts in 945 frames. He has allowed 427 ER's while holding a WHIP of 1.337 and being the owner of a FIP of 4.0. He has a strikeout to walk ratio of 2.59 and he has gone up against 4,031 batters so far in his MLB career. Wacha (61-45 career win-loss record) has a 4.07 ERA while giving up 9.0 hits per 9 innings.

Who will win tonight's MLB game ATS?

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Tampa Bay (-116)

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