Rays-Red Sox prediction: Picks, odds on Friday, June 2

The Tampa Bay Rays march towards an American League East crown continues tonight when they take on the Boston Red Sox in the opener of a four-game set at Fenway Park. The Rays will send Tyler Glasnow (0-0, 6.23 ERA) to the mound, while the Red Sox will counter with Garrett Whitlock (2-2, 5.14 ERA). First pitch is set for 7:10 p.m. ET.

Tampa is a -130 moneyline favorite on DraftKings SportsBook, while Boston is the +110 underdog. The run total is set at 9.

Rays

Out: RP Zack Littell (right shoulder fatigue), RP Pete Fairbanks (left hip inflammation)

Red Sox

Day to day: SP Chris Sale (left shoulder soreness)
Out: INF Yu Chang (left hamate fracture), RP Richard Bleier (left shoulder inflammation), RP John Schreiber (right teres major strain), OF Adam Duvall (fracture in left wrist)

Tyler Glasnow vs. Garrett Whitlock

After striking out eight in 4.1 innings in his season debut last week, Glasnow should have a bit of a longer leash today, as Rays manager Kevin Cash said that he wanted to try to push Glasnow to 100 pitches. Glasnow has a career 3.83 ERA in 42.1 innings against the Red Sox, and held them scoreless in 3.2 innings in his only appearance against them last season.

Like Glasnow, Whitlock made his return from the injured list last week, where he allowed one run in five innings to pick up a win over the Diamondbacks. The 26-year-old missed a little more than a month with ulnar neuritis in his right elbow. He currently ranks in the 96th percentile in walk rate, 84th percentile in chase rate and the 69th percentile in hard-hit rate.

With these two teams matching up for so much baseball over the next 72 hours, it's not out of the question that manager Alex Cora and Kevin Cash would lean on their starters for a bit longer tonight even if they're ineffective. That, coupled with the Red Sox clearing this over in all three of their games in their last series, has me leaning towards the over.

Pick: Over 9

After only scoring five runs across their three games against the Cubs last weekend, I'm banking on the Rays offense to wake up tonight. The AL's best team takes home the win in a shootout.

Pick: Rays

  
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