Tampa Bay Rays vs. Boston Red Sox Pick – August 12, 2020

The Boston Red Sox host the Tampa Bay Rays for a third straight day on Wednesday, with the club hoping to finally get a win.

The Rays have stolen the first two games, as they inch closer to the top of the AL East. Boston, meanwhile, is stuck at the bottom of the division.

Tampa Bay enters the night with the superior arm toeing the rubber, as former Cy Young winner Blake Snell (0-0, 3.38 ERA) hopes to silence a powerful Red Sox lineup. Zack Godley (0-1, 3.97 ERA) will hope to provide resistance from the other side.

If you’re looking to wager on this game, read on for our Rays vs. Red Sox betting pick and prediction, and be sure to check out our MLB picks page for more baseball game picks.

The top baseball betting websites peg the Rays as mild favorites, even though they’re on the road in this one.

Tampa Bay is 2-0 in this series so far, but those two road wins are their only wins away from home on the year. Having Blake Snell on the mound only helps their chances, of course.

Boston hasn’t been very reliable in 2020, as the Red Sox are just 3-7 at Fenway Park and 6-11 on the season. They don’t look like great bets here, but their offensive firepower could certainly contribute to the Over.

Today’s game total is a palatable nine, but bettors will have to factor in Snell’s impact on the game’s scoring.

Blake Snell is obviously the main guy to look at when breaking down the Rays vs. Red Sox matchup. He’s been rock solid to start the 2020 MLB season, and he dominated Boston (1-0, 2.35 ERA) across two starts in 2019.

This just in; he’s good.

Blake Snell, 96mph Fastball and 79mph Curveball, Overlay.

Yikes. pic.twitter.com/lR9Tt79kG9

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 7, 2020

The Red Sox do have a slew of dangerous right-handed power bats for Snell to navigate on Thursday, but he whiffs bats with the best of them, and he’s actually fared better against righties than lefties.

Snell hasn’t gone very deep into games to this point, but he should stretch himself out further in this one.

This matchup sets up in favor of Snell, while Boston’s offense in general – while forever deadly – just hasn’t been as imposing this year as it probably should be.

Even if Snell doesn’t bring his best stuff, it’s hard to have too much faith in Zack Godley on the other side. Godley has flashed solid ability to manage games in two out of three starts on the year, but he got absolutely destroyed two starts ago.

Godley is a decent pitcher, but he’s traditionally posted below-average strikeout numbers, can get in trouble with his control, and also gives up a ton of hard contact. None of that should be good news in a hitter’s park against a very capable Tampa Bay offense.

The lean is understandably toward the Rays here, but the Over is probably just as interesting. Snell could still give up a couple of runs in this spot, while Boston’s offense can always liven up after he exits.

Tampa Bay should make quick work of Godley, and if they do, they could be in for quite a night. Overall, I do expect a little fireworks here, but Snell’s presence makes the Over a secondary wager.

When looking for a Rays vs. Red Sox pick, the best bet feels like Tampa Bay as a straight-up winner.