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The Tampa Bay Rays begin their defense of the AL pennant against the Boston Red Sox in Game 1 of the ALDS at Tropicana Field in Tampa, Florida. The Rays won the AL East after overtaking the overachieving Red Sox early in the season. Boston won the AL Wild Card game against the New York Yankees 6-2 on Tuesday night. Let’s take a look at the moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook and make a pick.
Red Sox vs. Rays Game 1 moneyline odds
BOS: +155
TBR: -180
The Red Sox opted to start lefty Eduardo Rodriguez in Game 1 after Nathan Eovaldi pitched the WC game. This may be an issue since the Rays hit lefties well. Randy Arozarena, Mike Zunino and rookie Wander Franco are the most dangerous batters against South Paws. Zunino has an insane 1.287 OPS against lefties this season.
McClanahan is also in a good spot at home. For one, the Rays finished the regular season 52-29, fourth-best in the Majors. McClanahan pitched against the Sox twice this season, allowing 5 ER over 16 IP with 18 Ks and just one HR allowed. He also was 7-3 at home this season.
Really, the only thing the Red Sox have going in Game 1 is momentum. If you think that can carry them to a win in Game 1, it’s possible. It’s postseason baseball. All signs point to the Rays being able to take care of business. The one thing we should note is this line should probably be tighter. The Red Sox at +155 is the better value. That isn’t going to do enough to shy off Tampa Bay.
Pick: Rays -180
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