Picks, predictions for Rays vs. Red Sox on Saturday, June 3

The Tampa Bay Rays (40-18) and the Boston Red Sox (29-27) had their opening game of a four-game set postponed due to rain on Friday. They will play a doubleheader on Saturday, June 3. First pitch of Game 1 from Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. ET and will air on ESPN+. Tampa Bay will start Trevor Kelley as an opener (0-1, 4.91 ERA), while Boston counters with starter Garrett Whitlock (2-2, 5.14 ERA).

The Red Sox are the narrow moneyline favorites at DraftKings Sportsbook, installed at -115. The Rays check in at -105, with the run total set at nine.

Rays-Red Sox picks: Saturday, June 3

Injury report

Rays

Out: SP Josh Fleming (elbow), RP Pete Fairbanks (hip)

Red Sox

Out: Chris Sale (shoulder), RP John Schreiber (lat), RP Richard Bleier (shoulder), 2B Christian Arroyo (hamstring), SS Yu Chang (wrist/hand)

Starting pitchers

Trevor Kelley vs. Garrett Whitlock

Kelley is a reliever that will be starting his third game of the season. The last time he started, he pitched two scoreless innings before giving way to Fleming, who threw six innings. Kelley has yet to pitch more than two innings, so this is likely a bullpen day for Tampa Bay.

This will be Whitlock’s fifth appearance of the year. He has two starts where he has allowed five earned runs each and two allowing just one. Whitlock’s last time out saw him pitch five innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks, giving up one earned run on three hits while striking out four.

Over/Under pick

Keeping in mind that the games all happened toward the beginning of April, the four previous matchups between these teams have finished with combined run totals of one, nine, 16 and 12. Tampa Bay’s last three games have seen combined run totals of seven or fewer, but Boston has seen at least nine runs scored in three straight. I think Whitlock will get knocked around, and we see the over hit in game one.

Pick: Over 9

Moneyline pick

These teams played a four-game series earlier this year. It was toward the end of the Rays’ historic streak to begin the season and they won all four games. Tampa Bay and Boston have each gone 2-3 over their last five. Even with it being a bullpen day for the Rays, I think they will pick up a win in the first game of the doubleheader on Saturday.

Pick: Rays