The Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays meet in a rematch of last year's ALDS. Boston ended up winning that series in four games and will head to Tropicana Field for the first meeting of these teams since the postseason series.
The Rays are coming off two straight wins against the Cubs, while the Red Sox dropped their last two at Fenway to the Blue Jays.
Who will prevail on Friday night in this AL East clash?
Find out in our free MLB picks and predictions for Red Sox vs. Rays on Friday, April 22.
Red Sox vs Rays odds
This odds widget represents the best odds available for each betting market from regulated sportsbooks.
The line opened with Rays favored at -130, with the total set at 8.5.
Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right up until kickoff and be sure to check out the full MLB odds before placing your bets.
Red Sox vs Rays predictions
Picks made on 4/21/2022 at 7:00 p.m. ET.
Click on each pick to jump to the full analysis.
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Red Sox vs Rays game info
• Location: Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, FL
• Date: Friday, April 22, 2022
• First pitch: 7:10 p.m. ET
• TV: Bally Sports, NESN
Red Sox vs Rays betting preview
Starting pitchers
Michael Wacha (0-0, 0.96 ERA): After a rough spring training, Wacha has looked good in his first two starts. The 30-year-old right-hander has only given up two hits in 9 1-3 innings and didn't have trouble filling up the strike zone in both outings.
Corey Kluber (0-0, 1.86 ERA): Kluber has gotten off to a nice start in his first season with the Rays, allowing only two earned runs over 9 2-3 innings in two starts with Tampa Bay. The two-time AL Cy Young winner pitched 80 innings last year with the Yankees, holding an above-average ERA+ of 112, which included a no-hitter against Texas.
Weather
Be sure to monitor the gametime conditions with our MLB weather info.
Key injuries
Red Sox: J.D. Martinez RF (Questionable), Kevin Plawecki C (Out), Jonathan Arauz 2B (Out).
Rays: No key injuries to report.
Find our latest MLB injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Rays are 12-4 in their last 16 Friday games. Find more MLB betting trends for Red Sox vs. Rays.
Red Sox vs Rays picks and predictions
Our side and total predictions are based upon our analysis of the line and total in this game. Our best bet is our favorite pick across all markets.
Moneyline analysis
Corey Kluber has fared very well against Red Sox batters in his career, allowing only a slash line of .219/.266/.454 over the span of 96 at-bats. He's no longer the elite pitcher that he once was in Cleveland, but the veteran arm can still hold his own at the age of 36.
Although the Red Sox have a deep lineup, they will most likely be without cleanup hitter J.D. Martinez, who suffered a groin injury on Wednesday in a game against Toronto. All-Star shortstop Xander Bogaerts has also struggled mightily against Kluber in his career, with just two hits in 17 plate appearances.
Michael Wacha has become somewhat of an afterthought in baseball after originally being dubbed one of the best young pitchers in the game. Wacha was named NLCS MVP in his rookie season with the St. Louis Cardinals and named to the All-Star team in just his third season.
He's been on three other teams since, with his ERA a rocky 4.57 since 2016. At this point in his career, Wacha is nothing more than a back-of-the-rotation option after once being considered a potential ace.
Although Wacha has looked good in his first two starts, those were against Minnesota and Detroit who have both struggled at the plate in 2022.
Tampa Bay's offense has Brandon Lowe, Wander Franco, Randy Arozarena, and Ji-Man Choi at the top of the order, who should give Wacha trouble. Franco has started off his second season in the show with a bang, boasting an OPS+ of 211 through 12 games, tied for the league lead in hits alongside Matt Olson.
With the Rays' offense fully healthy and the Red Sox likely without their cleanup hitter, I'll take the home team here.
Prediction: Rays ML (-130 at bet365)
Over/Under analysis
While I think Wacha should allow a couple of runs within the first few innings, I expect this game to be relatively low-scoring in the second half. The Rays still possess one of the better bullpens in baseball and are coming off a rest day, so their top relievers should be available.
Tampa Bay is 7-6 to the Under this season, and Boston is even more favorable to low-scoring outcomes at 8-4-1. The Under is also 5-2 in the last 7 meetings at Tropicana Field, and 9-4 in the Rays' last 13 home games with the total set at 7.0-8.5.
The Under is cashing at a 60.3% rate so far this season in all MLB games, as batters continue to get acclimated at the plate after a condensed spring training.
Let's take advantage of that on Friday.
Prediction: Under 8.5 (-110 at bet365)
Best bet
Not only is Franco tied for the MLB lead in hits, but also ranks at the top with Eduardo Escobar and Owen Miller for the most doubles with seven.
The 21-year-old phenom can turn on the jets, and five of the seven doubles have come against right-handers. Look for Franco to get his eighth in just 13 games on Friday against Boston.
Prediction: Franco Over 0.5 Doubles (+300 at bet365)
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