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The Tampa Bay Rays begin their playoff journey with a home tilt on Thursday evening. The Rays reached the 2021 American League postseason by winning the AL East, and they hold home-field advantage in a best-of-seven series. Tampa Bay takes on the Boston Red Sox, with the Red Sox advancing with a Wild Card Game win over the New York Yankees. The two division rivals played 19 times this season, with Tampa Bay winning 11 of those games.

The Rays are listed as -153 money line favorites, and first pitch is scheduled for 8:07 p.m. ET. The total number of runs Vegas thinks will be scored, or the Over-Under, is eight in the latest Red Sox vs. Rays odds. Before making any Rays vs. Red Sox picks or MLB playoff predictions, you need to see what red-hot SportsLine expert Larry Hartstein has to say.

Hartstein, SportsLine's senior analyst and an Early Edge podcast regular, is a blistering 86-59 in 2021 MLB picks, returning more than $1,300. He is also 41-20 in his last 61 MLB picks overall. In addition, Hartstein has an amazing 31-19 record on his last 50 picks involving Boston, returning more than $900. Anyone who has followed him is way up.

Now, Hartstein has set his sights on Red Sox vs. Rays and he just revealed his MLB playoff 2021 picks and analysis. You can head to SportsLine now to see his picks. Now, here are several MLB playoffs odds and betting lines and trends for Rays vs. Red Sox:

  • Red Sox vs. Rays money line: Rays -153, Red Sox +143
  • Red Sox vs. Rays over-under: 8 runs 
  • Red Sox vs. Rays run line: Rays -1.5 (+130)
  • BOS: The Red Sox are 43-38 in 2021 road games 
  • TB: The Rays are 52-29 at home this season

Why you should back the Red Sox

Boston relies on a potent offense, and that was on display in the AL Wild Card Game win over the New York Yankees on Tuesday. The Red Sox forced elite starting pitcher Gerrit Cole out of the game early and scored six runs in impressive fashion. For the season, Boston led the American League with 330 doubles, and the Red Sox were No. 2 in the AL with a .449 slugging percentage as a team. 

The Red Sox also finished in the top four in OPS (.777), batting average (.261), total bases (2,467) and runs scored (829). Boston has real depth throughout its lineup, headlined by Rafael Devers and Xander Bogaerts. Devers led the team with 38 home runs and a .890 OPS this season, experiencing a full-fledged breakout. Bogaerts is a steady hand, producing 23 home runs, 34 doubles and a .493 slugging percentage with strong defense in 2021.

Why you should back the Rays

In addition to having the best team ERA (3.69) and bullpen ERA (3.24) in the American League, Tampa Bay's offense is quite potent. The Rays finished No. 2 in the AL in runs scored (857), with top-three marks in doubles (288), triples (35), home runs (222) and walks (585). Tampa Bay is also above-average on the base paths, including a top-four mark in stolen bases (88), and it is a top-five group in the AL in both slugging percentage (.428) and OPS (.749).

The Rays have real balance, including ten players with double-digit home runs, but they also have offensive star power. Brandon Lowe led the team with 39 home runs and a .863 OPS during the regular season, with Mike Zunino enjoying the best season of his career behind the plate with 33 home runs and a .559 slugging percentage.

How to make Red Sox vs. Rays picks

Hartstein is leaning over on the run total, and he has found a critical x-factor that has him jumping on one side of the money line. You can only his get his expert MLB picks at SportsLine.

So who wins Red Sox vs. Rays? And which side of the money line has all the value? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of Red Sox vs. Rays you need to jump on Thursday, all from the expert that has crushed his MLB picks, and find out.