Major League Baseball

MLB odds: How to bet Red Sox vs. Rays, point spread, more

Updated Oct. 7, 2021 3:52 p.m. ET

The Red Sox ousting the Yankees in the wild card round was the talk of baseball, yet the Tampa Bay Rays still seem to fly under the radar.

The Rays will take on Boston in the the best-of-five American League Division Series starting Thursday in a matchup of youth and a smaller market team against a team of veterans on a storied franchise.

Boston will turn to a candidate for comeback player of the year to take the mound in Game 1.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez, who missed the entire abbreviated 2020 season due to complications from COVID-19, will get the start.

Rodriguez was 13-8 with a 4.74 ERA in 32 appearances (31 starts) for Boston this season. He had a 4.71 ERA (21 innings, 11 earned runs) and three walks in four starts against the Rays this season.

Rodriguez was 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA, 13 strikeouts and two walks in two starts at Tropicana Field. He was 19-6 with a 3.81 ERA in 2019 for the Red Sox.

Rays manager Kevin Cash said he'll start young pitchers in Shane McClanahan, 24, and Shane Baz, 22, in the first two games.

If they start the two games, the Rays will become the second team in postseason history to start rookie pitchers in the opening two games of a playoff series (the 2012 A's with Jarrod Parker and Tommy Milone in the ALDS were the first).

The Red Sox are well aware of Tampa Bay rookie shortstop Wander Franco, who was ranked as the No. 1 prospect in baseball prior to the 2020 season. He made his major league debut June 22 against Boston and hit a three-run homer in the fifth inning.

Tampa Bay also features second baseman Brandon Lowe, who led the Rays with a career-high 39 home runs and 99 RBIs. Lowe hit .291 with five homers, 12 RBIs and 16 walks this season against Boston. Then there’s also last year’s postseason hero, Randy Arozarena, who led the Rays in batting average at .274.

But, a fluke injury could have a huge impact on this series.

Boston's J.D. Martinez rolled his ankle stepping on second base while jogging out to his spot in right field in the regular-season finale Sunday. He did not play Monday in the wild card game against the Yankees, and Cora described the injury as "very serious."

It was only the seventh game in which Martinez started in right field this season (he was the designated hitter for 113 games and the left fielder for 28).

Martinez finished in a four-way tie for the MLB lead in doubles with 42 and also hit .286 with 28 home runs and 99 RBIs.

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Boston Red Sox @ Tampa Bay Rays (8:07 p.m. ET Thursday, FOX Sports 1)

Point spread: Rays -1.0 (Rays favored to win by more than one run)
Moneyline: Rays -162 favorites to win (bet $10 to win $16.17 total); Red Sox +135 underdogs to win (bet $10 to win $23.50 total)
Total scoring over/under: 8 runs scored by both teams combined

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