Boston Red Sox vs. Tampa Bay Rays Picks and Prediction, Saturday, September 20, 2025
Use Code WWWC It’s an American League East matchup on Saturday, Sept. 20. Read our Boston Red Sox vs Tampa Bay Rays prediction along with the rest of our other MLB Predictions to beat the sportsbooks! The Red Sox are in the final wild card spot in the American League, but they are starting to slip with other teams catching up around them. The Rays are close to being eliminated from the playoffs as they look to spoil the Red Sox’s party. Boston is set to start Kyle Harrison, with the Rays turning the ball over to Adrian Houser. These two teams will meet with first pitch set for 7:05 P.M. EST.
Boston clinging to wild card spot
Boston is in third place in the American League East division. They still do have a chance at winning the division, but time is ticking as they are six games back coming into this series. The Red Sox have their eyes on a wild card spot. They have the final place as they are 1.5 games ahead of the Guardians coming into Friday night. The Red Sox have been struggling lately, losing five of their last seven games.
Kyle Harrison gets the start for the Red Sox against the Rays. The left-handed pitcher is 1-1 with a 4.05 ERA in four starts and five relief appearances. His last appearance saw him throw three innings against the Athletics on Sept. 10. Harrison allowed zero runs and three hits in a 5-4 loss. Boston is 6-3 when Harrison has pitched this season. His last appearance was his first for the Red Sox since being moved from the Giants. With San Francisco, Harrison had a 4.56 ERA in 23.2 innings pitched.
The Red Sox are hitting .254 this season, which ranks fifth-best. They are ranked sixth in runs scored and fifth in hits. Boston has the 12th most home runs while they rank eighth worst in strikeouts. Boston is hitting .245 on the road and .250 since the All-Star break. The Red Sox have a .270 batting average in September, too. In 10 games, the Red Sox have a .228 batting average versus the Rays.
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Tampa Bay close to being eliminated from playoff contention
The Rays are in fourth place in the American League East division. They are at least 14 games back of the Blue Jays and they have struggled throughout most of the season. They haven’t found enough winning streaks to put themselves over .500 for long periods of time. They are also just above .500 in their home stadium. Tampa Bay is also at least eight games out of a wild card spot, meaning their time is limited before being eliminated from the postseason.
On Saturday, Adrian Houser gets the start for the Rays against the Red Sox. The right-handed pitcher is 8-4 with a 3.11 ERA in 19 starts. Houser’s last start saw him throw six innings against the Cubs on Sept. 14. He allowed two runs and seven hits in a 4-3 loss. Teams are 13-6 when Houser has started this season. He had an ERA of 2.10 in 11 starts with the White Sox. Since joining the Rays, he has a 4.67 ERA in eight appearances. Since the All-Star break, Houser has a 4.72 ERA.
The Rays are hitting .252 this season, which ranks ninth best. They are the 14th-ranked scoring offense, while they rank ninth in hits. Tampa Bay is the 15th-ranked home run-hitting team and has struck out the 11th most times. Tampa Bay has hit .262 when playing at home and .241 since the All-Star break. They are having a really solid month, hitting .268 in September. But, they have a .228 batting average in 10 games versus Boston.
Red Sox vs Rays Picks
Boston Red Sox vs Tampa Bay Rays Money Line
- Tampa Bay Rays -1.5 (5 units)
Entering this series, the Red Sox are 8-2 against the Rays this season, but they haven’t played since early July. These two teams are completely different than their previous matchups throughout the season. Yes, Boston has been the better team, but they are starting to slip with the pressure mounting. The Red Sox have lost five of their past seven games as their postseason bid starts to waver. They are starting Kyle Harrison in this game, who has mainly been used a relief pitcher. The Red Sox will most likely have a bullpen game in this one and the Rays will take advantage. They are hot at the moment, hitting .268 in September and a .262 batting average at home. They are also starting Adrian Houser, who has a 3.11 ERA this season.
Take the Rays to cover.
Red Sox vs Rays Over/Under Pick
- Over 8.5 runs (5 units)
The Rays' new home ballpark has been a hitter’s paradise inside the spring training facility. The Ryas are hitting .262 at home and they will feast one again. The Red Sox are starting Kyle Harrison, who is a lefty. If Tampa Bay can get runners on, they will score. They have a .269 batting average with runners in scoring position. Boston is also hitting .270 this month and facing Houser, who has a 4.72 ERA since the All-Star break.
Take the over on Saturday.
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