Story by
Rays vs. Red Sox Game 2 prediction: Odds, recent stats, trends, and best bets on July 17
- Story by
- Rays vs. Red Sox Game 2 prediction: Odds, recent stats, trends, and best bets on July 17
The first-place Tampa Bay Rays (56-38) and surging Boston Red Sox (46-48) cap Friday's day/night doubleheader at Fenway Park tonight. Tampa Bay enters the second half holding a three-game lead over the Yankees in the division, while Boston has climbed back toward the Wild Card race thanks to one of the hottest stretches in baseball. The Red Sox went into the break riding a nine-game winning streak and had swept both the White Sox and Mets on their final road trip before the All-Star break. The Rays, meanwhile, finished the first half 3-2 against Seattle and remain one of the American League's most balanced clubs, ranking among the league leaders in run prevention while continuing to get production throughout the lineup.
The Rays are expected to turn to Mason Englert (0-2, 3.82 ERA) in Game 2. Although primarily used as a swingman this season, Englert is coming off the best outing of his major-league career. On July 5 against Houston , he struck out a career-high nine batters while allowing just two runs on five hits over 5.2 innings. Tampa Bay lost that game 2-0, but Englert promise for the back end of the Rays rotation. He has been particularly effective on the road this season, carrying a 3.00 ERA away from Tropicana Field.
Advertisement
Boston had not yet officially announced a starter for the nightcap as of the time of publication. A staff that has overcome more than a fair share of injuries will certainly be further tested on the back half of this doubleheader.
Diamond Note: Willson Contreras will be available for Game 2 of tonight's day/night doubleheader having finished serving his five-game suspension during Game 1.
Lets dive into tonight's matchup and find a sweat or two.
We've got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Advertisement
Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.
Game Details and How to Watch Game 2: Rays vs. Red Sox
-
Date: Friday, July 17, 2026
-
Time: 7:10PM EST
-
Site: Fenway Park
-
City: Boston, MA
-
Network/Streaming: MLB.TV, NESN, Rays.TV, WMOR-TV
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page , along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
The Latest Odds for Game 2: Rays vs. Red Sox
The latest odds as of Friday courtesy of DraftKings :
-
Moneyline: Tampa Bay Rays (-108), Boston Red Sox (-111),
-
Spread: Rays -1.5 (+149), Red Sox +1.5 (-181)
-
Total: 9.0 runs
Probable Starting Pitchers and their Stats for Game 2: Rays vs. Red Sox for July 17
-
Red Sox:Undecided
Season Totals: TBA -
Rays:Mason Englert
Season Totals: 30.2 IP, 0-2, 3.82 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 28K, 7 BB
Who's Hot? Who's Not! Rays vs. Red Sox
-
Willson Contreraswas hitting .348 in July prior to his suspension
-
Romy Gonzalez was hitless in his last 10 ABs prior to the Break
-
Caleb Durbin has hits in 4 of his last 5 games (6-17)
-
Jonathan Aranda is riding a 5-game hitting streak (11-19)
-
Chandler Simpson has hit safely in 4 of his last 5 games (7-20)
-
Mason Englertfaced the Red Sox in relief earlier this season allowing 3 hits over 3.1 shutout innings
Advertisement
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top Betting Trends & Insights: Rays vs. Red Sox
-
The Rays are 57-37 on the Run Line this season
-
The Red Sox are 43-51 on the Run Line this season
-
The OVER has cashed 42 times in Tampa's 94 games this season (42-47-5)
-
The OVER has cashed 42 times in Boston's 94 games this season (42-48-4)
Expert picks & predictions: Rays vs. Red Sox
Rotoworld Bet Best Bet
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Advertisement
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Game 2 between the Rays and the Red Sox:
-
Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is recommending a play on the Rays on the Moneyline.
-
Spread: Rotoworld Bet is staying away from a play on the Run Line.
-
Total: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Game Total OVER 9.0.
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
-
Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
-
Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
-
Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
-
Trysta Krick (@Trysta_Krick)
