Boston Red Sox at Tampa Bay Rays, MLB forecast
Win probability
Starts from the pregame forecast, then moves with the score and the time left after each inning. Above the line favors TB.
Game center
From the ESPN box score.
Top performers
Red Sox- Marcelo MayerBatting1-2, 1 HR, 1 RBI
- Connelly EarlyPitching4.2 IP, 2 ER, 6 K
Rays- Yandy DiazBatting1-3, 1 HR, 2 RBI
- Ian SeymourPitching4.0 IP, 1 ER, 5 K
Scoring summary
- 8Díaz hit sacrifice fly to center, Walls scored.1–3
- 5Aranda singled to left, Slater scored.1–2
- 3Mayer homered to right center (401 feet).1–1
- 1Díaz homered to left (390 feet).0–1
The pick
Reconstructed from what was known before the game: the ratings at that point and the closing line.
Rays 50%
Forecast Elo ratings alone
How often that comes true: MLB favorites the forecast gave 50–55% have won 52.7% of 2,871 graded games.
- Market
- TB 50%
- ML BOS -109 / TB -111
- Pre-line forecast
- TB 51%
- Elo + market-implied
- Elo ratings
- TB 49%
- Ratings vs. market
- −1.0 pts
- TB: Elo 49.2%, market 50.2%
- Fair odds
- TB -101
- BOS +101 · the forecast as odds, no margin
- Pregame projection
- BOS 4.0 – 4.0 TB
- Margin from the forecast, posted total 8
How the number is built
Elo inputs in rating points (higher favors that team; 25–28 Elo is about a point of spread in football and basketball), then how the pieces combine.
| Factor | BOS | TB | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Team rating | 1510 | 1506 | Elo entering the game; 1500 is league average |
| Home field | — | +18 | Worth 18 Elo in MLB |
| Starting pitchers | +12 | −7 | BOS: Connelly Early: team allows 0.61 fewer runs than with its usual starter (≈8 weighted starts) · TB: Ian Seymour: team allows 0.36 more runs than with its usual starter (≈4 weighted starts) |
| Elo ratings | BOS +6 Elo | BOS 50.8% | |
| Market-implied ratings | TB 51.3% | Team strength as past closing lines priced it, same game context | |
| Pre-line forecast | TB 51.0% | 15% Elo, 85% market-implied (log-odds blend) | |
| Forecast | TB 50.2% | Follows the market (vig removed): in testing, adding the ratings made it less accurate | |
Tale of the tape
This season coming into the game, regular season, each number with its league rank (the longer the bar, the higher). Home and road: the host's record at home against the visitor's on the road. Opponent Elo: how strong the teams each has played are, 1st the toughest.
| BOS | Stat | TB |
|---|---|---|
| 27th of 304.0 | Runs scored | 4.612th of 30 |
| 9th of 304.1 | Runs allowed | 4.515th of 30 |
| 15th of 30−0.1 | Margin | +0.19th of 30 |
| 11th of 305–5 | Last 10 | 3–726th of 30 |
| 11th of 3017–15 | Road vs home | 21–91st of 30 |
| 5th of 301507 | Opponent Elo | 149817th of 30 |
| 10th of 301510 | Elo rating | 150613th of 30 |
Rating history
Each team's Elo over the last two seasons. Hover or drag to compare on any date.
Recent form
Last five results, and whether the forecast hit.
Against the line
How each team has done against the closing spread and total, coming into this game.
| This season |  BOS |  TB |
|---|---|---|
| Run line | 27–36 | 36–26 |
| Last 10 | 6–4 | 3–7 |
| Favorite | 12–25 | 21–14 |
| Underdog | 15–11 | 15–12 |
| Overs–unders | 28–32–3 | 30–28–4 |
| Overs–unders, last 10 | 4–4–2 | 5–4–1 |
Against each game's closing line. Books set every line knowing these records: across 3,901 past games, the team with the better record against the spread so far that season covered 51.2%, short of the 52.4% a standard −110 bet needs, and over/under streaks held 48.0% of the time. They describe the past.
Head to head
BOS 19–23 TB in their last 42 meetings; the forecast called 21 of 42.