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- Roman AnthonyBatting2-5, 1 HR, 3 RBI
- Ranger SuarezPitching5.2 IP, 1 ER, 5 K
Rays- Jonathan ArandaBatting1-5, 1 RBI
- Ian SeymourPitching5.0 IP, 4 ER, 5 K
Scoring summary
- 9Aranda grounded into fielder's choice to third, Mesa Jr. scored, Díaz out at second.4–2
- 3Jones homered to left (414 feet).4–1
- 2Anthony singled to right, Durbin scored and Story scored, Eaton to third.3–1
- 1Caminero grounded out to third, Díaz scored.1–1
- 1Anthony homered to center (438 feet).1–0
The pick
Reconstructed from what was known before the game: the ratings at that point and the closing line.
Rays 55%
Forecast Elo ratings alone
How often that comes true: MLB favorites the forecast gave 55–60% have won 55.5% of 2,596 graded games.
- Market
- TB 55%
- ML BOS +114 / TB -137
- Pre-line forecast
- TB 51%
- Elo + market-implied
- Elo ratings
- TB 53%
- Ratings vs. market
- −2.4 pts
- TB: Elo 52.9%, market 55.3%
- Fair odds
- TB -124
- BOS +124 · the forecast as odds, no margin
- Pregame projection
- BOS 3.3 – 3.7 TB
- Margin from the forecast, posted total 7
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 | 1537 | 1535 | Elo entering the game; 1500 is league average |
| Home field | — | +18 | Worth 18 Elo in MLB |
| Starting pitchers | −8 | −4 | BOS: Ranger Suarez: team allows 0.41 more runs than with its usual starter (≈10 weighted starts) · TB: Ian Seymour: team allows 0.22 more runs than with its usual starter (≈8 weighted starts) |
| Elo ratings | TB +20 Elo | TB 52.9% | |
| Market-implied ratings | TB 50.8% | Team strength as past closing lines priced it, same game context | |
| Pre-line forecast | TB 51.1% | 15% Elo, 85% market-implied (log-odds blend) | |
| Forecast | TB 55.3% | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 19th of 304.4 | Runs scored | 4.69th of 30 |
| 3rd of 303.8 | Runs allowed | 4.17th of 30 |
| 6th of 30+0.5 | Margin | +0.57th of 30 |
| 11th of 305–5 | Last 10 | 8–22nd of 30 |
| 4th of 3045–33 | Road vs home | 53–251st of 30 |
| 15th of 301500 | Opponent Elo | 149819th of 30 |
| 6th of 301537 | Elo rating | 15357th 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 | 75–78 | 84–68 |
| Last 10 | 4–6 | 5–5 |
| Favorite | 43–58 | 51–45 |
| Underdog | 32–20 | 33–23 |
| Overs–unders | 70–79–4 | 70–77–5 |
| Overs–unders, last 10 | 2–8 | 4–6 |
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 23–26 TB in their last 49 meetings; the forecast called 27 of 49.