Red Sox vs. Rays: MLB Picks 20.09.2012

Red Sox at Rays

Thursday, Sept. 20-- 7:10 PM (ET)

Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, FL

If life truly imitated the arts, Bobby V would ride off to Disneyland to become the eighth dwarf Gabby, who stands off to the side flapping his jaws to the media about how the other seven aren't pulling their weight.  It's going to be interesting to see how things work out in the real world where it's tough to imagine just howBoston management could ever justify bringing Valentine back.Congratulations, Bobby Valentine.  The Boston Red Sox just guaranteed themselves a losing record in your first season as manager, what are you going to do next for Major League Baseball?

Before the Red Sox get back to Boston this weekend, they have to finish up their series down in the Sunshine State against the Tampa Bay Rays.  The finale will find Clay Buchholz toeing the rubber for Valentine's sad sacks while Cy Young contender David Price takes his turn in Joe Maddon's rotation.  As one would imagine giving the pitching matchup, Tampa Bay is hefty chalk on a -190 moneyline, and the MLB odds list 7 for the total with extra tax on the UNDER.

The Rays remembered to bring their bats and gloves to Wednesday's game, coasting to a 13-3 win to keep their faint playoff hopes alive.  The good news is Oakland may have finally hit a wall and is about to give up one of the AL wild card entries; the bad news is Tampa Bay still has a lot of ground to make up in a short amount of time.

But then we return to more good news with Price pitching tonight.  He could easily have five more wins than the 18-5 record he sports, one of the no-decisions he deserved the ‘dubya’ in coming against these Red Sox at Fenway in late-May when Price allowed just one earned run through seven frames.

Even more good news is the Rays have beaten the BoSox in three of Buchholz's four starts against them this season, and one of those was a matchup between him and Price on July 14.

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SIDE

MONEY LINE

TOTAL

SCORE

BOSTON

TAMPA BAY

• +1½ -120
• +185
• o7 +105

• -1½ +110
• -200
• u7 -115

• +1½ -130
• +180
• o7 +105

• -1½ +110
• -200
• u7 -125

• +1½ -130
• +185
• o7 +105

• -1½ +110
• -210
• u7 -125

• +1½ -120
• +180
• o7 +105

• -1½ +100
• -210
• u7 -125

• +1½ -121
• +187
• o7 +111

• -1½ +110
• -200
• u7 -123

-

-

It's hard not to like Price and the Rays, but also difficult for me to play any moneyline once it starts to go above around -160 or so.  My play tonight will be to lay the extra run and takeTampa Bay on the run line.

Free MLB pick: Rays -1.5 (+115)  +++