The Red Sox face the Rays at Fenway Park on May 7, with Tampa Bay riding a franchise-record 12 wins in 13 games. Boston, after a recent sweep of the Tigers, is looking to build momentum with rookie Jake Bennett on the mound.
Key points
Red Sox and Rays play at Fenway Park on May 7
Rays won 12 of their last 13 games
Rays bullpen has a scoreless streak over 17 innings
Red Sox are 6-4 in their last ten games
Jake Bennett is starting for the Red Sox
Mentioned in this story
Alex Cora
Red SoxRaysTigersYankees
Red Sox vs. Rays prediction: Odds, recent stats, trends, and best bets for May 7
The Red Sox and Rays open a weekend series tonight at Fenway Park. Tampa Bay takes the field playing as well as anyone in baseball while Boston is looking to build on their recently completed sweep of the Tigers in Detroit.
The Rays arrive in Boston having won 12 of their last 13 and allowing three runs or fewer in all 13, a franchise-record. Their bullpen has been especially sharp, extending a scoreless streak of over 17 innings and giving up just one run in the last 32 innings. With elite pitching, Tampa has not needed too much offense but they are hitting a respectable .254 as a team.
Boston, meanwhile, has shown signs of life since firing manager Alex Cora, going 6–4 over their last ten games including that sweep of Detroit. Rookie starter Jake Bennett gets the ball tonight. It is a small sample size but he has been impressive in limited action, posting a 1.80 ERA. The Red Sox offense came alive in Motown scoring 19 runs over the three games. Because the top of the American League East has been so dominant, though, the Sox still sit 8.5 games behind the Rays and a full nine games back of the first place Yankees.
Bennett will be opposed tonight by Tampa Bay’s Griffin Jax (1–2, 5.14 ERA). Jax has struggled out of the pen but when starting the proverbial bullpen game he has allowed but two hits and no runs (faced 16 batters). He has yet to pitch three full innings in any capacity this season.
Q&A
What are the recent stats for the Red Sox and Rays before their May 7 game?
The Rays have won 12 of their last 13 games, allowing three runs or fewer in all 13, while the Red Sox are 6-4 in their last ten games after sweeping the Tigers.
Who is starting for the Red Sox against the Rays on May 7?
Rookie Jake Bennett is the starting pitcher for the Red Sox in their game against the Rays.
How have the Rays performed in their recent games leading up to May 7?
The Rays have been outstanding, winning 12 of their last 13 games and extending their bullpen's scoreless streak to over 17 innings.
What is the current standing of the Red Sox in the American League East?
The Red Sox are currently 8.5 games behind the Rays and nine games back of the first-place Yankees.
Related Articles
Sports
Palace beat Shakhtar to book spot in first-ever European final
Sky Sports·
Sports
Bayern Munich open talks over Gordon move
Bayern Munich has started discussions with Newcastle about signing Anthony Gordon this summer.
Sky Sports··1 min read
Sports
ESPN identifies Panthers' biggest roster hole for 2026 NFL season
Yahoo Sports·
Sports
🔥 Final settled! Aston Villa hammer Forest and Freiburg dump Braga
Yahoo Sports·
Sports
The NCAA tournament expansion nobody wanted is happening — the latest example of college leaders abandoning the fans
Yahoo Sports·
Sports
Crystal Palace x Shakhtar Donetsk - Highlights, Summary and Match Report
See every story in Sports — including breaking news and analysis.
Overall, the matchup tilts slightly toward Tampa Bay given their dominant pitching, superior record, and recent form, but Boston’s home-field advantage and improved play make this a more compelling matchup than it might have been ten days ago.
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.
FollowRotoworld Player Newsfor the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.
Game Details and How to Watch: Red Sox vs. Rays
Date: Thursday, May 7, 2026
Time: 7PM EST
Site: Fenway Park
City: Boston, MA
Network/Streaming: ESPN
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: Red Sox vs. Rays
The latest odds as of Thursday courtesy ofDraftKings:
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: Red Sox vs. Rays
The Rays are 10-8 on the road this season
The Red Sox are 6-10 at home this season
The Rays are 23-13 on the Run Line this season
The Red Sox are 13-24 on the Run Line this season
The OVER has cashed 18 times in Boston games this season (18-18-1)
The OVER has cashed 16 times in Rays’ games this season (16-17-3)
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Expert picks & predictions: Red Sox vs. Rays
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.
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 tonight’s game between the Red Sox and the Rays:
Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards 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 recommending a play on the Game Total OVER 8.5 runs
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
