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The Baltimore Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays will face off in the second of a three-game series on Saturday at Tropicana Field. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our MLB odds series, which includes our Orioles-Rays prediction and pick we have laid out below.
The Baltimore Orioles might actually pull this thing off. With their win last night, Baltimore now moves into a Wild Card spot at 59-53. The team is red hot, winning eight of their last ten games. The later it gets in the season, the less it seems like a dream that Baltimore will make the playoffs.
Tampa Bay may be losing some of that luster they've seemed to had for over a decade. At 58-53, Tampa Bay is actually trailing Baltimore for the final Wild Card spot. Amind a 4-6 stretch, Tampa Bay has lost their grip on the final playoff spot.
Here are the Orioles-Rays MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Orioles-Rays Odds
Baltimore Orioles: +1.5 (-152)
Tampa Bay Rays: -1.5 (+126)
Over: 7 (+102)
Under: 7 (-124)
Why The Orioles Could Cover The Spread
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What a season this has been in Baltimore. Even after trading away two-star players in Trey Mancini and Jorge Lopez, Baltimore is still competing for a playoff spot. Anthony Santander has been on another level this year, smashing 20 home runs with a .263 batting average. In all, seven Orioles have reached double-digit home runs. Rookie catcher Adley Rutschman has not missed a beat since his debut, hitting six home runs in 65 games, racking up 22 doubles while hitting .251. So much for a learning curve. Jorge Mateo and Cedric Mullins bring speed to the table, swiping 27 and 24 bags, respectively. Baltimore has hit 206 doubles as a team, ranking sixth in the league, and their 70 stolen bases are tied for ninth.
DL Hall, one of the best pitching prospects in baseball, will make his MLB debut today. Hall was a first-round pick in 2017, and spent most of the season in Triple-A. Hall's electric fastball, which sits comfortably in the mid-to-upper 90s, touching 100, helped him to a 14.7 K/9 rate at Triple-A. Obviously given the prospect pedigree, all four of Hall's pitches grade out as at least above-average. Baltimore's bullpen, which ranks third with a 3.08 ERA, threw 449.2 innings. While asked to shoulder the largest workload in the league, Baltimore's bullpen has kept up its amazing pace. Goliath closer Felix Bautista has taken over for Lopez, with a 1.69 ERA and 6 saves in his 48 innings.
Why The Rays Could Cover The Spread
Tampa Bay seems to be missing something this season. There is a lot of talent on the team, but yet the Rays are clawing for a playoff spot. The Rays have always been able to do more with less in terms of payroll, but that formula is bound to have a down year or two. 2022 seems to be that down year. Randy Arozarena has found his power stroke again, as 6 of his 14 home runs have come in his last 30 games. In addition, Arozarena has added 21 stolen bases. Despite a recent cold stretch, Yandy Diaz still owns an impressive .389 on-base percentage, walking 60 times versus 45 strikeouts. David Peralta, acquired at the deadline, has hit .278 in his nine games since becoming a Ray. Besides ranking tied for 11th in doubles, the Rays are towards the bottom of the league in most offensive categories. The individual pieces are in place to make a strong offense.
Shane McClanahan, another All-World pitcher developed by Tampa Bay, will start this one. McClanahan owns a 2.24 ERA in 21 starts, striking out 161 batters in 128.1 innings. McClanahan ranks in the 95th percentile in both strikeout percentage and whiff rate, while his 4.8% walk rate is in the 91st percentile. Simply, McClanahan lives in the zone, but his electric stuff misses plenty of bats. Batters have hit well below .200 against McClanahan's changeup and curveball combined, two pitches he throws roughly half the time. Tampa Bay's bullpen is solid, ranking ninth with a 3.44 ERA. One truth of this ball club is that they will find bullpen talent ANYWHERE, and that success will come from different arm angles. 2022 is no different.
Final Orioles-Rays Prediction & Pick
This will be one of the most exciting pitching matchups today.
Final Orioles-Rays Prediction & Pick: Tampa Bay -1.5 (+126), over 7 (+102)
