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The Tampa Bay Rays take on the Oakland Athletics. Our MLB odds series has our Rays Athletics prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Rays Athletics.
The Oakland Athletics are no longer in the basement of the league-wide MLB standings. They are last in the American League West, but they are no longer the worst team in baseball, which is really rather remarkable when you realize this team was 12-50 through its first 62 games. Oakland has since won seven games in a row to rise to 19-50. The Kansas City Royals have lost eight in a row to fall to 18-49. The A's enter Wednesday with a .275 winning percentage while the Royals are at .269.
The A's are getting the pitching they didn't get in the first 62 games of the season. Oakland's staff ERA in this seven-game winning streak is 2.67. The team's ERA preceding the winning streak was 6.69. An ERA which is four full runs lower will definitely lead to better results. This is Oakland's longest winning streak since a 13-game run in April of 2021. Oakland was able to hold the Milwaukee Brewers to three runs in 19 innings last Friday and Saturday. In the first two games of this series against Tampa Bay, Oakland has limited the powerful Rays to a total of four runs in two games. Tuesday night, the A's won in front of an energized crowd of almost 30,000 fans who were engaging in a “reverse boycott,” meant to show ownership that fans are willing to attend games; they just want the ownership group to sell the team.
Here are the Rays-Athletics MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Rays-Athletics Odds
Tampa Bay Rays: -1.5 (-152)
Oakland Athletics: +1.5 (+126)
Over: 8.5 (-105)
Under: 8.5 (-115)
How To Watch Rays vs. Athletics
TV: Bally Sports Sun (Rays) / NBC Sports California (Athletics) / MLB Extra Innings
Stream: MLB.tv
Time: 9:40 p.m. ET/6:40 p.m. PT
*Watch Rays-Athletics LIVE on fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Rays Could Cover The Spread
The Oakland Athletics have a seven-game winning streak, but they're still 19-50. Oakland has swept only one team all season long. The idea that the Rays — the team with the best record in baseball — will be the second team to get swept by the A's is hard to bet on. It's true that anything can — and often does — happen in one game of baseball, but if ever there was a time when one baseball game feels very close to a lock, it's right here. The Rays are very unlikely to get swept. More than that, the Rays are very unlikely to get shut down on offense for a third straight game. Luis Medina, the Oakland starter, has a very high ERA. Tampa Bay starter Tyler Glasnow has a 2.87 ERA in three starts since coming back from injury. If he pitches the way he has been pitching — going five innings and usually giving up one run — that should be more than enough for the Rays.
Why The Athletics Could Cover The Spread
The A's continue to get great pitching. It's not an accident. When they shut down the Milwaukee Brewers over the weekend, it felt more like a commentary on how bad the Brewers and the rest of the National League Central truly are. The A's won series against two different N.L. Central opponents, having also won a series in Pittsburgh against the Pirates last week. Now, though, two wins against the Rays might be changing the whole conversation surrounding the A's. Maybe Oakland is better than we all thought.
Final Rays-Athletics Prediction & Pick
The Oakland A's are riding a wave of momentum, but the Rays are simply not going to get swept by Oakland. Take Tampa Bay.
Final Rays-Athletics Prediction & Pick: Rays -1.5
