Subscribe
Follow Us
It is a battle between the two best teams in the American League as the Tampa Bay Rays visit the Baltimore Orioles. It is time to continue our MLB odds series with a Rays-Orioles prediction, pick, and how to watch.
The New York Yankees had a six-run lead going into the bottom of the fifth with Gerrit Cole on the mound, but the Rays clawed back. In the bottom of the fifth Cole gave up a solo home run, and then an unearned run, but still held a 6-2 lead. Cole then gave up four runs in the sixth, including a three-run shot, as the Rays would take the lead and get the win. For the Rays it was their third straight series win and an 8-2 record in their last ten games. After winning game one against the Braves, the Orioles last the last two late. In game two of the series, it was a pinch-hit home run in the eighth that gave the Braves the win. In game three, it was a 12-inning loss. The O's will look to bounce back against their division foe today.
Here are the Rays-Orioles MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Rays-Orioles Odds
Tampa Bay Rays: -1.5 (-110)
Baltimore Orioles: +1.5 (-110)
Over: 8 (-112)
Under: 9 (-108)
How To Watch Rays vs. Orioles
TV: BSSUN/MASN
Stream: MLB.TV
Time: 6:35 PM ET/ 3:35 PM PT
*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Rays Could Cover The Spread
If you score a lot of runs and do not give up a lot, the math says the team is going to win. It is a simple fact, score more, give up less, and win. The Rays are following this to a tee. The offense is scoring 6.43 runs per game, best in the majors. They have done this while launching an MLB-leading 71 home runs, and leading the league in batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging. While scoring 6.43 runs per game, their team ERA is also the best in the majors. Their current ERA is 3.01 on the season, which is .31 points better than second place in the majors. The pitching staff has given up the least amount of home runs while having the lowest WHIP in the league as well.
Randy Arozarena is pacing this offense. In the year he has nine home runs and leads the team with 30 RBIs. He is hitting .328 with an on-base percentage of .397. Arozarena is top ten in the majors in batting average, home runs, RBIs, and OPS this year. Yandy Diaz is also providing a good amount of power to the lineup. While hitting .325, he has hit nine home runs and driven in 19. Yandy is 8th in the majors in batting average and third in the majors in OPS. The young stud Wander Franco is also having a fantastic season. He has eight stolen bases on the year, is hitting just under .300 at .299, and has scored 22 times this year. This offense is potent and can outscore just about anyone.
Shane McClanahan heads to the mound today for the Rays. He is currently 6-0 on the season with a 2.03 ERA. The Rays have won all seven games he has started on the season, and he is yet to give up more than two runs in a start. His last three starts have seen a combined 17 innings, which just five runs given up. Four of those five runs have come via solo home runs in that time. McClanahan is from Baltimore, Maryland so he will be aiming to put on a show for his hometown.
Why The Orioles Could Cover The Spread
The Oriole's offense is ranked fourth in the majors, scoring 4.62 runs per game this year. Still, it has been the offense to let them down as of late. In their last ten games, they have been below their season average in runs scored four times, including being shut out once. In those games, they are 0-4. When they have scored over their season average, they are 6-0.
Adley Rutschman may be one of the best catchers in the league already, but his recent stretch of games has not been. He has no hits in his last four games but has walked five times. On the season, he is still hitting .280 with an on-base percentage of .406, but that has dropped over twenty points in May, as Rutschman has cooled off. Cedric Mullins is still having a great season. He has 28 RBIs to lead the team while hitting .250 and an OBP of .359. He has also stolen 11 bases on the season, second behind Jorge Mateo's 12 on the team. Ryan Mountcastle is continuing his solid season as well, hitting eight home runs and 26 RBIs so far.
Kyle Gibson will be on the mound for the O's. He is coming off of his first loss on the season as he gave up six runs to the Royals in a loss on May 3rd. Still, Gibson is 4-1 this year with a 4.61 ERA. In his five starts in April, in four of them, he gave up three earned runs or less. He has had some struggles with home runs this year and with the power in the Rays lineup that could be a cause for concern.
Final Rays-Orioles Prediction & Pick
This could end up being a pitcher's duel, as McClanahan has been great this year and Gibson has had some wonderful starts. This could also be a complete blowout. It is expected to be 76 degrees and fairly humid with wind coming in from left centerfield at Camden Yards. That will help Gibson a lot, as it should lower the homerun total. Baltimore covers the spread at a 61.8% clip this year, which is the second-best in baseball. The team who does it the best is the Tampa Bay Rays. With McClanahan on the mound, take the Rays to continue dominance in covering in this one.
Final Rays-Orioles Prediction & Pick: Rays -1.5 (-110)
