Subscribe
Follow Us
The Tampa Bay Rays (50-22) visit the San Diego Padres (33-35) for the first of their three-game series. First pitch commences Friday at 9:40 p.m. ET. Below we continue our MLB odds series with a Rays-Padres prediction, pick, and how to watch.
Here are the Rays-Padres MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Rays-Padres Odds
Tampa Bay Rays: -1.5 (+152)
San Diego Padres: +1.5 (-184)
Over: 8 (-102)
Under: 8 (-120)
How To Watch Rays vs. Padres
TV: Bally Sports
Stream: MLB.tv
Time: 9:40 p.m. ET/ 6:40 p.m. PT
*See how to watch Rays-Padres LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Rays Could Cover The Spread
Last 10: 7-3 (First in the AL East)
Run Line Record: 40-32 (56%)
Over Record: 39-30-3 (57%)
Tampa Bay avoided being the latest victim of the Oakland A's – battling back from two losses in the first two games to end up tying the series 2-2. They've now avoided a series loss in seven of their last eight tries and own a five-game lead over the next-closest team in the standings. Still, for as good as Tampa Bay has been, they've struggled to cover in recent games – doing so just three times in their last seven tries. That said, Tampa Bay trots out their ace, Shane McClanahan tonight. They've covered in the run line in 10 of his 14 starts and stand a strong chance to do so again provided their bats heat up.
Lefty Shane McClanahan (10-1) makes his 15th start of the season for the Rays tonight. The 26-year-old flashed brilliance in his first two seasons but has emerged as one of the best pitchers in baseball this year. In addition to leading the majors in wins, McClanahan owns a stellar 2.18 ERA and 1.11 WHIP. He continues to strikeout hitters at an elite 27.8% clip and generates whiffs in the 91st percentile league-wide. The southpaw has been the model of consistency this season with just two starts allowing more than two runs. While one of those came in his most recent outing, McClanahan still picked up a win against the Rangers – allowing three runs on four hits in 7.0 innings of work. While the Padres have heated up, McClanahan is one of the best in the business and should be in line for another strong outing tonight.
The Rays have become notorious for their deep roster of hitters and they're not afraid to change their lineup drastically from game to game. However, they still feature plenty of star power – namely coming from Wander Franco, Randy Arozarena, and Yandy Diaz. All three of Tampa Bay's sluggers have performed well against righties this season. While Arozarena has cooled off this month, Franco and Diaz just keep hitting with .313 and .311 averages, respectively. Outfielder Manuel Margot could serve as a major X-factor tonight after hitting .324 in June.
Why The Padres Could Cover The Spread
Last 10: 6-4 (Fourth in the NL West)
Run Line Record: 34-34 (50%)
Over Record: 23-43-2 (35%)
Righty Yu Darvish (5-4) makes his 13th start of the season for the Padres tonight. The 36-year-old hasn't quite found the same level of success as last season with a career-high 4.30 ERA. Still, he owns a strong WHIP (1.16) and his expected ERA (3.55) suggests he's gotten decently unlucky. Darvish's underlying numbers remain strong. He ranks in the 65th percentile in hard hit rate and near the 70th percentile in both xBA and xSLG. Additionally, Darvish's strikeout numbers are up compared to last season thanks to his 26.3% K-rate. He has struggled of late, however, with at least three earned runs allowed in four of his last five outings. Still, he has had some unfavorable conditions pitching at Coors Field and Yankee Stadium. A return to San Diego could be just the fix Darvish needs considering his 2.68 home ERA.
The Padres finally look to be clicking at the plate. After averaging just four runs per game in May, they're up to 5.2 in June. That lines up with an uptick in performance from Fernando Tatis and Manny Machado. Tatis has finally hit his stride this month – batting .400 with 43 total bases in 13 games. Additionally, he's torched lefties all season long thanks to his 1.163 OPS. As for Machado, he, too has enjoyed considerable success against southpaws – batting .397. Like Tatis, Machado is heating up with the weather as he owns a .320 average this month after hitting .217 in May. San Diego's X-factor could be Gary Sanchez. Since joining the Padres, Sanchez owns a .936 OPS while five of his six homers on the year have come against left-handed pitchers.
Final Rays-Padres Prediction & Pick
For as good as McClanahan and the Rays are, the Padres' lineup is far too menacing to back Tampa Bay as a road favorite. Look for San Diego to keep things tight with Darvish dealing at home.
Final Rays-Padres Prediction & Pick: San Diego Padres +1.5 (-184)
