It is interleague baseball as the Arizona Diamondbacks face off with the Tampa Bay Rays. It's time to continue our MLB odds series with a Diamondbacks-Rays prediction and pick.
Diamondbacks-Rays Projected Starters
Ryne Nelson vs. Ryan Pepiot
Ryne Nelson (8-6) with a 4.51 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP.
Last Start: In his last start, Nelson went 7.1 innings giving up three hits, a walk, and a home run. Two runs would score as Nelson took a no-decision against the Phillies.
2024 Road Splits: Nelson is 4-3 on the road in ten starts and 12 total appearances. He has a 4.11 ERA and a .265 opponent batting average.
Ryan Pepiot (6-5) with a 3.92 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP.
Last Start: Pepiot has not started a game since July 14th. He went six innings in that game, giving up two hits. Pepiot did not give up a run in that game, taking the win over the Guardians.
2024 Home Splits: In 11 starts at home, Pepiot is 3-3 with a 4.08 ERA and a .191 opponent batting average.
Here are the MLB Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Diamondbacks-Rays Odds
Arizona Diamondbacks: -1.5 (+146)
Moneyline: -108
Tampa Bay Rays: +1.5 (-178)
Moneyline: -108
Over: 8 (-102)
Under: 8 (-120)
How to Watch Diamondbacks vs. Rays
Time: 6:50 PM ET/ 3:50 PM PT
TV: ARID/BOSUN
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Diamondbacks Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Diamondbacks are first in the majors in runs scored while sitting second in batting average, second in on-base percentage, and fourth in slugging. Ketel Marte leads the way. He is hitting .298 this year with a .369 on-base percentage. He has 30 home runs, 81 RBIs and 81 runs scored. Still, Marte is considered day-to-day as he was injured for the second time in a week on Monday. Joining him in having a great year is Eugenio Suarez. He is hitting .234 on the year with a .310 on-base percentage. He has 18 home runs, 69 RBIS, and 58 runs scored. Crobin Carroll has not been hitting great, but he is getting on base. He is hitting just .220 with a .310 on-base percentage. Carroll has 11 home runs and 46 RBIS but has scored 83 times. Further, he has stolen 21 bases this year.
Jake McCarthy comes into the game hot. He is hitting .467 in the last week with three home runs, 15 RBIs and five runs scored. Meanwhile, Crobin Carroll is hot as well. He is hitting .304 in the last week with a .360 on-base percentage. Carroll has two home runs and five RBIs while scoring seven times. Josh Bell is also swinging the bat well. He is hitting .296 in the last week with two home runs, four RBIs and six runs scored. In the last week, the Diamondbacks are hitting .326 as a team and have hit 10 home runs plus scored 50 times. That is over nine runs per game.
Arizona Diamondbacks have 29 career at-bats against Ryan Pepiot. They have hit just .138 against Pepior. Josh Bell has the most experience against Pepiot. He is 3-10 with a triple and an RBI. Jose Herrera has the only other hit against Pepior. He is 1-4.
Why The Rays Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Rays are 28th in runs scored while sitting 26th in batting average, 20th in on-base percentage, and 27th in slugging. Yandy Diaz is leading the way this year. He is hitting .270 this year with a .326 on-base percentage. Diaz has ten home runs and 52 RBIs while scoring 43 times. Brandon Lowe has also been solid this year. He is hitting .249 with a .326 on-base percentage. He has 14 home runs and 44 RBIS while scoring 36 times. Jose Siri rounds out the top bats of the year. He is hitting just .197 with 14 home runs and 44 RBIS. He has also stolen 12 bases and scored 40 times.
Dylan Carlson has driven in the most runs in the last week. He is hitting just .211 but has a .318 percentage. Carlson had a home run and four RBIS in one last week while scoring one. Jose Caballero has also been great as of late. He is hitting .375 in the last week with a home run and three RBIs. He has scored four times in the last week. Taylor Walls is also hitting well. He is hitting .333 in the last week with four runs scored, but has not driven in a run. The Rays are hitting just .182 in the last week with 18 runs scored, under three per game.
Only two current Rays have at-bats against Ryne Nelson. Christopher Moreal is 0-2 with two walks. Meanwhile, Dylan Carlson is 0-2 with an RBI.
Final Diamondbacks-Rays Prediction & Pick
These are two teams going in opposite directions on offense. The Rays have created just 15.3 runs in the last seven games, but have scored 18. The Diamondbacks have created 47.9 runs and scored 50. The disparity in offense, plus Ryan Pepiot making his first start in over a month, should lead to a win for the Diamondbacks.
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Final Diamondbacks-Rays Prediction & Pick: Diamondbacks ML (-108)