The Baltimore Orioles travel to Tampa bay to take on the Rays! It's time to continue our MLB odds series with an Orioles-Rays prediction and pick.
The Orioles are extremely fun to watch right now. The city of Baltimore is in a state of mind right now that they haven't felt in a decade. For the first time in years, the Orioles own a winning record in the month of July. Winners of 10 in a row, the Orioles have just accomplished something they haven't done in a century. Weirdly enough, this squad is still 5th in the AL East Divison but is now only a few games behind the 2-4 seeds. This is a huge series for them as they know they have a chance to gain more ground and establish themselves as playoff contenders.
The Rays are on a streak of their own. Tampa Bay is coming off of a 4-game sweep over the Boston Red Sox after getting swept by the Cincinnati Reds in the series prior. That was an interesting 7-game stretch for the Rays as I don't think anyone would have predicted it to turn out that way. The Rays control the 2-seed in the division with a (49-40) record but the Orioles are now right behind them at (45-44).
Here are the Orioles-Rays MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Orioles-Rays Odds
Baltimore Orioles: +1.5 (-196)
Tampa Bay Rays: -1.5 (+162)
Over: 7.5 (-106)
Under: 7.5 (-114)
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Why The Orioles Could Cover The Spread
The Orioles are sending out right-hander Tyler Wells. Wells has been excellent all year long with a (7-4) record and 3.28 ERA in 79.2 innings. The last few starts for Wells have been elite despite giving up three runs to the Los Angeles Angels last time out. He allowed only three runs in his four starts before that. Wells' last five starts ended in a win so the Orioles should have a great chance of covering this spread tonight.
The offense for this squad is rolling during their winning streak. Everyone in the lineup is contributing and they are seeing the results benefit them. Cedric Mullins leads the way with the most runs scored and total at-bats. However, it's been Austin Hays, Anthony Santander, and Ryan Mountcastle who have been producing the most home runs and RBIs. Trey Mancini continues to be a solid contact hitter per usual and with all this coming together at once the team is transformed themselves into a serious team.
Why The Rays Could Cover The Spread
Tampa Bay is sending out right-hander Luis Patino to start this game. He will be coming off the 60-day IL list after recovering from an oblique injury. The former top prospect was dealt to Tampa Bay in the Blake Snell trade and will hope to finally get things going. It's been a rough start to the career for the young pitcher who pitched just .2 innings this season in a loss to the Oakland Athletics back on April 11. The Rays will need Patino to start the game strong as it's unclear how long the leash will be for his return.
What is interesting about this team is the lineup only has two players who have enough at-bats this season to be eligible for comparison. Randy Arozarena and Yandy Diaz both have over 275 ABs while no one else has over 233. Arozarena has been the steady factor for the Rays all year long batting .251 with 10 home runs and 40 RBIs. Isaac Paredes leads the team with 13 home runs while no one else has over seven. The pitching has been the reason for their success this season but will need the offense to step up in this series.
Final Orioles-Rays Prediction & Pick
This is a tough pick to make. The Orioles are on a different level right now and I think they will keep the streak alive! take Baltimore to cover this spread on the road as the +1.5 underdog. The payout won't be great, but it's the likely result.
Final Orioles-Rays Prediction & Pick: Baltimore Orioles +1.5 (-196)
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