After an electrifying MLB All-Star weekend, the Tampa Bay Rays will begin the second half of the season in The Peach State against the Atlanta Braves in the first game of their three-game series. It’s time to continue our MLB odds series and make a Rays-Braves prediction and pick.
The Rays had a solid opening half to the season and are 53-37 for the year. They just are 1.5 games behind the Boston Red Sox for first place in the American League East. Meanwhile, the Braves are one game under .500 with a 44-45 record.
Here’s how sportsbooks have set the Rays-Braves odds.
MLB Odds: Rays-Braves Odds
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Tampa Bay Rays +1.5 (-175)
Atlanta Braves -1.5 (+155)
Over 8.5 runs (-116)
Under 8.5 runs (-104)
Why The Rays Could Cover The Spread
The Rays have been phenomenal against the run line this season. They have covered in 51 of their 90 games. Furthermore, when they are the away underdog, they cover 79.2% of the time.
Tampa Bay plans to give the right-hander Michael Wacha his eleventh start of the season. The 30-year-old has been inconsistent this season. He has an ERA of 4.87, and his opponents are batting .273 against him.
However, in Wacha's last start, he held a shutout throughout his six innings pitched and allowed just four hits.
Break's over. Let's roll. #RaysUp pic.twitter.com/AqQKqylR6z
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) July 16, 2021
The Rays have been decent at-bat this season, averaging 4.86 runs per game. They rely very heavily on analytics, and that is clear when evaluating their batting statistics. The Rays have 110 home runs this season, which is above the league average. However, they have the most strikeouts in the MLB with 923.
The Tampa Bay Rays will need a strong game from Michael Wacha and better patience from the batters box to defeat the Atlanta Braves on the road.
Why The Braves Could Cover The Spread
The Braves are in the bottom third of the league when it comes to covering the run line. They have a run line record of 36-53. That number decreases even more when they are playing at home. While at Truist Park, the Braves cover only 32.6% of the time.
Atlanta plans to start their ace tonight, Charlie Morton. The right-hander is 8-3 this season and has a 3.64 ERA. Morton threw 95 pitches in his last start and allowed only two hits in seven innings of shutout baseball.
💪💪💪 pic.twitter.com/4IxbI9K4wN
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) July 16, 2021
The Braves lineup consists of a lot of power. They are ranked fourth in MLB with 123 home runs this season. 72 of their 123 home runs have been in Trusit Park.
However, the Braves' top homerun leader Ronald Acuña Jr. was recently announced out for the remainder of the season with a torn ACL.
If Atlanta is to start the second half of the season with a win against the Tampa Bay Rays, they will need to gain greater productivity from the other players in their batting lineup to replace Acuña's value.
Final Rays-Braves Prediction & Pick
The Rays are the superior team tonight. They went into the All-Star break, having won six of their last seven games. And although the Braves have the better starting pitcher on the mound, the World Series finalist, according to covers.com, are 21-9 in their last 30 games against a right-handed starter.
For those reasons, the Tampa Bay Ray will cover the run line against the Atlanta Braves, and if you are trying to get better odds, it is not a bad idea to lean the moneyline pick.
FINAL PICK: Tampa Bay Rays -1.5 (-175)
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