An AL East matchup is in the works as the surging Tampa Bay Rays and slumping Baltimore Orioles clash at Camden Yards on Friday evening. It is time to check out our MLB odds series, where our Rays-Orioles prediction and pick will be revealed.
Everyone be on the lookout for Tampa Bay! The Rays are now firmly in the second-place spot in the AL East and sit at an overall record of 23-15. Additionally, the Rays are 10-6 out on the road and have been triumphant in five of their last seven contests. Seeking his second win of the season will be RHP Jalen Beeks, who has an impressive 1.72 ERA to his name in 2022 thus far.
While the Orioles are heading in the opposite direction of the Rays, they are still a team that is capable of putting a full game together. With an even 10-10 record on the season at their home ballpark, Baltimore was able to snap a brutal six-game losing streak after defeating the Yankees 9-6 on Thursday. With the taste of winning back in their mouths, the Orioles will send out RHP Tyler Wells, who will look to improve his 4.18 ERA.
Here are the Rays-Orioles MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Rays-Orioles Odds
Tampa Bay Rays: -1.5 (+120)
Baltimore Orioles: +1.5 (-144)
Over: 8.5 (-122)
Under: 8.5 (+100)
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Why The Rays Could Cover the Spread
After a slow start to the season, the Rays are seemingly finally living up to the pre-season hype that was placed upon their shoulders. Without a doubt, Tampa Bay can contend with the best teams in baseball, as they play with a strong sense of confidence in their abilities to win any game they suit up for. This has especially been the case against the Orioles, as Tampa Bay has had Baltimore's number over the past season.
In 18 of the team's 19 matchups last year, the Rays came out victorious while also going 9-0 at Camden Yards. Not to mention, but the Rays even opened up their season with a series sweep of the O's down at Tropicana Field in early April, showcasing that they simply have the O's number.
Offensively, the Rays are only scratching the surface of their potential with the bats, as this game could serve as a measuring stick and possible breakout game at the dish. Tampa Bay's lineup ranks out as a middle-of-the-pack type team statistically, as they rank smack dab in the middle of the league with 37 home runs belted. Additionally, the Rays have generated 162 runs to this point, which ranks 13th in all of baseball.
Coming into 2022, the Rays had plenty of pitching weapons at their disposal. Fast forward a month and a half later, and the Rays' arms have clearly been their bread and butter through 38 games played. With Beeks usually coming out of the bullpen, he is slated to make his first start of the season and look to build off the team's eighth-best league ERA of 3.47.
Why The Orioles Could Cover the Spread
With the monkey finally off their backs, the Orioles can take a deep sigh of relief after finally winning a game. The six-game losing skid no question has pushed them further back in the standings, so the avoiding the sweep at the hands of the Yankees was a vital one, especially with how dominant New York has been playing. Not to mention, the victory came in dramatic fashion as Anthony Santander rocked a walk-off three-run home run in the ninth inning to solidify Baltimore's victory. With his first walk-off home run of the year, Santander went 3-4 with a pair of doubles on his career day. In order for the Orioles to have a shot at covering the spread in this one, an unlikely hero may need to rise up once again.
There is many reasons why the Orioles have suffered to begin the 2022 MLB season and sit dead last in the division, but one does not have to dive deep into the stats to understand Baltimore's struggles. In most aspects of the game, Baltimore has failed to capitalize and perform effectively.
This can be said at both the plate and throughout the pitching staff and bullpen, as they rank near the bottom in most statistical categories through 39 games played. With the third-lowest run total at 131 and an opposing batting average against at .254, the odds seem to be stacked against them when looking at this matchup.
However, if they can have a repeat of a solid team outing like they did yesterday against the Yankees and receive a stellar outing from righty Tyler Wells where he pitches deep into the game, then don't sleep on the hungry Orioles!
Final Rays-Orioles Prediction & Pick
It may be a crazy thought, but can the Orioles actually cover the spread in this one? While the answer may be a resounding no at first, Baltimore surprisingly is 23-17 ATS thus far on the year. Pulling for the underdog is usually pretty darn fun, and the risk is worth it in a matchup that the Orioles desperately want to win. Baltimore may not win, but they will cover the +1.5 spread when they visit sunny Florida to kick off the weekend.
Final Rays-Orioles Prediction & Pick: Orioles +1.5 (-144)
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