A rare inter-league matchup is scheduled to occur in the Queen City as the Tampa Bay Rays continue their road trip at Great American Ballpark to take on the Cincinnati Reds. It is time to take an exclusive look at our MLB odds series, where our Rays-Reds prediction and pick will take place.
After a disappointing loss taking place in Game 1 that saw the Rays' bats silenced in a 2-1 defeat. Tampa Bay will quickly have to rebound in order to stay in the thick of the AL playoff race. Getting the nod for the start in this one will be RHP Drew Rasmussen who has compiled a 5-3 record with a 3.30 ERA.
Cincinnati is currently 24 games under .500 with a 30-54 record, and with the season looking more gloomier as each day passes, the gritty win over Tampa Bay had to feel pleasing. Righty Hunter Greene will attempt to give his squad a trio of consecutive wins on Saturday as he has posted a 3-10 record with a 6.01 ERA.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Rays-Reds MLB odds.
MLB Odds: Rays-Reds Odds
Tampa Bay Rays: -1.5 (+106)
Cincinnati Reds: +1.5 (-128)
Over: 9.5 (-105)
Under: 9.5 (-115)
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Why The Rays Could Cover the Spread
Winners in five of their previous six matchups before laying an egg in the opening game against the Reds last night, Tampa Bay has indeed begun to play a little better over the course of their past few series. Now at 45-38, the Rays have moved into the second-place spot out in the AL East and are in prime position for a Wild Card spot as we sit here in July.
Tampa Bay does most of their destruction from upon the hill. Friday night's matchup against Cincy was a fine example of this, as the Rays were able to keep the Reds at bay by only allowing two runs on four hits. It was an impressive display of pitching from the arms on this roster, but the Rays like so many other times throughout the season were too inconsistent at the plate to collect the victory. Tampa Bay recorded five hits and left a troubling eight men on-base en route to the loss.
The fifth-lowest scoring club in the majors, the Rays have to find a way to generate some offense if they want to cover the spread. Even with low on-base and slugging percentages, Tampa Bay opportunities have been limited from at the plate. Simply put, someone within this lineup needs to step up.
Luckily, the pitching staff doesn't appear to be slowing down anytime soon. With the fourth-best ERA at 3.26 and top five statistical rankings when it comes to WHIP and BAA, this unit is surely the real deal. Introducing Drew Rasmussen, who is putting together a solid year of work in his 13 games started. Against a lowly Reds hitting squad, Rasmussen has an opportunity to deal on this Saturday.
Why The Reds Could Cover the Spread
At the halfway point of the 2022 MLB season, it is without question that the Reds have been one of baseball's worst teams to suit up this year. Obviously, this roster is in full rebuild mode and may be playing for pride as their playoff hopes are well out the window. Nevertheless, the Reds have a terrific chance to go streaking. With a win on Saturday, Cincinnati could win three straight games for the first time since June 12th-14th.
At first glance, the Reds were up to the task against the Rays on Friday. In the 2-1 victory in extra innings, the Reds performed far from perfect but were able to get the job done in thrilling fashion.
Obviously, a repeat outing from Hunter Greene in an attempt to put on his best Luis Castillo impression will be critical in covering the spread against a supposedly better team on paper in the Rays. Greene has certainly seen his fair share of struggles in 2022. Against the Mets in his last start, Greene was shelled for six runs on seven hits in 5 1/3 frames tossed. With a favorable matchup versus Tampa Bay, Greene can begin the process of turning his season around by recording a quality start for his squad.
With the shakiness of Greene hard to rely on, the average lineup that the Reds possess will have to show out in a big way. Ranked 19th in runs scored, the Reds have been fairly mediocre at the dish through 84 games. The difference-maker paving the way for Cinci may be their statistical hitting leader in third-baseman Brandon Drury. Drury is slashing .269 with 18 long balls and 48 RBIs.
Final Rays-Reds Prediction & Pick
A struggling pitcher versus a scuffling offense. Who will have a breakthrough moment? Something has to give. In conclusion, it is most likely wise to side with the Rays -1.5 spread, as Cincinnati is far too unreliable to expect them to cover against a team that is an overall more efficient group than they are.
Final Rays-Reds Prediction & Pick: Rays -1.5 (+106)
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