The Tampa Bay Rays will attempt to win the four-game series as they finish the set with the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on Sunday. It's time to go to Mo Town and continue our MLB odds series with a Rays-Tigers prediction and pick.
The Tigers devoured the Rays 9-1 on Saturday to get their first win of the series. It started badly for them when Yu Chang clobbered a home run to left field. It was his second in 2022, giving the Rays an early 1-0 lead. However, the Tigers struck back in the fifth when Harold Castro clipped an RBI single, tying the game. Victor Reyes added an RBI double to left, making it 2-1. Then, the Tigers pounced for five runs in the seventh inning to put the game out of reach. Javier Baez went 1 for 4 with two RBIs, and Jonathan Schoop went 1 for 3 with three RBIs.
The Rays will send Drew Rasmussen to the mound today. Rasmussen is 6-4 with a 3.06 ERA. Recently, he went six innings while allowing one earned run on six hits with three strikeouts and two walks. Rasmussen faced the Tigers once this season, tossing five scoreless innings while allowing four hits with seven strikeouts in a win. Significantly, he has not allowed an earned run over eight innings against the Tigers.
The Tigers will send Matt Manning to the mound. Manning is 0-0 with a 3.46 ERA. Recently, he returned from a long stint on the injured list to toss five innings while allowing three earned runs on five hits. Manning looks to keep the pace going today.
Here are the Rays-Tigers MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Rays-Tigers Odds
Tampa Bay Rays: -1.5 (-115)
Detroit Tigers: +1.5 (-104)
Over: 8 (-115)
Under: 8 (-105)
Why The Rays Could Cover The Spread
The Rays took the first two games but faltered yesterday. What was the main difference? Randy Arozarena had the night off. The Rays are 55-47 with Arozarena in the lineup, versus 2-3 without him in. Yes, he has only missed five games, but the Rays have struggled to do much in those games, mustering 14 total runs.
Arozarena is batting .258 with 12 home runs, 49 RBIs, and 44 runs. Likewise, he is batting .556 (5 for 9) with two RBIs over two games in this series against the Tigers. Arozarena is batting .368 (7 for 19) with one home run, five RBIs, and two runs against the Tigers this season. Brandon Lowe is the other weapon in this lineup. He is batting .258 with eight home runs and 22 RBIs. Also, he is batting .385 (5 for 13) with one home run, six RBIs, and two runs over the three games against Detroit.
Despite the good series against Detroit, it has not been a good month for Tampa so far. Yes, they are 3-2, but they are averaging 3.2 runs per game while allowing 3.8 runs per game. They must find the balance and hold off teams chasing them in the wildcard race.
The Rays will cover the spread if Rasmussen pitches well. Additionally, they need Arozarena and Lowe to perform and help power the Rays to more than three runs. It will be the determining factor in this finale.
Why The Tigers Could Cover The Spread
The Tigers are rebuilding. Gone are the days of relying on Miguel Cabrera. Yes, he is still around, but no longer the force he once was. Cabrera is batting .267 with four home runs, 37 RBIs, and 23 runs over 92 games. Instead, the Tigers rely more on guys like Schoop to help. It has not been the best strategy, either.
Schoop is batting .206 with eight home runs, 31 RBIs, and 37 runs in 103 games this season. He is batting 1 for 10 with one home run and three RBIs in this series. Ironically, the home run is the only hit he has. Schoop is batting .167 (3 for 18) with two home runs and five RBIs over five games against the Rays. Thus, he has either blasted a home run or did absolutely nothing. The Tigers need more than that.
Detroit has averaged 3.25 runs per game while allowing 4.38 runs per game in August. Thus, they must find ways to score and generate offense, while also preventing opposing hitters from hurting them.
The Tigers will cover the spread if they can pitch well and not allow Tampa to score. Additionally, they must find the offensive force that propelled them to nine runs yesterday.
Final Rays-Tigers Prediction & Pick
One team is in the playoff chase, and the other team is pretty much dead. The Rays have plenty to play for and will have Arozarena back in the lineup. Expect Tampa Bay to rebound and finish off the Tigers.
Final Rays-Tigers Prediction & Pick: Tampa Bay Rays: -1.5 (-115)
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