The Tampa Bay Rays will travel to begin their series with the Chicago White Sox in a Thursday night MLB matchup at Guaranteed Rate Field. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our MLB odds series, which includes a Rays-White Sox prediction and pick, laid out below.
Tampa Bay has been off to a meteoric start, going 20-5 to open the season. The Rays tied a modern record with a dominant 12-0 start. As is the story with nearly every Tampa Bay season, the team is adept at doing more with less. Manager Kevin Cash has earned a sterling reputation.
Chicago is under new leadership, with Pedro Grifol taking over for Tony LaRussa. Still, a lot of the same issues from 2022 persist, as the White Sox have opened their season at 7-18. The White Sox have lost seven games in a row, sliding even further in the standings.
Here are the Rays-White Sox MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Rays-White Sox Odds
Tampa Bay Rays: -1.5 (+112)
Chicago White Sox: +1.5 (-134)
Over: 7 (-122)
Under: 7 (+100)
How To Watch Rays vs. White Sox
TV: Bally Sports Florida, NBC Sports Chicago
Stream: MLB.tv
Time: 7:10 PM ET/4:10 PM PT
*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Rays Could Cover The Spread
Randy Arozarena has been utterly dominant, with a slash line of .341/.410/.571, belting five home runs with 24 RBI. The energetic outfielder has added four doubles and three stolen bases. Shortstop Wander Franco leads the team with 12 doubles and five stolen bases, hitting four home runs. Franco feasts on fastballs, hitting .366 against opponent's offerings. Yandy Diaz and Brandon Lowe are tied for the team lead with six home runs, with Diaz running a .392 on-base percentage. Although he does not qualify for the team lead, Harold Ramirez currently owns a .354 batting average, hitting five home runs and four doubles.
Shane McClanahan will take the ball for the Rays, making his sixth start of the season. The flamethrowing lefty owns an ERA of 1.86, striking out 37 batters across 29.0 innings. McClanahan is running a career-high strikeout percentage of 32.5 percent. Closer Pete Fairbanks has yet to allow an earned run in seven innings, registering three saves.
Why The White Sox Could Cover The Spread
Jake Burger and Luis Robert each lead the team with five home runs, although neither have provided much outside of their power. Andrew Vaughn has displayed impressive patience, leading the team with 11 walks, also leading with nine doubles and 16 runs batted in. Andrew Benintendi has been a solid addition, hitting .295 with five doubles and two stolen bases. Gavin Sheets has walked as many times as he has struck out, hitting two home runs. The offense as a whole has underwhelmed a bit, with many stars producing below their expected levels.
Dylan Cease will make his sixth start of the season, impressing in his first five. Cease has pitched to a 2.73 ERA, striking out 34 batters in 26.1 innings, holding opponents to a .178 batting average. The righty throws a ton of sliders, holding batters to a .192 batting average against the offering. Gregory Santos, acquired from San Francisco this offseason, has struck out 15 batters across 13.0 innings. Santos features a fastball that averages 99 mph.
Final Rays-White Sox Prediction & Pick
What a great pitching matchup we are afforded with, so do not expect many runs. McClanahan will guide Tampa Bay to victory.
Final Rays-White Sox Prediction & Pick: Tampa Bay -1.5 (+112), under 7 (+100)
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