The Chicago Cubs (32-34) travel to face off against the Tampa Bay Rays (31-35) on Tuesday, June 11th. This game will be played at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg and televised on MARQ. The Cubs are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Rays are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Orioles. First pitch is set for 5:50 CT.
Cubs vs Rays
Heading into their last game vs. the Reds, the Cubs closed out the series with a 4-2 win. Leading up to the game, they were the slight favorite at -133 on the money line. It was a three-run 1st inning that really turned things in their favor, and the Reds could only score two runs, both of which came in the 3rd.
Shota Imanaga put together a good start for the Cubs, going 6 2/3 innings and giving up just two earned runs, and picking up the win. Chicago’s offense was carried by Seiya Suzuki, who went 3/5 with a run scored.
Chicago is on the road today, taking on the Rays, and they are seven games behind the Brewers for the NL Central lead. The Cubs are 32-34 overall and went 3-1 in their most recent series vs. the Reds. So far, they are just 8-15 in divisional games.
At home, the Cubs have gone 18-13 this year compared to 14-21 on the road. As the underdog, Chicago has dropped four straight games, and they are 16-21 as the underdog overall. Their series record is 8-11-2 this year.
When betting the Cubs on the run line, you should consider their road games. Chicago is 21-14 against the run line on the road this season and has covered in three straight games. The Cubs are 25-12 against the run line as an underdog, but just 8-21 as the favorite.
Chicago Cubs games have had an average combined run total of 8.8 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 30-33. Their games have had an average over/under line of 8 runs per game, and when the line has been set at 7.5 runs, they have gone over 8 times and under 7 times. The Cubs have played 42 games with over/under lines set higher than 7.5 runs, which accounts for 63.6% of their games. They have played 9 games with over/under lines set lower than 7.5 runs, which accounts for 13.6% of their games. The under has hit in their last three games.
Jameson Taillon Gets The Start For The Cubs
Right-hander Jameson Taillon gets the start for the Cubs today as he faces the Rays on the road. He has made nine starts this season and has a record of 3-2 with an ERA of 3.47. Taillon’s WHIP for the season is 1.36, and he is coming off a rough outing in which he gave up five earned runs in five innings of work. In that outing, he gave up six hits, issued one walk, and gave up a homer. Taillon has made three quality starts this year and is averaging 6.39 strikeouts per nine innings. So far, he has allowed six homers.
Cubs Offense Breakdown
Chicago’s offense is averaging 4.3 runs per game this season, which is 17th in the majors. They have been a little better at home, averaging 4.4 runs per game, which is 10th in the league. As a team, the Cubs are batting just .229, and their team on-base percentage of .311 is only 14th in the league.
Christopher Morel has been the Cubs’ best power hitter this season, as his 12 homers are 10th in the league. However, he is batting just .203 for the year. Cody Bellinger comes into the game with a batting average of .260 and has gone deep eight times this season. Dansby Swanson has gone 9/27 in his last seven games and is currently on a three-game hitting streak.
The Rays will be looking to get back on track after closing out their series vs. the Orioles with a 5-2 loss. This was especially tough, as they held a lead going into the 7th inning before the Orioles scored three runs in the top of the 7th. Tampa Bay was the +119 underdog at home going into the game.
Ryan Pepiot had a rough outing, giving up four earned runs on nine hits and issuing two walks. The Rays also wasted a big game from Alex Jackson, who homered in the 2nd inning, going 1/3.
Tampa Bay is 5th in the AL East, trailing the Yankees by 15 games. Overall, the Rays are 31-35 and have dropped four straight games, losing the final four games of their series vs. the Orioles. So far, they are 10-17 in AL East matchups.
At home, the Rays are 17-22 this season compared to 14-13 on the road. As the home favorite, the Rays are 13-13 this year and 20-19 as the favorite overall. Tampa Bay’s win streak as the favorite is four games. Their overall win streak as the favorite is four games.
The Rays have been a solid run line bet on the road this season, going 15-12. They have covered the run line in two straight games as the favorite, but their overall run line record is just 26-40. They are 11-28 against the run line at home and have failed to cover the run line in seven straight games at Tropicana Field.
When the Tampa Bay Rays are at home this season, the over/under line has been set at 7.5 runs for 15 of their 49 games, and their over/under record in those games is 12-5. Overall, the Rays’ games have averaged 8.7 runs per game, and their over/under record for the season is 34-30.
Zach Eflin Gets The Start For The Rays
Zach Eflin gets the start for the Rays today and comes in with a record of 3-4 and an ERA of 4.14. So far this season, he has made 11 starts and has a WHIP of 1.14. Eflin’s last outing came on June 5th, where he finished with a no-decision after giving up two earned runs in four innings of work. Looking back at his last four outings, Eflin has finished with a no-decision in three of them. The right-hander has made four home starts and has a record of 2-1 with a 3.06 ERA at home.
Rays Offense Breakdown
So far this season, the Rays offense is averaging just 3.9 runs per game, which is 27th in the MLB. They have been even worse at home, averaging just 3.7 runs per game. Overall, they are the league’s worst home run hitting team and are near the bottom of the league in terms of slugging percentage and OPS. However, they do have the league’s 5th best BABIP.
Isaac Paredes has been one of the few bright spots in the Rays lineup this season, as he is batting .288 with 10 homers and 37 RBIs. Yandy Diaz is on a four-game hitting streak and has gone 12/37 in his last nine games. Over this stretch, he has four RBIs. However, his four homers are 2nd on the team, but he is batting just .254 for the season. Randy Arozarena has eight homers but is batting just .175.
Cubs vs Rays Prediction
Our prediction for today’s Cubs vs. Rays matchup is that the Rays will pick up a 6-5 win. We are predicting that the Cubs will be able to out-hit the Rays, but we have the Rays hitting for more power and also finishing with more strikeouts.
If you’re looking for a recommended bet, we would stick with taking the Rays on the money line at -140. Looking at the starting pitchers, we have Zach Eflin finishing with six strikeouts compared to Jameson Taillon with just four.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:June 11, 2024 Cubs, Rays