The Arizona Diamondbacks (69-53) travel to face off against the Tampa Bay Rays (59-61) on Friday, August 16th. This game will be played at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg and televised on None. The Diamondbacks are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Rays are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Astros. First pitch is set for 5:50 CT.
Diamondbacks vs. Rays Betting Prediction
- Money Line Prediction: Diamondbacks (-110)
- Over/Under Prediction: Over 8 Runs
- The Diamondbacks have won 12 of their last 15 games.
- In their last 15 games, the Diamondbacks have averaged 7.6 runs per game.
- The Diamondbacks have a 6-game winning streak.
- The Diamondbacks have won 7 of their last 8 road games.
- In their last 15 games, the Diamondbacks have scored 5 or more runs in 13 games.
Diamondbacks vs Rays
The Diamondbacks Are Coming Off A Win
Eugenio Suarez was hot at the plate in the Diamondbacks’s most recent game vs. the Rockies, going 3/4 with a homer and five RBIs. The Diamondbacks really broke things open with a four-run 1st inning and added another four runs in the 6th to close things out. Arizona was the heavy favorite at -214 going into the game.
Jordan Montgomery started for the Diamondbacks, going six innings and giving up three runs on five hits. He only had eight strikeouts in the outing and got the win.
Arizona is on a roll, having won six straight games, and they are two games behind the Dodgers in the NL West with a 69-53 record. As the favorite, the Diamondbacks have a 38-21 record, but as the underdog, they are 31-32. Against the run line, they have a 63-59 record, including a 39-24 mark as the underdog.
When the over/under line is set at 8 runs, the Diamondbacks have a 10-4-2 record this season, and their games have averaged 9.9 runs per game. Today’s O/U line of 8 runs is lower than usual, as 73% of their games have had higher total lines.
Ryne Nelson Gets The Start For The Diamondbacks
Arizona is sending right-hander Ryne Nelson to the mound today vs. the Rays. He has made 20 starts this year and has a record of 8-6 with an ERA of 4.51. Nelson’s WHIP for the season is 1.32, and opponents are batting .274 off him this year. In his last outing, Nelson finished with a no-decision, going 7 1/3 innings and giving up two earned runs on three hits. Before that, he had given up at least four earned runs in three straight starts. Nelson has made eight quality starts this year.
Diamondbacks Offense Breakdown
Arizona’s offense has been the best in the league this season, averaging 5.3 runs per game. They have been even better at home, averaging 5.5 runs per contest. As a team, they are batting .261, which is the 2nd best mark in the league. The Diamondbacks also have the league’s top home run hitter in Ketel Marte, who has gone deep 30 times this season, and he also leads the team with 81 RBIs.
Christian Walker is 2nd on the team with 71 RBIs and has 23 homers this season. Over his last seven games, Jake McCarthy is hitting .467 with three homers and 15 RBIs. He is also on a five-game hitting streak. Randal Grichuk and Corbin Carroll are also on hitting streaks for the Diamondbacks.
The Rays Took The Last Game Of This Series
The Rays will be looking to get back on track after closing out their series vs. the Astros with a 2-1 loss. Tampa Bay was the +106 underdog at home going into the game. Things started off well for the Rays, as they got on the board with a run in the 1st inning but gave up the lead right away as the Astros scored in the top of the 2nd.
Zack Littell put together a good start for the Rays, going five innings and giving up just one earned run while striking out three. However, the Rays’ offense really struggled after the 1st inning, and Tampa Bay’s only other run came in the 8th.
With an over/under record of 13-18-1 in games with an 8-run total line, the under has hit in the last four Rays games. Tampa Bay is looking to bounce back after a three-game losing streak, and they are 3-7 in their last ten games overall. The Rays are 60-60 against the run line this season, with a 34-21 record on the road and 26-39 at home.
Overall, the Rays are 59-61 this season and are in 4th place in the AL East, 12 games behind the Orioles. At home, they are 31-34, and as home underdogs, they have a 9-16 record. In AL East matchups, they are 17-23.
Ryan Pepiot Gets The Start For The Rays
Ryan Pepiot will be looking to build off his last outing, where he didn’t give up a run and picked up the win. In that start vs. the Guardians, he went six innings and didn’t give up a homer. Looking back further, Pepiot has given up at least one homer in three straight starts. His ERA for the season is 3.92, along with a record of 6-5. Opponents are batting .195 off the right-hander this season. Pepiot has made six quality starts this year and is averaging 9.69 strikeouts per nine innings.
Rays Offense Breakdown
So far this season, the Rays are averaging just 3.9 runs per game, which is 28th in the MLB. They are also near the bottom of the league in home runs and team batting average. As a team, they are batting just .231, and their collective slugging percentage is only .369. Tampa Bay’s team OPS of .677 is also one of the worst in the league.
Christopher Morel leads the Rays in home runs this season, but he is hitting just .188. Yandy Diaz has been a bright spot for the Rays, as he is batting .270 and has 52 RBIs, which is 2nd on the team. Over his last seven games, Jose Caballero is hitting .375, and Brandon Lowe has struggled of late, going just 3/24 in his last six games.
Diamondbacks vs Rays Prediction
Our predicted final score for this Diamondbacks and Rays matchup is 6-5 in favor of the Diamondbacks. With the Diamondbacks on the money line at -110, this is the way we recommend playing this one.
Looking at some of the starting pitcher projections, we have Ryan Nelson finishing with more strikeouts than Ryan Pepiot. Nelson is projected to finish with five K’s, compared to Pepiot at five as well.
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:August 16, 2024 Diamondbacks, Rays