The Tampa Bay Rays (33-38) travel to face off against the Atlanta Braves (38-30) on Sunday, June 16th. This game will be played at Truist Park in Atlanta and televised on BSSUN. The Braves are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Rays are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Braves. First pitch is set for 12:35 CT.
Rays vs Braves
The most recent game o of this Braves vs. Rays series took place on the road for the Rays. Tampa Bay had a late rally, scoring three runs in the 7th and another run in the 9th, but still fell short with the Braves winning 9-2. Heading into the game, the Braves were favored at -132 on the money line.
Charlie Morton pitched well for the Braves in this one, going six innings and giving up just one run on three hits. He finished the game with eight strikeouts but issued two walks. On the other side, Ryan Pepiot got the start for the Rays and took the loss, giving up five earned runs in just 4 2/3 innings of work.
Marcell Ozuna and Jarred Kelenic each homered for the Braves, while Matt Olson went 2/4 with a home run and three RBIs. Austin Riley also had a two-hit game and drove in three runs.
Tampa Bay will be on the road for today’s matchup vs. the Braves, and they are looking to snap a two-game losing streak, which has them at 33-38 overall. In the AL East, they are in 5th place, 16 games behind the Yankees. So far, they have gone just 10-17 in divisional games.
The Rays have really struggled as of late, as they have dropped seven of their last 10 games. At home, they are 19-23 compared to 14-15 on the road. So far, they have an even 10-10-2 record in series this year.
When betting the run line on the Tampa Bay Rays this season, it’s been a mixed bag. They have a losing record against the run line overall at 28-43, but they’ve been much better on the road, going 15-14. They’ve been favored in 41 games and have only covered the run line in 14 of those contests.
The Tampa Bay Rays are on the road today to face the Atlanta Braves. The over/under line for the game is set at 9 runs. The combined run average in Rays games this season is 8.7 runs. Tampa Bay’s over/under record for the season is 36-33, and their average over/under line is 8 runs. When the over/under line is set at 9 runs, the Rays have gone 0-3-1. This season, only 4.2% of their games have had over/under lines set at 9 runs. Their over/under record in games with lines set at 9 runs is 0-3-1. Their current over streak is at 2 games.
Zach Eflin Gets The Start For The Rays
Zach Eflin gets the start for the Rays today as he faces the Braves on the road. He has made 12 starts this season and has a record of 3-4 with an ERA of 4.06. Eflin’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.15. The right-hander has made four quality starts this year and is coming off an outing in which he didn’t allow a homer. Eflin has been tagged for a homer in three of his last four outings. He has finished with a no-decision in each of his last three starts. Per nine innings, Eflin is averaging just 0.52 walks compared to 6.55 strikeouts.
Rays Offense Breakdown
So far this season, the Rays are averaging just 3.8 runs per game, which is 27th in the league. Not only are they one of the worst home run-hitting teams in the league, but they are also near the bottom of the league in terms of slugging percentage and OPS. As a team, they are batting just .232.
Yandy Diaz has been swinging a hot bat of late, going 14/39 in his last nine games. Overall, he is batting .259 for the season. Isaac Paredes has been the Rays’ top power threat, as he is 12th in the league with 10 homers. Paredes also leads the team with 38 RBIs. Randy Arozarena has also been a solid power threat, but he is batting just .175 for the season.
Atlanta has won three straight games and is 38-30 overall this season. The Braves will be taking on the Rays at home today. So far, they are 12-11 against other teams in the NL East, and they are eight games behind the Phillies for the division lead.
As the favorite, the Braves have gone 36-25 this year compared to 2-5 as the underdog. They have been good at home this year, going 21-12, and they are just above .500 at 17-18 on the road. Atlanta has an overall series record of 12-8-2 and have won two straight series.
The Braves have been a solid run line bet at home this season, going 16-17. Their average run margin at home is 0.5, and they have covered the run line in three straight games at home. Overall, the Braves are 34-34 vs. the run line this season, with an average run margin of 0.6 runs per game.
The Braves have been involved in a lot of high-scoring games this season, with their games averaging 8.3 runs per game. Their O/U record is 25-40, and their games have had an average O/U line of 9 runs. When the O/U line has been set at 9 runs, their record is 5-8-2. Their games have had O/U lines set at 9 runs in 19.1% of their games, and their games have gone over the total in two straight games.
Hurston Waldrep Gets The Start For The Braves
Hurston Waldrep will be making his 2nd start of the season for the Braves, and he’ll be taking on the Rays at home. In his first start of the year, Waldrep took the loss against the Nationals, going 3 2/3 innings and giving up 7 runs (1 earned) on 4 hits. He did give up a home run in that outing.
Braves Offense Breakdown
Marcell Ozuna comes into the game with a five-game hitting streak, going 10/20 in that stretch with two homers and seven RBIs. For the season, he is batting .327 with 20 homers and 62 RBIs, which is 2nd in the league. Matt Olson is also swinging a hot bat for the Braves, as he has gone 8/20 with two homers in his last five games and is batting .252 for the season.
As a team, the Braves are averaging 4.5 runs per game and are 8th in the league in batting average. They have been a good home run hitting team this season and have the 8th best slugging percentage in the league. Currently, the Braves have four players on a hitting streak of at least three games.
Rays vs Braves Prediction
Our pick for this Rays vs. Braves matchup is to take the Braves on the money line, with the payout sitting at -118. We have the Braves winning this one by a score of 6-5, giving us a little wiggle room with the over/under line sitting at 9 runs.
Looking at the starting pitchers, we have Hurston Waldrep finishing with six strikeouts compared to Zach Eflin with five. However, Eflin is projected to go 11th among starters in terms of innings pitched, while Waldrep is sixth worst.
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 16, 2024 Braves, Rays