The Tampa Bay Rays (63-62) travel to face off against the Oakland Athletics (54-72) on Wednesday, August 21st. This game will be played at Oakland Coliseum in Oakland and televised on NSPCA. The Rays are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Athletics are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Rays. First pitch is set for 8:40 CT.
Rays vs. Athletics Betting Prediction
- Money Line Prediction: Athletics (+111)
- Over/Under Prediction: Over 7.5 Runs
- In their last 15 games, the Athletics have scored 5 or more runs in 7 games, showcasing a strong offensive performance.
- The Athletics have won 4 out of their last 6 home games, indicating a recent home-field advantage.
- In the last 15 games, the Athletics have held their opponents to 2 or fewer runs in 5 games, demonstrating effective starting pitching.
- In their last 3 home games against the Rays, the Athletics have won 2, showing a favorable recent head-to-head record at home.
- The Athletics have a better record in their last 10 games (6-4) compared to the Rays (5-5), indicating better recent form.
Rays vs Athletics
Tampa Bay picked up a 1-0 road win over the Athletics in the most recent game of this series. The Rays had just three hits in the game but got a home run from Jose Siri and a good outing from Shane Baz, who went 7 2/3 innings and didn’t give up a run.
On the other side, Oakland wasted a good performance from Joey Estes, who gave up just one run in 7 2/3 innings of work. Estes did finish the game with five strikeouts but issued a costly walk in the 8th inning.
After scoring one run in the first inning, the Rays were held in check until they broke out for the game’s only run in the top of the 8th. As for the Athletics, they had a few scoring opportunities but couldn’t push across a run.
As underdogs, the Rays have gone 31-34 straight up this season, but they have been a solid bet against the run line with a 41-24 record. Overall, they are 63-62 straight up and 34-23 against the run line on the road. The average run total in their games is 8.2, and their over/under record for games with a total of 7.5 runs is 20-23.
Tampa Bay is 10 games behind the Orioles in the AL East and they have an overall series record of 21-15-4. The Rays are looking to take the series today against the Athletics, as they have split the first two games.
Ryan Pepiot Gets The Start For The Rays
Ryan Pepiot gets the start for the Rays today as he faces the Athletics on the road. He has made 18 starts this season and has a record of 6-5 with a 3.69 ERA. Pepiot’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.08, and opponents are batting .197 off the right-hander this year. In his 18 appearances, he has turned in six quality starts and is averaging 9.62 strikeouts per nine innings. Pepiot most recently faced the Diamondbacks, where he finished with a no-decision, giving up two earned runs in 5 1/3 innings of work. Before that outing, he had won two straight starts.
Rays Offense Breakdown
So far this season, the Rays offense has been one of the worst in the league, 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 have a team batting average of just .231. The team’s collective on-base percentage of .308 is 15th in the league.
Yandy Diaz has been the Rays’ top hitter this season, batting .275 with 10 homers and 54 RBIs. He has also been swinging the bat well of late, going 10/31 in his last nine games. Brandon Lowe has also been a solid power threat this season, with 16 homers, but he is batting just .248 and has gone 6/32 in his last eight games.
As underdogs, the Athletics have a 62-49 run line record, and they have covered in two straight games. Oakland’s overall series record is 16-21-3, and they have won two straight series on the road. The Athletics are 4th in the AL West, 14.5 games behind the Astros.
For the season, Oakland games have averaged 8.6 runs, and their O/U record is 56-68. The under has hit in their last four games, and 74.6% of their games have had higher totals than today’s line of 7.5 runs.
Mitch Spence Gets The Start For The Athletics
Mitch Spence gets the start for the Athletics today as he faces off against the Rays at home. So far this season, he has made 16 starts and has a record of 7-8 with an ERA of 4.64. Spence’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.34. In his last outing, he finished with a no-decision, going 2 2/3 innings and giving up five earned runs on one homer vs. the Mets. Before that outing, he had lost three straight starts. Spence has given up at least one homer in each of his last three outings. The right-hander has made three quality starts this season.
Athletics Offense Breakdown
Heading into today’s game, the Athletics offense is averaging just 4 runs per game, which is 25th in the league. They have been even worse on the road, averaging only 3.8 runs per contest. As a team, they are batting just .231, which is 18th in the league, and are also near the bottom of the league in strikeouts. However, the Athletics do come into the game with the 6th most home runs in the league.
Currently, Brent Rooker is leading the Athletics in home runs (29) and RBIs (83) while batting .287. Catcher Shea Langeliers is 2nd on the team with 22 homers but has a batting average of just .227. Over his last six games, JJ Bleday has gone 5/23 with two homers.
Rays vs Athletics Prediction
Our pick for this Rays vs. Athletics matchup is to take the Athletics on the money line at +111. We have the Athletics winning this one by a final score of 5-4. With the payout for the Athletics to win outright, we feel this is the best way to play this one.
Looking at the starting pitchers, we have Mitch Spence finishing with five strikeouts compared to Ryan Pepiot with five as well. However, we have Pepiot going just three innings, while Spence is projected to go five.
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 21, 2024 Athletics, Rays