At Tropicana Field on Friday night, the Tampa Bay Rays will play host to the Baltimore Orioles in American League East action.
The contest will be the opener of a three-game bill that will lead both clubs to the All-Star break. The last time these teams met, last month, Tampa Bay took two of three.
Tampa Bay Rays vs. Baltimore Orioles
The Rays (49-40) followed a disappointing road sweep at the hands of Cincinnati — in which the team lost a pair of extra-inning affairs — with a home sweep over Boston.
They’ll hope that the success in the grouping carries over to this slate. Tampa Bay is 9-2 against AL East opponents this month.
MLB Standings
In the standings, they’re in second place in the AL East, sitting 13 games behind the New York Yankees. Baltimore (45-44) is on a tear that no one could have said that they expected to come.
The Orioles have recorded ten consecutive wins, including series sweeps over Texas, the Los Angeles Angels, and the Chicago Cubs.
Despite their climb above .500, Baltimore is still stuck in the cellar of the AL East with 17 games between them and the Yanks.
Orioles Offense
Yet, the Orioles’ offense is the sixth-worst in MLB when it comes to hitting. Their .232 team average at the plate is better than only those of:
- Detroit
- Arizona
- Pittsburgh
- Oakland
Designated hitter Trey Mancini has a team-best .280 batting average and .355 on-base percentage. Right fielder Anthony Santander has lent a helping hand in terms of bringing runners across. No Baltimore batter has more than his 15 home runs and 46 RBIs.
Rays vs. Orioles Odds
MLB odds favor the hosts to snip Baltimore’s string of wins in this one. Tampa Bay is -1.5 on the run line at +184, while the Orioles are -225 to cover the spread.
On the moneyline, the Rays are -120 and Baltimore a +102 underdog. The total has been set at 7.5 runs, with the over being -120 and the under -102 at the time of this writing.
Rays Batting Average
The Rays haven’t exactly lit the world on fire at the dish. Their .239 collective batting average and 81 total home runs grade out in the bottom third of the bigs.
Third baseman Yandy Diaz paces the order by hitting .302 and posting a .412 on-base percentage to this point. Second baseman Isaac Paredes has slugged 13 homers, while first baseman Ji-Man Choi has driven in 40 runs.
Tampa Bay Rays vs. Baltimore Orioles Betting Preview
As we take you through this Orioles vs. Rays betting preview, here are the hurlers and how they’ve fared in their recent MLB matchups.
Who Is Starting for the Rays?
Luis Patino is slated to take the hill for the home team, which means he’ll throw for the first time since April. He’s only made one appearance this season, going 0.2 innings while allowing a hit and an earned run.
For his career, which encompasses 31 games, he has a 4.53 ERA. After coming over from San Diego, Patino pitched a personal-best 77.1 frames a year ago.
Who Is Starting for the Orioles?
An oblique injury has shelved him for much of this campaign. Tyler Wells will oppose him for Baltimore. Thus far, he’s pinned up a 7-4 record and a 3.28 ERA.
The Baltimore Orioles have been super successful with him on the hill as of late, as the team has notched wins in each of his last eight starts.
In his most recent outing against the Angels last Friday, he went four innings, surrendering six hits and three runs. Five of those team wins have come on the road. He’ll be aiming to register another here.
Tampa Bay Rays vs. Baltimore Orioles Picks and Predictions
While the Rays are favored on their home diamond, there is a little bit of an unpredictability factor in how Patino will perform.
Baltimore has done a fine job behind Wells, which is also something to consider with your MLB picks. Take the Orioles to extend their winning streak by winning this opener outright.
Also, Wells has had at least four strikeouts on three occasions since the start of June. Go with him to achieve that again at -186.
MLB Pick: Orioles ( -186)
If you love sports and want more sports betting information follow us as @InsidersBetDig on Twitter and sign up for our mailing list for free betting picks.