The Tampa Bay Rays (57-34) will look to snap a surprising six-game losing streak when they host the Atlanta Braves (59-28) at Tropicana Field on Saturday night.
- Braves vs Rays Game Info
- Brave s vs Rays Odds & Spread
- Braves vs Rays Betting Trends
- Braves vs Rays Prediction & Pick
- Braves vs Rays Best Bet
Braves vs Rays Game Info
- Date:'Saturday, July 8, 2023
- Time:'7:15 p.m. ET
- Venue:'Tropicana Field — St. Petersburg, FL
- Coverage:'FOX
The Braves' success from June has followed them right into July. Atlanta took down Tampa Bay by a score of 2-1 on Friday night despite only tallying 2 hits in the contest. A two-run home run by catcher Sean Murphy gave Charlie Morton (6.1 innings, 1 ER) enough of a lead to guide the team to victory.
Braves vs Rays Odds & Spread
- Moneyline:'ATL: (-148) | TB: (+126)
- Spread:'ATL: -1.5 (+112) | TB: +1.5 (-134)
- Total:'8 — Over: (-114) | Under: (-106)
The Braves enter this contest as road favorites on the moneyline and spread per FanDuel Sportsbook's odds. This 7:15 p.m. ET clash also features an over/under of 8 runs with the Over favored at -114 odds.
Braves vs Rays Betting Trends
- Atlanta is 8-1 straight up in its last nine games against an AL opponent.
- The total has hit the under in seven of Atlanta's last 10 games.
- Tampa Bay is 1-5 straight up in its last six home games.
- The total has hit the over in seven of Tampa Bay's last 10 games against Atlanta.
Braves vs Rays Prediction & Pick
The Rays have not been able to break out of their offensive slump as they have averaged just 2.7 runs per game over their current losing streak. The outlook for that to change on Saturday isn't too bright, either, as Tampa Bay is set to face one the NL Cy Young front runners in Atlanta's Spencer Strider.
Strider has logged a 3.66 ERA and 1.11 WHIP in 17 starts (10-2 record). He also leads the majors in strikeouts (155) and has allowed 2 earned runs or less in each of his last three starts. Tampa Bay is starting Taj Bradley, who has been torched for 12 earned runs over his last two starts (7.1 innings).
What was working for Bradley earlier in the year has not been working as of late, which is a problem given he is set to face one of the best lineups in baseball. The Braves enter Saturday ranked first in total home runs (167), second in runs per game (5.62) and second in on-base percentage (.340).
Final Score Prediction:'Braves: 5 | Rays: 3
Braves vs Rays Best Bet
The Braves are far and away the best team in baseball when it comes to grabbing an early lead. They average 1.05 first inning runs per game (No. 1 in MLB) and should find more success against Bradley. Bradley has allowed a total of 5 runs in the first inning of his last two starts. The Rays check in sixth in first inning runs per game (0.62), which makes backing any run to be scored the best option here.