The battle for the AL East's top spot continues Saturday when the Baltimore Orioles (59-38) and Tampa Bay Rays (61-40) collide at Tropicana Field.
- Orioles vs Rays Game Info
- O rioles vs Rays Odds & Spread
- Orioles vs Rays Betting Trends
- Orioles vs Rays Prediction & Pick
- Orioles vs Rays Best Bet
Orioles vs Rays Game Info
- Date:'Saturday, July 22, 2023
- Time:'4:10 p.m. ET
- Venue:'Tropicana Field — St. Petersburg, Florida
- Coverage:'MASN, Bally Sports Sun
The Rays look to regain the divisional lead following last night's 3-0 win. Starting pitcher Zack Elfin struck out eight Orioles with only two hits allowed over seven innings while Jose Siri and Isaac Paredes each recorded solo home runs in the victory.
Orioles vs Rays Odds & Spread
- Moneyline:'BAL: (+158) | TB: (-188)
- Spread:'BAL: +1.5 (-128) | TB: -1.5 (+108)
- Total:'7.5 — Over: (-115) | Under: (-105)
The Rays enter this contest as road favorites on the moneyline and spread per FanDuel Sportsbook's odds. This 4:10 p.m. ET clash also features an over/under of 7.5 runs with the Over being favored at -115 odds.
Orioles vs Rays Betting Trends
- Baltimore is 6-1 straight up (SU) in its last seven road games.
- Tampa Bay is 15-4 SU in its last 19 home games against Baltimore.
- The total has hit the Under in six of Baltimore's last eight games against Tampa Bay.
- The total has hit the Under in five of Tampa Bay's last six home games.
Orioles vs Rays Prediction & Pick
The Rays have done a good job at stifling the Orioles' bats, holding them to four runs on eight hits over two games. Things won't get easier for Baltimore now that it must face Tampa Bay ace Shane McClanahan. The AL Cy Young contender (+300, No. 2 on FanDuel Sportsbook) has the O's number, having gone 6-0 with a 2.14 ERA in eight previous starts against the AL East rival.
I don't see the Rays having an issue with Orioles SP Grayson Rodriguez. The rookie hurler hasn't shown much control lately, pitching to an 11.88 ERA with six homers and 22 earned runs allowed in his last four starts (16 2/3 innings).
After yesterday's convincing win, I'm backing the Rays to keep the good vibes coming this evening. They own a 77.8% win percentage when McClanahan starts this season and I don't see that changing given the fact that he's yet to lose to the Orioles in his young career.
The Rays are better than their recent record implies and they'll prove that by reclaiming the AL East's top spot.
Final Score Prediction:'Rays: 5 | Orioles: 2
Orioles vs Rays Best Bet
I don't have an issue taking the Over on Shane McClanahan's 6.5-strikeout total. After all, McClanahan has hit the Over on this prop in six of his previous eight meetings with the Orioles – including most recently on May 8.
Considering how the O's have already struck out a total of 28 times through the series' first two encounters, there's no excuse for McClanahan to not make good on this prop.