The Tampa Bay Rays (62-43) begin a 3-game series against the Houston Astros (58-45) on Friday at Minute Maid Park. First pitch is scheduled for 8:10 p.m. ET (MLB Network). Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Rays vs. Astros odds and make our expert MLB picks and predictions for the best bets.
Season series: Astros lead 2-1
The Rays lost 7-1 to the Miami Marlins on Wednesday, their 8th loss in the last 10 games. Despite its torrid start to the season, Tampa Bay is now 1 1/2 games back of the Baltimore Orioles for 1st place in the AL East.
The Astros lost 13-5 to the Texas Rangers on Wednesday, snapping a 3-game winning streak. Houston has now closed the gap in the AL West race as it is 2 games behind the Texas Rangers atop the AL West.