Atlanta Braves vs Tampa Bay Rays Preview
From Truist Park in Atlanta, we have the Rays and Braves facing off in an interleague matchup. First pitch for this one is set for 1:35 PM ET, and BSSUN is carrying it on TV.
The Braves are the slight favorite on the money line, with their odds sitting at -118 compared to the Rays at -101. The over/under line is currently at 9 runs, and today’s starting pitching matchup features Zach Eflin for the Rays and Hurston Waldrep for the Braves. Atlanta comes in with a record of 38-30, while the Rays are 33-38.
Check out BetCoco for Atlanta Braves – Tampa Bay Rays odds
Atlanta Braves Trends and Key Stats
- The Rays are 3-2 in their five most recent road games, including a 3-2 runline record.
- On the other side, the Braves have gone 1-4 (SU) and 1-4 in their previous five home contests.
- In their previous ten games, Rays have won 6-4 as favorites and 2-8 as underdogs.
- 5-5 is the record of the Braves as the favorite, while their record as the underdog stands at 4-6.
The most recent game o of this Braves vs. Rays series came with Atlanta as the -132 favorite on the road. The Braves went into the matchup with a 2-1 series lead. Heading into the game, the Braves had scored nine more runs than the Rays in the series.
Tampa Bay wasted a good outing from Ryan Pepiot, as he gave up just one run in 4 2/3 innings of work. The Rays offense only mustered two runs on six hits. On the other side, Charlie Morton got the win for the Braves, going six innings and giving up one earned run.
Atlanta’s offense was led by Marcell Ozuna and Jarred Kelenic, as they were the only two Braves hitters to have more than one hit. Ozuna, Kelenic, and Matt Olson each homered for the Braves.
Atlanta Braves vs Tampa Bay Rays Prediction
Tampa Bay will be on the road for today’s game vs. the Braves, and they are looking to snap a two-game losing streak, as they have dropped the first two games of this series. The Rays are 5th in the AL East at 33-38, putting them 16 games behind the Yankees for the division lead.
This season, the Rays have gone 10-17 in AL East games, and they are just under .500 at home with a 19-23 record. On the road, Tampa Bay is 14-15 this season. They have dropped two straight games as the underdog, and their overall record as the underdog is 12-18. As for their record as the favorite, the Rays are 21-20 this year. Heading into today’s game, the Rays have gone just 3-7 over their last 10 games.
When the Rays are on the road, they are 15-14 against the run line, but they have failed to cover in their last two games. They are 14-16 against the run line as the underdog and 14-27 as the favorite. Their average run margin in losing games is -3.9, while it is +2.3 in winning games.
The Tampa Bay Rays are on the road today to face the Atlanta Braves. The over/under line for the game is set at 9 runs. The combined run average for Rays games this season is 8.7 runs per game. The over/under record for the Rays this season is 36-33. The average over/under line for Rays games this season is 8 runs. The over/under record for the Rays when the line is set at 9 runs is 0-3-1. This season, only 4.2% of Rays games have had over/under lines set at 9 runs. The Rays have played 64 games this season with over/under lines set below 9 runs. The over has hit in the last two games for the Rays.
The Rays are sending right-hander Zach Eflin to the mound today as he faces the Braves on the road. Eflin has made 12 starts this year and has a record of 3-4 with an ERA of 4.06. So far, he has made four quality starts and is coming off an outing in which he didn’t allow a homer. In his last outing, Eflin went 5 2/3 innings, giving up two earned runs, and finished with a no-decision. He has not taken a loss in his last three outings. Per nine innings, Eflin is averaging just 0.52 walks compared to 6.55 strikeouts.
Yandy Diaz has been swinging a hot bat of late, going 14/39 over his last nine games. For the season, he is batting .259 and is 2nd on the team with 30 RBIs. Isaac Paredes has been the Rays’ top power threat, as his 10 homers lead the team and is 12th in the league. Paredes is also batting .286.
As a team, the Rays are 27th in scoring at 3.8 runs per game and are also the league’s worst home run hitting team. Overall, they are batting just .232 and have the league’s 24th ranked on-base percentage. Collectively, the Rays are on a 9-game hitting streak.
Atlanta is at home today, hosting the Rays with an overall record of 38-30. The Braves have won three straight games, and these three wins have come after dropping the first game of the series vs. the Phillies. Currently, they are eight games behind the Phillies in the NL East.
So far, the Braves have gone 12-11 in divisional games, and they have an overall series record of 12-8-2. They have been good as the favorite this year, going 36-25, and they are 21-12 when favored at home. As the underdog, the Braves have gone just 2-5 this season.
When the Braves win, they win big, with an average run margin of 3.7 runs per game. They have also been a good bet against the run line, going 34-34 overall and 16-17 at home. Their average run margin is 0.6 runs per game, and they have covered the run line in three straight games and are 2-0 against the run line in their last two games as the favorite.
Today’s over/under line for the Atlanta Braves game against the Tampa Bay Rays is set at 9 runs. The Braves have a combined run average of 8.3 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 25-40. When the line is set at 9 runs, their over/under record is 5-8-2. The over has hit in two straight games for Atlanta.
Hurston Waldrep is making his second start of the season for the Braves, and he will be facing the Rays at home. In his first start of the year, he took a loss on the road against the Nationals, going 3 2/3 innings and giving up 7 runs, 4 of which were earned.
Marcell Ozuna and Matt Olson have been two of the Braves’ top power threats this season, with Ozuna’s 20 homers leading the team and ranking 3rd in the league, and Olson’s 11 homers being the 2nd most on the team and 11th in the league. Ozuna also comes into the game on a five-game hitting streak, during which he has gone 10/20 with four runs and seven RBIs. Olson has also been swinging a hot bat of late, going 8/20 in his last five games with two homers.
Overall, the Braves’ offense is averaging 4.5 runs per game, which is 11th in the league. They are also among the league leaders in team batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage. As a team, the Braves are 8th in batting average (.246) and have the 8th best slugging percentage in the league.
Our prediction for this Rays vs. Braves matchup is to take the Braves on the money line, with the payout currently sitting at -118. We actually have the Braves winning this one by a score of 6-5, so there is some value on the over, as the line is currently at 9 runs.
Looking at the starting pitchers, we have Hurston Waldrep finishing with six strikeouts, which is good for seventh among starters. As for Zach Eflin, he is projected to finish with five K’s, which has him 11th among today’s starters.
Atlanta Braves vs Tampa Bay Rays Betting Tips
- Take the Braves on the moneyline
- The Braves are also our pick on the run line at -1.5
- Projecting a combined 11 runs, we like the over
Atlanta Braves Injury Report
| Player | Status | Injury |
|---|---|---|
| Tyler Matzek | Out | Elbow |
| A.J. Minter | Out | Hip |
| Ronald Acuña Jr. | Out | Knee |
| Angel Perdomo | Out | Elbow |
| Jimmy Herget | Out | Shoulder |
| Michael Harris II | Out | Hamstring |
| Spencer Strider | Out | Elbow |
| AJ Smith-Shawver | Out | Oblique |
Tampa Bay Rays Injury Report
| Player | Status | Injury |
|---|---|---|
| Wander Franco | Out | Personal |
| Drew Rasmussen | Out | Arm |
| José Caballero | Questionable | Illness |
| Richard Lovelady | Out | Forearm |
| Jeffrey Springs | Out | Elbow |
| Shane McClanahan | Out | Elbow |
| Jacob Waguespack | Out | Shoulder |
