Tampa Bay Rays vs Chicago Cubs Prediction & Betting Tips 6/11/2024

Tampa Bay Rays vs Chicago Cubs Preview

From Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, we have the Cubs and Rays facing off in an interleague matchup. The money line odds have the Rays favored at -140, while the Cubs are the slight underdogs at +119. The over/under line is currently 7.5 runs.

First pitch for this one is set for 6:50 PM ET, and MARQ will be televising the game. Jameson Taillon is slated to start for the Cubs, while the Rays are starting Zach Eflin. The Cubs are 4th in the NL Central, while the Rays are 5th in the AL East. Tampa Bay has lost four straight, while the Cubs are 32-34 overall.

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Tampa Bay Rays Trends and Key Stats

• The Cubs are 1-4 across their last five road games. They have gone 3-2 vs. the runline.
• On the other side, the Rays have gone 3-2 (SU) and 3-2 in their previous five home contests.
• Over their last ten games as the favorite, the Rays have a straight-up record of 5-5, while going 3-7 against the runline.
• Over their previous ten games as the underdog, the Cubs have a straight-up record of 2-8 and a 5-5 record vs. the runline.

Tampa Bay Rays vs Chicago Cubs Prediction

Heading into their last game vs. the Reds, the Cubs closed out the series with a 4-2 win. Leading up to the game, they were the slight favorite at -133 on the money line. It was a three-run 1st inning that really turned things in their favor, and the Reds could only score two runs, both of which came in the 3rd.

Shota Imanaga put together a good start for the Cubs, going 6 2/3 innings and giving up just two earned runs, and picking up the win. Chicago’s offense was carried by Seiya Suzuki, who went 3/5 with a run scored.

Chicago is on the road today to take on the Rays, and they are 32-34 overall, which puts them seven games behind the Brewers for the NL Central lead. So far, they have gone just 8-15 in divisional games. The Cubs lost three straight games to close out their series vs. the Reds.

At home, the Cubs are 18-13 this year compared to 14-21 on the road. As the road underdog, the Cubs are 9-17 this season, and they have dropped four straight as the underdog overall. Their series record is 8-11-2 this year.

The Cubs are 33-33 against the run line this season, but they have been a much better bet on the road, where they are 21-14. They have covered the run line in three straight road games and are 25-12 as an underdog. Their average run differential in wins is +2.9, compared to -3.2 in losses.

The Chicago Cubs are on the road today against the Tampa Bay Rays, with the over/under line set at 7.5 runs. The Cubs have had a combined run average of 8.8 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 30-33. When the line has been set at 7.5 runs, their over/under record is 8-7. Overall, 63.6% of their games have had over/under lines set higher than 7.5 runs, and their current under streak is at three games.

Right-hander Jameson Taillon gets the start for the Cubs today as he faces the Rays on the road. He has made nine starts this year and has a record of 3-2 with an ERA of 3.47. Taillon’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.36. In his last outing, he finished with a no-decision, giving up five earned runs in five innings of work. Looking back over his last three starts, Taillon has finished with a no-decision in each outing. He has allowed at least one home run in four straight starts.

So far this season, the Cubs offense is averaging 4.3 runs per game, which is 17th in the MLB. They have been a little better at home, averaging 4.4 runs per game, which is 10th in the league. As a team, the Cubs are batting just .229, which is 18th in the league. However, they are 4th in the league in walks and have a collective on-base percentage of .311.

Christopher Morel has been one of the Cubs’ top power threats this season, as he is 10th in the league with 12 homers. However, he is batting just .203 for the season. Morel has gone 6/25 in his last seven games with two homers. Cody Bellinger is batting .260 for the season and has gone deep eight times. He is 3rd on the team with 29 RBIs.

The Rays will be looking to get back on track after closing out their series vs. the Orioles with a 5-2 loss. This was especially tough, as they held a lead going into the 7th inning before the Orioles scored three runs in the top of the 7th. Tampa Bay was the +119 underdog at home going into the game.

Ryan Pepiot had a rough outing, giving up four earned runs on nine hits and issuing two walks. The Rays also wasted a big game from Alex Jackson, who homered in the 2nd inning, going 1/3.

Tampa Bay kicks off their series vs. the Cubs, having lost four straight games, and they are 5th in the AL East, trailing the Yankees by 15 games. Overall, the Rays are 31-35, and they are 10-17 against other teams in the AL East. At home, the Rays are 17-22 this year, compared to 14-13 on the road.

As the home team, the Rays have dropped four straight, and they are just 13-13 as the home favorite this year. Tampa Bay’s overall series record is 9-10-2, and they were swept by the Orioles in their most recent series.

Despite a losing record overall, the Rays have been a strong bet on the run line this season, going 26-40. They have been especially good on the run line on the road, going 15-12. However, they have struggled at home, going just 11-28 on the run line. They have been a better bet on the run line as the underdog, going 13-14, compared to 13-26 as the favorite.

The Tampa Bay Rays are hosting the Chicago Cubs today, and the over/under line is set at 7.5 runs. The combined run average for Rays games this season is 8.7 runs, and their over/under record is 34-30. When the over/under line is set at 7.5 runs, the Rays have gone over in 12 of 17 games, and overall, 69.7% of their games have had higher over/under lines than 7.5 runs.

Zach Eflin gets the start for the Rays today and comes in with a record of 3-4 and ERA of 4.14. He has made 11 starts this year and has a WHIP of 1.14. Eflin has turned in four quality starts this year and is averaging 6.71 strikeouts per nine innings. In his last outing, Eflin finished with a no-decision, giving up two earned runs in four innings of work. Before that, he had won two straight starts. The right-hander has been much better on the road, with an ERA of 5.1 compared to 3.06 at home.

Yandy Diaz comes into today’s game with a four-game hitting streak and has gone 12/37 (.324) over his last nine games. For the season, Diaz is batting .254 with four home runs. Isaac Paredes has been a bright spot for the Rays this season, as he is batting .288 and leads the team with 37 RBIs. Paredes also has 10 homers, which is 12th in the league.

Overall, the Rays come into the game with the league’s worst home run total and are averaging just 3.9 runs per game. They are also near the bottom of the league in team OPS and slugging percentage. As a team, they are batting just .232. However, they do have a good team BABIP and have been striking out at a below-average rate.

Our prediction for the Cubs and Rays matchup is that the Rays will pick up a 6-5 win. With the money line payout for a Rays win at -140, this is the bet we recommend making.

Looking at some potential player props, you could look at the starting pitchers. For example, our projections have Zach Eflin finishing with six strikeouts. As for Jameson Taillon, he is projected to finish with four K’s.

Tampa Bay Rays vs Chicago Cubs Betting Tips

• Take the Rays on the moneyline
• On the run line we like the Cubs (+1.5)
• Projecting a combined 11 runs, we like the over

Tampa Bay Rays Injury Report

Chicago Cubs Injury Report