Rays vs Pirates Betting: Teams Battling For Wild Card Berths
Tampa Bay Visits Pittsburgh for Three-Game Series
The Tampa Bay Rays (36-39) visit the Pittsburgh Pirates for a three-game series beginning Friday. The Rays are in fourth place in the AL East and 5.0 games back in the wild card race.
The Pirates are in third place in the NL Central, 7.5 games behind Milwaukee, but just .5 games back in the wild card race. The Rays vs Pirates betting shows that Ryan Pepoit is the scheduled starter for the Rays on Friday.
The Pirates haven’t named their series starters yet. It would be Jared Jones’ turn in the rotation Saturday and Paul Skenes should get the start Sunday for Pittsburgh.
Friday is likely to be a bullpen game with a combination of Josh Fleming, Carmen Mlodzinski and Luis Ortiz seeing the bulk of the action. As a result, only one sportsbook has a line on Friday’s game, with Pittsburgh -112 and a total of 8.
The Rays aren’t scoring much, ranking No. 22 in MLB team batting average and No. 27 in home runs. Tampa Bay is No. 6 in stolen bases, which is about the only thing it’s doing well to help score runs.
The Rays haven’t done a very good of pitching so far. The team ranks No. 24 in team ERA. Tampa Bay does have 23 saves, but has blown 14 save opportunities. The bullpen has fared a bit better on the road than at home.
The Pirates aren’t putting up many run themselves, scoring 4.0 runs per contest. Pittsburgh is No. 26 in team batting with a .230 average and No. 23 in home runs. There isn’t much difference in home or away scoring for Pittsburgh.
The pitching has been decent, with Pittsburgh No. 15 in team ERA. The bullpen has struggled a little with 21 saves and 14 blown saves. The starters have performed better overall.
Rays vs Pirates 
Day/Time:
Location: PNC Park, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Friday’s Game
The Rays vs Pirates betting odds could change once Pittsburgh formally announces its intentions. There isn’t a huge difference between the Pittsburgh possible starters and several should see time on the mound.
Pittsburgh could moves Jones up a day, which would see the line climb a little.
Pepoit has been a better pitcher on the road for Tampa Bay this season. He has a 4.57 ERA overall, but it drops to 3.18 away from home. Tampa Bay has gone 6-6 when he starts, but 3-1 when he takes the mound on the road.
His last two starts have been rough, as he allowed five home runs to Atlanta and Baltimore. He should fare better against Pittsburgh, as the Pirates team stats show the team isn’t a power-hitting squad.
Provided the Rays go off at -115 or less in the MLB games today, or are underdogs, there’s a case for taking Tampa Bay and Pepoit. He’s a good bounce-back candidate against the Pittsburgh line-up.
Saturday’s Game
Tampa Bay is going to start Zach Eflin, while the Pirates should go with Jones unless they move him up a day. The Rays have been winning when Eflin takes the mound, which is all that really matters.
He’s 3-4 on the season with a 4.12 ERA, but the Rays are 8-5 when he starts. His home numbers are better than his away numbers, although Tampa Bay is 5-3 when he starts on the road and 2-2 when he’s an underdog.
Jones is 4-6 with a 3.76 ERA, but has been better at home. The Pirates are 5-9 when Jones takes the mound and 3-4 when he starts at home. Jones has a 2.14 ERA when pitching at home and 5.59 on the road. He was roughed up a little at Colorado in his last start, but isn’t the first young pitcher to struggle at Coors Field.
As long as the line isn’t higher than Pittsburgh -135, Jones is worth a stab as a small favorite.
Sunday’s GameTampa By
The Rays vs Pirates betting should see Aaron Civale as the starter for the Rays and Skenes for the Pirates in Sunday’s final game.
Pittsburgh will be decent-sized favorites and Skenes could have a strong outing against a Tampa Bay team that strikes out more than nine times per game. The over in Skenes strikeouts could be a worthwhile wager in the MLB prop bets today.
Civale hasn’t pitched well since coming to Tampa Bay and this season is no exception. The Rays are 4-11 when Civale takes the mound and he’s pitching to a 5.42 ERA. That number climbs to a 6.75 ERA when the Rays are on the road.
Skenes has lived up to the hype and is going to be a big favorite in this spot, but it’s warranted. The Pirates are 6-1 when he starts this season. His away numbers are a little better than his home numbers, but it shouldn’t make any difference in this one.
He’s been a favorite in six of his seven starts and is worth taking on the run line in this one to lower the odds. Pittsburgh was -185 in his last start at home and expect more of the same in this one.
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