Orioles vs. Rays Thursday Prediction
The Rays scored eight runs last night against Baltimore pitching and get another good matchup tonight. Can bettors bank on Tampa Bay scoring at least six runs to cash the over on the Rays’ team total?
Game Snapshot & Odds
967 Baltimore Orioles (+215) at 968 Tampa Bay Rays (-260); 8.5 runs
Thursday, April 18, 2019
7:10 p.m. ET, Tropicana Field, Tampa, FL
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Public Betting Trends
According to our MLB Public Betting Chart page, 63% of the betting tickets are on the Rays to beat the Orioles on the moneyline.
Baltimore Orioles Fantasy Spin
Cedric Mullins went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts Wednesday, leaving him with an .098 average through 51 at-bats. The Orioles should remain patient with Mullins; he’s not striking out overly much (13 times thus far) and it’s not like they have anything to lose. Besides, he’s still the most interesting young player they have on their roster
Tampa Bay Rays Fantasy Spin
Mike Zunino went 3-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI against the Orioles on Wednesday. Zunino has a five-game hitting streak, which is pretty impressive for him. He opened the season 2-for-29, but he’s 7-for-18 with five extra-base hits since. Oddly enough, he’s still looking for his first homer.
MLB Betting Trends
Baltimore
The Orioles are 5-16 in their last 21 road games versus the Rays.
Tampa Bay
Following their victory last night, the Rays are now 6-0 in their last six games versus the Orioles.
Prediction:
Baltimore starter Andrew Cashner will bring his 5.31 ERA and 6.39 SIERA to Tropicana Field tonight. While he does posses a 49.3% groundball rate through his four starts, he has struggled with walks (12.4%) and limiting hard contact (47.8%). He also doesn’t strike many batters out, as his 14.5% strikeout rate through 28 starts showed a year ago. (He also has a 10.1% strikeout rate through his four outings this year.) Austin Meadows, Tommy Pham, Ji-Man Choi Yandy Diaz and Brandon Lowe all feast on right-handed pitching. Tampa should score early and often tonight.
The Pick: Tampa Bay Rays Team Total OVER 5.5 Runs (+115)