Cubs vs. Rays Pick
Will the host Tampa Bay Rays down the Chicago Cubs in the opener of a three-game series Tuesday night at 7:10PM EST.
Oddsmakers at sports book Bovada.lv have made the Rays a -125 favorite to win on the moneyline. The Cubs are a +105 underdog and the over-under is 8.
MLB Quick Links: Scores & Matchups | Injuries | Odds Comparison | Betting Trends | ATS Stats
Pitching for the Cubs will be Mike Montgomery (6-8, 3.57 ERA), while the Rays turn to Chris Archer (9-10, 4.06). Montgomery has a 1.28 WHIP and 90 strikeouts over 118 1/3 innings. He threw two shutout innings, allowing one hit with two strikeouts and a walk in a 14-6 home win over the Mets his last outing. Montgomery has a 3.18 ERA in 51 road innings. Archer comes in with a 1.26 WHIP and 235 strikeouts in 186 1/3 innings. He gave up three earned runs on six hits with five strikeouts and three walks over four innings in a 3-2 home loss to the Yankees his last start.
Chicago is 83-66 and 37-34 on the road, while Tampa enters at 73-77 and 38-38 at home. The Cubs lead the season series 2-1 and the total has gone over two times.
Over the weekend, Chicago extended its win strak to six games Sunday with a 4-3 home victory over the Cardinals. Jason Heyward went 3-for-4 with a double, a run and an RBI to lead the way. Kyle Schwarber hit his 27th home run, while Pedro Strop earned the win in relief. Tampa Bay snapped a three-game losing streak Sunday with a 3-2 home win over the Red Sox. Evan Longoria was 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Jesus Sucre went 2-for-3 with a home run and two runs scored. Cesar Puello finished 3-for-3.
This will be Joe Maddon’s first return to his old stomping grounds at Tropicana Field since taking over as the Cubs’ manager. Expect a warm reception before the game, but once it’s on the Rays will be focused on snapping the Chicago win streak. Archer also has a revenge narrative as he was once a Cubs prospect before being traded to the Rays. He is due for a big start and this seems like the right spot for it. Tampa Bay has struggled against left-handed pitching, but did touch up Chris Sale pretty decently last week and Montgomery might be on a strict pitch count to keep his innings down.
MLB DAILY PREDICTION: TAMPA BAY RAYS -125