The Marlins and Rays will face off in an interleague matchup at 12:10 PM ET at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FL. Miami is 39-68 this season, putting them 5th in the NL East, while the Rays are 4th in the AL East with an overall record of 55-52.
Taj Bradley will start for the Rays, while the Marlins are sending Roddery Munoz to the mound. Tampa Bay is heavily favored, with their money line odds sitting at -247 compared to the Marlins at +201. The over/under line is currently at 7.5 runs.
Miami vs. Tampa Bay Matchup At A Glance
- Teams: Marlins at Rays
- Where: Tropicana Field St. Petersburg
- Date: Wednesday, July 31st
- Betting Odds TB -247 | MIA +201 O/U 7.5
Marlins vs Rays Last Game Recap
Tampa Bay cruised to a 9-3 win over the Marlins in the most recent game of this series. The Rays had a huge 6th inning, scoring five of their nine runs. As for the Marlins, they scored their only three runs in the 5th. Heading into the game, the Rays were favored at -177 on the money line.
Jeffrey Springs only went 3 2/3 innings for the Rays but gave up just two hits and two earned runs. He finished the game with three strikeouts but issued one walk. Tyler Alexander came out of the bullpen for the win. As for the Marlins, Edward Cabrera gave up two earned runs in five innings of work.
Jake Burger hit the game's only home run while going 2/5 with three RBIs, but it came in a losing effort. Yandy Diaz and Ben Rortvedt each had two hits and two RBIs for the Rays' offense.
Marlins Preview
Miami's overall run line record is 50-57, and they are 25-26 on the road. The Marlins have a 10-21-3 series record, and they have won two straight series. In games with an over/under line of 7.5 runs, their O/U record is 15-6.
The Marlins are 5th in the NL East with a 39-68 record, 26 games behind the Phillies. Miami has lost the first two games of this series vs. the Rays, and their divisional record is 9-21.
Roddery Muñoz gets the start for the Marlins today as he faces the Rays on the road. He has made 11 starts this year and has a record of 1-5 with an ERA of 5.61. Muñoz's WHIP for the season is currently 1.41. In his last outing, he finished with a no-decision, giving up six earned runs in five innings of work. Looking back at his last three starts, Muñoz has allowed at least two homers in each outing. His ERA at home is 6.85 compared to 5.07 on the road.
So far this season, the Marlins are averaging just 3.6 runs per game, which is 29th in the MLB. They have been slightly better at home, averaging 4 runs per contest. As a team, the Marlins are batting just .237, and their on-base percentage of .291 is also among the worst in the league. Miami's top power hitter this season has been Bryan De La Cruz, who is 13th in the MLB with 18 homers. De La Cruz also leads the team with 51 RBIs.
Josh Bell has been swinging a hot bat of late, going 12/34 in his last nine games with five homers and nine RBIs. Bell is also on a seven-game hitting streak. Third baseman Jake Burger and Bell are tied for 2nd on the team with 14 homers apiece, but Burger is batting just .235 for the season.
Rays Preview
Currently, the Rays are on a three-game winning streak and have a 7-3 record in their last 10 games. They are 55-52 overall and trail the Orioles by 8.5 games in the AL East. Tampa Bay is also a half-game behind the Red Sox for 3rd place in the division.
When it comes to the run line, the Rays have a 53-54 record for the season. They have been a good bet on the run line on the road, going 29-20, but at home, they are 24-34. Tampa Bay's games have had an average of 8.4 runs per game, resulting in a 51-51 over/under record. The over has hit in 65.4% of their games with a total of 7.5 runs.
Taj Bradley will be looking to build off his last outing, where he didn't give up a run and picked up the win. In that start vs. the Blue Jays, he went six innings and didn't give up a homer. Looking back further, Bradley has won three straight starts and has given up just one earned run in each of those outings. The right-hander has a record of 6-4 this season and an ERA of 2.43. Opponents are batting .188 off Bradley this season. Out of his 14 starts, Bradley has seven quality starts and is averaging 10.73 strikeouts per nine innings.
So far this season, the Rays are averaging just 4 runs per game, which is the worst mark in the league. At home, they are averaging just 3.7 runs per contest. As a team, they are batting just .234 and are 21st in home runs. However, they do have the 8th fewest strikeouts in the league and are 10th in on-base percentage.
Christopher Morel has been a bright spot for the Rays this season in terms of power, as he leads the team with 19 home runs, but he is batting just .199. Morel has gone deep in two straight games. Yandy Diaz is batting .271 for the season and is 2nd on the team with 49 RBIs. Over his last four games, he has gone 4/17 with one homer. Brandon Lowe is also swinging a hot bat right now, going 9/16 in his last five games.
Marlins vs. Rays Prediction: Over 7.5 Runs +100
For this Marlins vs. Rays matchup, we are actually going to recommend taking the over, as the payout for a Rays win is not worth the -247 payout. Our predicted final score is 6-5 in favor of the Rays, and with the over/under sitting at 7.5 runs, there is some good value on the over at +100.
Looking at the starting pitchers, we have Taj Bradley finishing with six strikeouts, which is good for seventh best among starters today. As for Roddery Muñoz, he is projected to finish with five strikeouts, which would have him down in 19th.
