Corbin Burnes and the Orioles (82-61) are the heavy favorite on the money line today at -202, while the Rays (70-72) are starting Zack Littell and are +168 underdogs. Today's over/under line is at 7.5 runs, and the forecast from Baltimore calls for clear skies and temperatures in the mid-50s.
First pitch from Oriole Park at Camden Yards is set for 12:05 PM ET, and the game will be televised on MASN. In the AL East standings, the Orioles are in 2nd place, while the Rays are 4th.
Tampa Bay vs. Baltimore Matchup At A Glance
- Teams: Rays at Orioles
- Where: Oriole Park at Camden Yards Baltimore
- Date: Sunday, September 8th
- Betting Odds BAL -202 | TB +168 O/U 7.5
Rays vs Orioles Last Game Recap
Tampa Bay cruised to a 7-1 win over the Orioles in the most recent game of this series. The Rays had a huge 3rd inning, scoring seven of their eight runs. As for the Orioles, they scored their only run in the 4th. Heading into the game, the Rays were at +148 on the money line.
Ryan Pepiot only went 5 1/3 innings for the Rays but gave up just one run and struck out four. He picked up a win in the game, while Zach Eflin went 5 2/3 innings for the Orioles, giving up three earned runs.
Yandy Diaz and Taylor Walls each homered for the Rays, while Jonny DeLuca scored twice and drove in two runs while going 3/5. Cedric Mullins hit the game's only other home run for the Orioles.
Rays Preview
Currently, the Rays are 2 games behind the Red Sox for the final Wild Card spot, and they are 12 games behind the Yankees in the AL East. Their series record this season is 21-17-6, and they have a 35-30 record as the favorite.
When the Rays win, they win by an average of 2.8 runs, but when they lose, they lose by an average of 3.5 runs. Their over/under record for the season is 64-70, and games involving the Rays have averaged 8.2 runs. The over/under line for today's game is set at 7.5 runs, which is lower than usual, as 57% of their games have had higher total lines.
Tampa Bay is sending Zack Littell to the mound today vs. the Orioles, and he comes in with a record of 5-9 and an ERA of 4.04. Littell has made 25 starts this year and has turned in eight quality starts. In his last outing, he took the loss, giving up four earned runs in four innings of work vs. the Twins. Before that, he had gone 2-0 in three straight outings. Littell's ERA at home is 3.3 compared to 6.77 on the road. Opponents are batting .279 off the right-hander this year.
Yandy Diaz has been one of the Rays' top hitters this season, batting .279 with a team-high 64 RBIs and 14 homers. He has also been swinging a hot bat of late, going 10/25 in his last seven games with three homers. Christopher Morel is also near the top of the home run leaderboard for the Rays, but he is batting just .197 for the season and has gone deep just once in his last nine games.
As a team, the Rays are averaging just 3.9 runs per game, which is 28th in the league. They also have one of the worst team batting averages in the league at .231. Overall, they are 24th in home runs and have a collective OPS of .674, which is also 24th in the MLB.
Orioles Preview
Today's game against the Rays is crucial for the Orioles, as they are just a half-game behind the Yankees for the AL East lead with an 82-61 record. Baltimore has been favored in 113 games this season and has a 67-46 record in those games. Their overall series record is 24-13-7, and they have won two straight series.
On the run line, the Orioles have been solid with a 78-65 record, including a 42-27 record on the road. Their games have averaged 9.3 runs per game this season, resulting in a 77-55 O/U record. Today's O/U line is set at 7.5 runs, which is lower than usual for the Orioles, as 79.7% of their games have had higher O/U lines.
Right-hander Corbin Burnes gets the start for the Orioles today as he faces the Rays at home. He has made 28 starts this season and has a record of 13-7 with a 3.19 ERA. Burnes' WHIP for the season is currently 1.13, and opponents are batting .217 off him this year. In his last outing, Burnes picked up the win, going five innings and giving up one earned run on six hits. Before that, he had lost three straight starts. Burnes has given up at least two homers in three of his last four outings.
So far this season, the Orioles offense has been one of the best in the league, as they are 4th in runs per game at 5 runs per contest. They have been even better on the road, averaging 5.2 runs per game. As a team, they are 2nd in the league in home runs and have the top slugging percentage in the MLB. Baltimore also has the top isolated power rating in the league.
Gunnar Henderson has been swinging a hot bat of late, hitting .357 with three homers over his last seven games. For the season, he is batting .279 with 36 homers. Anthony Santander is also near the top of the league in homers, as his 39 long balls are the 3rd most in the MLB. Santander is batting just .241 for the season.
Rays vs. Orioles Prediction: Over 7.5 Runs -112
Our predicted final score for this game is 6-4 in favor of the Orioles. However, with the money line payout for the Orioles at -202, we recommend taking the over on the 7.5 run line. Our prediction is that the Orioles will win by two runs, but we have them putting up six runs, giving you some wiggle room if you want to parlay this with another game.
Looking at the starting pitchers, we have Corbin Burnes finishing with seven strikeouts compared to Zack Littell with five. Burnes is also projected to go deeper into the game than Littell. If you're looking for a player prop bet, Burnes to finish with seven K's is a good option.
