Jeffrey Springs will start for the Rays on Thursday, as they look to extend their two-game winning streak vs. the Athletics, who are 2-2 over their last four games. The money line odds have the Rays at -126 compared to the Athletics at +106, and the over/under line is at 7.5 runs.
Thursday's forecast in Oakland calls for cloudy skies and temperatures in the low 60s. This AL matchup is set for 3:37 PM ET from Oakland Coliseum. NSPCA will be televising this game.
Tampa Bay vs. Oakland Matchup At A Glance
- Teams: Rays at Athletics
- Where: Oakland Coliseum Oakland
- Date: Thursday, August 22nd
- Betting Odds TB -126 | OAK +106 O/U 7.5
Rays vs Athletics Last Game Recap
Tampa Bay picked up a 4-2 road win over the Athletics in the most recent game of this series. The Rays had a two-run 5th inning and added two more runs in the 7th, while the A's scored their only two runs in the 6th. Heading into the game, the Rays were favored at -132 on the money line.
Ryan Pepiot started for the Rays and picked up the win, going six innings and giving up two earned runs. He finished the game with five strikeouts but issued a season-high six walks. As for the A's, Mitch Spence got the start and took the loss, giving up four earned runs in seven innings of work.
Jose Siri was the difference for the Rays' offense, as he homered twice, scored three times, and finished with two RBIs. JJ Bleday hit a home run for the A's, going 1/3.
Rays Preview
Currently, the Rays are 2-1 in their series against the Athletics and they have a 64-62 overall record, which places them 4th in the AL East, 9.5 games behind the Yankees. Tampa Bay has won two straight games and they are 6-4 in their last 10.
Looking at their run line records, the Rays are 35-23 on the road and 41-24 as underdogs. Their games have averaged 8.1 runs this season, resulting in a 56-64 over/under record. The under has hit in their last three games, and 59.5% of their games have had higher totals than today's line of 7.5 runs.
Jeffrey Springs is on the mound for the Rays today, as they take on the Athletics on the road. Springs has started 3 games so far this season, and he has a win and 2 no-decisions. He is coming off a 5 inning outing in which he picked up the win, striking out 7 and giving up just 1 earned run.
Yandy Diaz comes into the game as the Rays' top hitter this season, batting .275, and he is also on a three-game hitting streak. Over his last 10 games, Diaz has gone 11/35. However, he does not have a home run in that stretch. Christopher Morel and Jose Siri are tied for 2nd on the team with 16 homers, but Morel is batting just .191 this season, and Siri is hitting only .199.
As a team, the Rays are 28th in the league in scoring at 3.9 runs per game. They have been even worse at home, averaging just 3.7 runs per game. Overall, they are also near the bottom of the league in home runs and team slugging percentage. Brandon Lowe and Jose Siri are both in the top three in homers, but Lowe is just 3/22 in his last nine games.
Athletics Preview
As the underdog, the Athletics have a 43-69 record this season, but as the favorite, they are 11-4. Oakland is 4th in the AL West, 4.5 games behind the Rangers, and they have an overall series record of 16-21-3. The A's have an average run differential of -0.1 runs per game at home and -1.0 runs per game on the road.
This season, the over/under record for A's games is 56-69, and the average run total is 8.5 runs per game. The under is 10-18 in games with a total of 7.5 runs, and the under has hit in their last five games. Today, the over/under line for the A's game against the Rays is set at 7.5 runs.
Right-hander Osvaldo Bido gets the start for the Athletics today as he faces off against the Rays at home. He has made six starts and 12 appearances this season, coming in with a record of 4-3 and an ERA of 3.40. Bido's WHIP for the season is 1.16, and opponents are batting .190 off him this year. Bido is coming off a start in which he didn't allow a run, going six innings and picking up the win. Before that, he had allowed at least two homers in three straight starts. So far, he has three quality starts.
For the season, the Athletics are batting just .230, which is 20th in the league. However, they do have the 8th most home runs in the league and are averaging 4 runs per game. Oakland's offense has been a bit better at home, averaging 4.2 runs per game compared to 3.8 on the road. As a team, they are 26th in strikeouts and have a collective OBP of just .303.
Brent Rooker has been a big bright spot for the Athletics this season, as he is batting .286 and his 84 RBIs are 10th in the league. His 29 home runs are also the best on the team and 8th in the MLB. Catcher Shea Langeliers is 2nd on the team with 22 homers but is batting just .227 for the season. J.J. Bleday has struggled of late, going just 5/23 in his last six games.
Rays vs. Athletics Prediction: Athletics ML +106
Given that the Athletics are the underdogs in this one, we really like them to pick up a win at +106. Our predicted final score is 5-4 in favor of the Athletics, meaning you could also look to take the over, as the line is sitting at 7.5 runs.
Looking at the starting pitchers, we have Osvaldo Bido lasting 13th in terms of projected innings, and he's also got a lower strikeout projection than Jeffrey Springs. However, Springs has a better chance of picking up a win, but we still have Bido's chances as the second worst among today's starters.
