Chicago Cubs vs Tampa Bay Rays Betting Pick & Prediction 6/12/24

Wednesday’s Cubs vs. Rays interleague matchup has a first pitch set for 6:50 PM ET from Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg. Chicago is 5th in the NL Central with a record of 32-35, while the Rays are 5th in the AL East.

There does not appear to be a favorite on the money line for tonight’s game, as the Cubs’ odds are at +100 compared to the Rays at -118. The over/under line is currently at 7.5 runs, and Javier Assad is starting for the Cubs, while the Rays are going with Aaron Civale.

TAMPA BAY RAYS VS CHICAGO CUBS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Tampa Bay Rays Moneyline -118

This game will be played at Tropicana Field at 6:50 ET on Wednesday, June 12th.

HOW TO BET THE CUBS VS RAYS:

• We have the Rays winning by a score of 5 to 4
• If you’re looking for a run line pick, we also like the Rays to cover
• As for an over/under pick, we have this game finishing with 9 runs and like the over

Tampa Bay rallied for four runs in the 9th inning in the most recent game of this series. The Rays scored one run in the 1st inning but didn’t score another run until putting up four in the top of the 9th, picking up a 5-2 win over the Cubs. Heading into the game, the Rays were favored at -136 on the money line.

Chicago wasted a good outing from Jameson Taillon, as he gave up just one run in six innings of work for the Cubs. Hector Neris took the loss.

Zach Eflin got the win for the Rays, going 5 2/3 innings and giving up two earned runs. He finished the game with just three strikeouts and allowed one home run.

Cubs Records & Stats

Chicago is 32-35 overall and is 5th in the NL Central, seven games behind the Brewers for the division lead. So far, they have gone just 8-15 in divisional games. The Cubs have won three straight games as the favorite, and they are 16-13 overall as the favorite this year.

At home, the Cubs are 18-13 this year, and they are 14-22 on the road. Chicago lost the series opener vs. the Rays and overall have a series record of 8-11-2 this year. Looking at their overall last 10 games, the Cubs are 4-6.

When the Cubs are on the road, they have a run line record of 21-15. They have an average run margin of -0.9 runs per game on the road. As the underdog, they have a run line record of 25-13.

The Cubs have been a part of a high-scoring season, with their games averaging 8.8 runs per game. Their over/under record for the season is 30-34, and when the line is set at 7.5 runs, they are 8-8. Their games have had an average line of 8 runs per game, and they have had 42 games with lines set higher than 7.5 runs, which is 62.7% of their games. They have had a four-game under streak.

Right-hander Javier Assad gets the start for the Cubs today as he faces the Rays on the road. He has made 13 starts this season and has a record of 4-2 with a 2.74 ERA. Looking at his overall numbers, opponents are batting .220 this season. Assad’s last outing came against the Reds, where he took the loss, giving up five earned runs in 5 2/3 innings of work. Before that, he had gone three straight outings without giving up a home run. Assad has given up at least one homer in six of his 13 starts.

Christopher Morel has been swinging a hot bat for the Cubs of late, going 8/26 in his last seven games with three homers and five RBIs. Overall, Morel is batting just .208 this season, but his 13 homers are 9th in the league and the top mark on the team. Cody Bellinger and Michael Busch are tied for 2nd on the team with eight homers apiece.

As a team, the Cubs are averaging 4.3 runs per game, which is 17th in the league. They have been a better offensive team at home this season, averaging 4.4 runs per game. Overall, the Cubs are batting just .229, which is 18th in the MLB.

Rays Records & Stats

Tampa Bay is 5th in the AL East, trailing the Yankees by 15 games. Overall, the Rays are 32-35 and picked up a game on the Red Sox in the division, as they are now just a half-game behind Boston. The Rays will take on the Cubs today at home, and they are 18-22 at home this year.

The Rays have been just above .500 on the road, coming in with a mark of 14-13. So far, they are 10-17 against other teams in the AL East. Tampa Bay has dropped four straight games as the underdog, and they are 11-16 as the underdog overall. As the favorite, the Rays are 21-19 this year, and their overall series record is 9-10-2. Looking at their recent play, the Rays are 4-6 over their last 10 games.

When it comes to betting the run line, the Rays have been a better bet on the road this season, going 15-12 compared to 12-28 at home. Overall, they are 27-40 against the run line, with an average run margin of -0.9 runs per game. Tampa Bay has been favored in 40 games this season, going 14-26 against the run line, while they are 13-14 as the underdog.

With an average combined run average of 8.7 runs per game, the Tampa Bay Rays have seen a high percentage of their games with over/under lines set at 7.5 runs. In fact, 68.7% of their games have had higher lines than today’s 7.5-run total. Their over/under record for the season is 34-31, and when the line is set at 7.5 runs, they have gone over 12 times and under 6 times.

Aaron Civale gets the start for the Rays today and will be looking to bounce back from a rough outing vs. the Orioles. In that start, he took the loss, giving up four earned runs in five innings of work. Looking back over his last four outings, Civale has finished with a no-decision in three straight starts. He has a record of 2-5 this season and an ERA of 5.51. Opposing batters are hitting .268 off Civale this season, and he has allowed 13 homers. Per nine innings, he is averaging 2.55 walks compared to 9.13 strikeouts.

For the season, the Rays are averaging just 3.9 runs per game, which is 27th in the league. This is due to the fact that they are the worst home run hitting team in the league and are also near the bottom of the league in terms of slugging percentage and OPS. However, they have been a good team at avoiding strikeouts, as their 9 strikeouts per game is the 23rd best mark in the league.

Isaac Paredes has been one of the few bright spots for the Rays this season, as he is batting .287 with a team-high 10 home runs and 37 RBIs. Yandy Diaz has been swinging a hot bat of late, going 14/41 in his last 10 games. This has helped him move his season average up to .258. He is also on a five-game hitting streak.