Tampa Bay Rays vs Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Pick & Prediction 6/23/24
At 1:35 from PNC Park in Pittsburgh, we have an interleague matchup between the Rays and Pirates. The money line odds have the Pirates at -162 compared to the Rays at +137, and the over/under line is at 7.5 runs.
Paul Skenes is starting for the Pirates, while the Rays are going with Aaron Civale. Both teams have a record of 37-40, but the Rays are 4th in the AL East, while the Pirates are 3rd in the NL Central. BSSUN is carrying this one on TV.
TAMPA BAY RAYS VS PITTSBURGH PIRATES BETTING PICK
The Pick: Tampa Bay Rays Moneyline +137
This game will be played at PNC Park at 1:35 ET on Sunday, June 23rd.
HOW TO BET THE RAYS VS PIRATES:
- 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
Pittsburgh picked up a 4-3 win over the Rays in the most recent game of this series. The Pirates had a huge 3rd inning, scoring all four of their runs. As for the Rays, they scored one run in the 1st inning and added their final two runs in the 9th.
Jared Jones started for the Pirates and picked up the win, going seven innings and giving up two earned runs. He finished the game with eight strikeouts but issued three walks. Aroldis Chapman closed things out for Pittsburgh.
Zach Eflin got the start for the Rays and took the loss, giving up four earned runs in seven innings of work. He finished the game with six strikeouts but allowed one home run.
Rays Records & Stats
Tampa Bay is 37-40 overall and 14 games behind the Yankees in the AL East. The Rays trail the Blue Jays by 1.5 games for 3rd place in the division. So far, they are just 10-17 against other AL East teams. The Rays will be playing on the road today, where they are 18-17 compared to 19-23 at home.
As the favorite, the Rays have gone 22-20 this season and 15-20 as the underdog. They are an even 11-11-2 in series this year, and they are 1-1 against the Pirates in this series. Over their last 10 games, the Rays are 5-5.
When playing on the road, the Rays have been a solid bet on the run line, going 21-14 so far this season. They have covered the run line in six straight road games and are 19-16 as the underdog. Tampa Bay’s average run differential in winning games is +2.4, while it drops to -3.8 in losses.
With a combined run average of 8.8 runs per game, the Tampa Bay Rays have seen their fair share of high-scoring contests this season. Their over/under record is 40-35, and when the O/U line is set at 7.5 runs, they have gone over 13 times and under 8 times. Overall, 68.8% of their games have had higher lines than 7.5 runs, and the average O/U line for their games this season is 8 runs.
Tampa Bay is sending Aaron Civale to the mound today, and he comes in with a record of 2-5 and ERA of 5.42. So far, he has made 15 starts and three of them have been quality starts. Looking at his numbers, Civale has a WHIP of 1.39 and is averaging 9.31 strikeouts per nine innings. In his last outing, he finished with a no-decision, giving up four earned runs in 3 2/3 innings of work. Before that, he had gone 1-2 with a 7.05 ERA on the road.
So far this season, the Rays are averaging just 4 runs per game, which is 25th in the league. They have been even worse at home, putting up just 3.7 runs per contest. As a team, they are batting just .234 and have the league’s 20th ranked home run total. However, they do have a few hitters who have been swinging the bat well of late, including Yandy Diaz, who is on a 15-game hitting streak and has gone 11/37 in his last eight games.
Isaac Paredes has been the Rays’ top power threat this season, as his 11 homers are the best on the team and 14th in the league. He has also driven in 39 runs, which is the best mark on the team. Yandy Diaz is right behind him in terms of RBIs, and he has a season-long batting average of .265.
Pirates Records & Stats
Pittsburgh is 37-39 overall and trails the Brewers by 6.5 games in the NL Central. The Pirates are 10-10 against other NL Central teams. So far, they are 19-19 at home compared to an 18-20 mark on the road.
The Pirates have won four straight games as the favorite, and they are 15-17 when favored this year. As the underdog, Pittsburgh is 22-22 this season. They have an overall series record of 10-10-4 and have won two straight series.
The Pirates have been a solid run line bet overall this season, going 41-35, but they have been a better bet on the road, where they are 22-16. They have covered the run line in 30 of 44 games as an underdog, but have struggled to cover as the favorite, going just 11-21.
Oddsmakers have set the over/under line for today’s game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Tampa Bay Rays at 7.5 runs. The combined run average for Pirates games this season is 8.5 runs, and their over/under record is 36-39. The average over/under line for Pirates games this season is 8 runs, and their over/under record when the line is set at 7.5 runs is 5-9. The majority of Pirates games this season have had over/under lines set at more than 7.5 runs, with 72.4% of their games having higher lines.
Paul Skenes has been pitching well for the Pirates this season, as he has made seven starts and is 4-0 with a 2.29 ERA. Skenes’ WHIP for the season is .99, and he has turned in five quality starts. In his last outing, Skenes went six innings, giving up one earned run on six hits. He finished with seven strikeouts in that outing. Skenes has not allowed more than three earned runs in any of his outings this year. Per nine innings, he is averaging 12.13 strikeouts and just 1.6 walks.
So far this season, the Pirates are averaging just 4 runs per game, which is 24th in the league. They have been even worse at home, averaging only 3.8 runs per game. As a team, they are batting just .228 and are near the bottom of the league in most offensive categories. One bright spot has been their team BABIP, as they are 11th in the league in that category.
Bryan Reynolds has been one of the Pirates’ best hitters this season, as he is batting .271 and has a team-high 42 RBIs. Reynolds also has a team-high 11 homers. He is currently on a 19-game hitting streak and has gone 9/27 in his last seven games. Oneil Cruz and Andrew McCutchen are also tied for 2nd on the team with 10 homers apiece.