Tampa Bay Rays VS Oakland Athletics feature the Athletics (2-4, 3-3 RL, 2-3-1 O/U) and the Rays (6-0, 6-0 RL, 3-2-1 O/U) in the first match for a three-game AL series today at the Trop.
Ken Waldichuk will be on the mound for Oakland, while Zach Eflin will do the same for Tampa Bay. The Rays went 4-3 against the Athletics last season.
In this preview, MatchPlug discusses the MLB Predictions Today, picks, and odds for the Rays VS Athletics.
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Predictions and Betting Preview for Tampa Bay Rays VS Oakland Athletics MLB Regular Season
- Venue: Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Florida
- When: Friday, April 7th, 2023
- Time: 15:40 GMT
- Teams to play: Tampa Bay Rays and Oakland Athletics
- MLB Expert Picks: SPREAD -1.5
Odds by 1XBet and BetMGM.
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Betting On The Tampa Bay Rays
- 1XBet Spread: -1.5
- 1XBet Moneyline: 1.444
- 1XBet Over/Under: Over 7.5
- BetMGM Spread: -1.5
- BetMGM Moneyline: 1.36
- BetMGM Over/Under: Under 7.5
Veteran player, Zach Eflin will get recognized for the second time this season. He was fantastic in his opening start, limiting the Detroit Tigers to just one run on three hits in five innings, and secured the victory. Eflin signed on with the Rays after spending a greater part of his MLB career with the Philadelphia Phillies. He struggled with injuries in recent seasons but is still effective. Zach posted a 4.04 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP to complement his 3-5 record in 75.2 innings last campaign. He accumulated two shutout innings against Oakland last year, marking his only career meeting with the Athletics.
Coach Kevin Cash keeps the Rays in good shape this season. Tampa Bay won the opening two series, sweeping the Tigers using dominating pitching, plus another sweep against the Washington Nationals on the road this week. The Rays’ pitching is as good as it was in previous seasons. They’ve conceded only 13 runs in six games.
Tampa Bay has many solid hitters which include Wander Franco the young star. Franco has dominated so far, gathering 8 hits, leading to a .417 average with a remarkable seven RBIs and 1.28 OPS. He hit .290 with three RBIs against Oakland last season.
The Rays lead the Majors with 7.33 runs per game. The pitching is standard, accumulating a 2.00 ERA, good for second in the major leagues.
Betting On The Oakland Athletics
- 1XBet Spread: +1.5
- 1XBet Moneyline: 3.102
- 1XBet Over/Under: Under 7.5
- BetMGM Spread: +1.5
- BetMGM Moneyline: 3.20
- BetMGM Over/Under: Over 7.5
Ken Waldichuk will be on the hill for the Oakland Athletics to begin the series. In his season debut, Waldichuk clobbered, forfeiting six runs including three home runs in 5.2 innings against the Los Angeles Angels, it’s no surprise he carried the loss. After seven outings last season, this player is still regarded as a rookie. He posted a weak 4.93 ERA but an encouraging 1.21 WHIP and a 2-2 record in 34.2 innings pitched last year. This is Waldichuk’s first time meeting the Rays.
Now that they’ve traded most of their key hitters, the Athletics will be close to the bottom of the standings all season. They dropped 3 of 4 to the Angels in the opening series. They lost 2 of three to the Cleveland Guardians this week after losing in 10 innings on Wednesday.
Oakland does not have many big hitters in its lineup but there are some players that reach base. Ramon Laureano has been reaching base and producing, he recorded two home runs, three RBIs, and a powerful .883 OPS. The outfielder hit 13 bombs with 3 RBIs in 94 games last season. Laureano has 8 RBIs in 16 career games against the Rays.
The Athletics score an average of 3.67 runs per game, ranking them 23rd. They recorded a 5.79 team ERA, pegging them 28th.
MatchPlug Prediction
For the first time in the season, the Oakland Athletics will be on the road. They’ll take some hits this season and may lose 100 games. The Tampa Bay Rays on the other hand are on fire, winning all of their 6 games, and sweeping the Tigers and Nationals. Tampa Bay is the only unbeaten team in the big leagues.
In addition, the Athletics’ Ken Waldichuk was rocked in his opening start, misusing six runs against the Angels. He is yet to find his footing in the Major Leagues, logging a 5.58 ERA in 40.1 career innings. Ray’s Zach Eflin on the other hand limited the Tigers to just one run in his first start.
Experts predict the run line because all of Tampa Bay’s 6 victories have been by multiple runs.
Final Prediction: Tampa Bay Rays Spread.
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