Rays Are Pick To Make It Two Wins in a Row Vs. Mets
What will the Mets and the Rays do for an encore after 16 runs were scored in the first five innings in the series opener? The 18 runs were tied for the most in a game between the teams since 2000.
Tampa Bay snapped a two-game losing streak to the Mets with the win on Friday. The Rays have won six straight home games against the Mets. Five of the last six games between the teams finished over the MLB against the spread picks.
The MLB betting lines have Tampa Bay priced at -105 to win Game 2 in the series with +180 odds for the Rays to cover at -1½ on the run line. The Mets have -105 odds to win the game outright as they haven’t been favored on the road against Tampa Bay since 2015.
When looking at MLB futures odds, the Mets are tied for 18th at +6000 in the odds of winning the World Series with the Rays coming in at +8000 in the championship odds.
Mets vs Rays Series Information
- Game: Mets (16-16) vs Rays (15-18)
- Date/Time: Saturday, 7:15 p.m. ET
- Location: Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, FL
- Mets vs Rays Live Stream: MLB.tv
Mets vs Rays Moneyline Odds and Run Line
Scott Gets the Call
The New York Mets went from Jose Quintana, a 35-year-old making his 309th career start, to turning to 24-year-old Christian Scott who will be making his MLB debut.
Scott, a fifth-round pick by the Mets in 2021 out of the University of Florida, had a 3-0 record and 3.20 in five starts at AAA Syracuse. He allowed 12 hits and struck out 36 batters in 25.1 innings.
The well-traveled Zack Littell is pitching for his fourth MLB team in the last five seasons. He has lost his last two starts despite allowing just two runs in six innings in his most recent outing.
A Rare Offensive Outburst
The bats woke up for Tampa Bay in the series opener.
The Rays had a .181 batting average as they scored six runs in the previous four games and were 1-for-21 with runners in scoring positions as they dropped three of four games in a series against Milwaukee.
The Rays had eight runs by the end of the third inning on Friday night and finished 7-for-12 with runners in scoring position in the 10-8 win as Tampa Bay scored a season-high 10 runs. Johnny DeLuca drove in three runs in his season debut.
Eight runs wasn’t enough as the Mets fell to the Rays 10-8 https://t.co/3GwG9Cc6kY pic.twitter.com/zHsGlYoGHE
— SNY (@SNYtv) May 4, 2024
Even with four players having at least two hits in the win, the numbers over the last week are not impressive. Yandy Diaz (.100), Randy Arozarena (.105), Curtis Mead (.118), and Amed Rosario (.190) are all hitting under .200 as Tampa Bay has a .235 team batting average in the last six games.
Keep that in mind when making player prop bets in this game.
A Look at the Splits
After scoring 10 times in the series opener, Tampa Bay is 21st in OPS at home. They have stolen 16 bases in 18 home games.
The Mets have the fifth-best on-base percentage on the road and are third with a .436 slugging percentage.
Mets vs Rays Betting Trends
- Eight of Tampa Bay’s last 10 home games went over the total.
- Tampa Bay is 10-13 as a favorite this season.
- The Mets are 5-7 when listed as the underdog by the Las Vegas odds.
- Nine of the 13 road games for the Mets landed over the total.
- Twelve of Tampa Bay’s 18 home games went over the total.
- New York has covered in eight of its 13 games on the road.
- The total went under in four of the last six games for the Mets.
- Eight of the last 10 road games for New York went over the total.
Injury Update
Pitchers Drew Smith and Tylor Megill are on the injured list for the Mets as is catcher Francisco Alvarez.
Tampa Bay outfielder Jose Siri was originally suspended for three games for his role in an on-field confrontation against the Brewers but is eligible to return after having his suspension reduced from three to two games upon appeal.
Infielder Jonathan Aranda and outfielder Josh Lowe are on the injured list for the Rays.
What to Look for
Don’t expect another 18 runs to be scored in Game 2 of the series although it will be worth watching how the teams manage the bullpen after seven relief pitchers were used in the series opener. The total is at 7 1/2 so this game could land over that number, especially when looking at Littell’s numbers as opponents are batting .320 against the starter for the Rays the first time through the lineup.
The Mets are 4-8 over the last 12 games with Tampa Bay 3-8 over the last 11 games.
Six of the 15 hits for Isaac Parades at home have gone for extra bases for the Rays. Francisco Lindor has four home runs and seven extra-base hits on the road this season for the Mets.
Questions of the Day
Which team had a better ATS record coming into Saturday's game, the Mets or the Rays?
The Mets are 16-16 against the spread with the Rays posting a 12-21 ATS mark.
What are good player prop options for the Mets and the Rays on Saturday?
Brett Baty is hitting .333 with three extra-base hits in his last six games for the Mets while Richie Palacios is 8-for-17 with five walks in his last five games for Tampa Bay.
