Starting the Series
The Tampa Bay Rays will take on the Oakland Athletics Monday in the first installment of a three-game series. Both teams are two games off .500, with the Rays finding themselves two above, and the A’s two under.
The first pitch will be delivered Monday at 9:40 p.m. ET inside Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, California.
Let’s check the latest MLB picks stats, injury reports, and MLB odds for Rays vs Athletics. We’ve plenty of MLB predictions.
Tampa Bay’s Predicament
The Tampa Bay Rays find themselves in an interesting position despite the season getting underway just last month. They are the reigning American League East champions and would theoretically be getting better with further development of their young players, but they are currently third in their division behind the surging New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays. Tampa Bay employs one of the cheapest rosters in the league but still finds ways to be competitive, though they are already under serious pressure from their rivals.
Second-year phenom Wander Franco carries a lot of his team weight but comes into this one listed as day-to-day, which should severely impact Tampa Bay’s value in the sportsbooks. The team’s pitching staff has been above average but nothing exceptional, which means that at least one unsuspecting player will have to step up in the absence of their youthful leader. The obvious voice would be Randy Arozarena, but he is in one of the worst stretches of his career.
Drew Rasmussen will be on the mound for the Rays, bringing with him a 1-1 record and 3.50 ERA.
Oakland’s struggles
The Oakland Athletics are fourth in the American League West and have not been able to overcome their early-season division title odds, which were the worst of the five teams. They are now 10-12 and have lost three straight games, but somehow, they took three of four games against Tampa Bay when they faced off earlier in the year. Now, they will need to replicate some of that form to have a chance at making any noise in the postseason, which they narrowly missed out on in 2021.
Third-year player Sheldon Neuse has been stellar, batting .328 with a pair of home runs for a struggling offense. Aside from him, the next closest full-time starter is hitting just .247 at the plate, which represents the team’s struggles. Oakland also ranks poorly in home runs and total scoring, which is a serious problem for a team absent multiple superstars in the bullpen.
Daulton Jefferies (1-3, 3.26 ERA) will have the unfavorable task of overcoming most MLB lines and leading his team to a victory, which he does not have a strong history of.
Rays vs Athletics Head-to-Head
The two teams have matched up four times this season, leading to three Athletics wins. The most recent of these games was on April 14, when the A’s won 6-3 in Tampa.
Rays vs Athletics Name Game Information
- Game: Rays (12-10) vs Athletics (10-12)
- Location: Oakland Coliseum
- Day/Time: Monday, May 02, 9:40 p.m. ET
- Rays vs Athletics Live stream: MLB.tv
Rays vs Athletics Betting Lines
Rays vs Athletics Prediction
Oakland has done well to get to a 10-12 record this early in the campaign, but they are likely to succumb to the wisdom of MLB odds and fall to the Rays and, eventually, to the bottom of the division.
Even without Franco in the lineup, Tampa Bay plays with consistency that the A’s do not; they will also not be disadvantaged playing on the road in one of the least-spirited arenas in baseball. Even further, they have an advantage in the pitching matchup, which should all but guarantee a win for the visitors on Monday.
If you are looking for MLB picks, look no further than the Tampa Bay Rays.
Those looking to bet online can find more odds on the BETUS sportsbook.
