Rays Heavily Favored in Season Opener
In case you missed the MLB news, the Detroit Tigers ended spring training by knocking off the Tampa Bay Rays 11-10. Now they find themselves as a big underdog in Tampa Bay as the regular season gets going.
The Rays are at home for the season opener but can they pick up the win? Let’s take a closer look at the matchup.
Tigers Reward Rodriguez With Opening Day Start
The Detroit Tigers are starting Eduardo Rodriguez on the mound to kick off their regular season. Rodriguez was one of their best pitchers throughout spring training, appearing in five games and picking up a win and no losses.
Those who bet online saw him pitch in 18.1 innings and allow 20 hits with just three earned runs, one of which happened to be from a home run. Rodriguez has also struck out 21 batters in those 18.1 innings.
The number of hits that he’s allowed might need to come down, but overall, he’s been very capable of getting outs.
If you’re looking at the MLB betting history, Rodriguez appeared in one game against Tampa Bay last season and allowed four hits and three runs in one inning before getting pulled. It seems like the Rays know how to handle him.
Rays Hand Ball To McClanahan
Shane McClanahan will be getting the Opening Day nod in Tampa Bay after a stellar 2022 campaign. He was tied for the eighth-best ERA at 2.54, tied for the 14th-most strikeouts at 194 and had the third-best WHIP.
In spring training, he was 1-0 in three outings. He worked 9.2 innings, giving up four hits and one run. He also has 10 strikeouts during this stretch.
McClanahan had some trouble with Detroit a season ago. The Tigers had 10 hits and five runs (including a home run) in 13.1 innings across two games. That’s something to be wary of if you’re laying the juice in the sportsbook.
Tigers vs Rays Game Injuries
Tigers vs Rays Head-to-Head
Tampa Bay won five of seven meetings last year.
Tigers vs Rays Game Information
- Game: Tigers (0-0) Rays (0-0)
- Location: Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, FL
- Day/Time: Thursday, March 30, 3:10 p.m. ET
- Tigers vs Rays Live Stream: MLB.tv
Tigers vs Rays Betting Lines
Tigers vs Rays Picks and Prediction
The Rays are heavy favorites, according to the Las Vegas odds. The question is whether they’re worth the risk for your MLB picks.
The Rays have a huge pitching edge here and they’re at home. They were 51-30 at home last season while the Tigers were 30-50 in road games.
While the moneyline feels a tad too spicy here, lay the extra run with the Rays. They should be able to come away with a convincing win by two or more in this spot.
Tampa Bay is listed at -230 in our MLB lines. So, if you wager $100 on the Rays, there’s a chance to win $43. Detroit is +190 with a chance to win $190 on a $100 wager. The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives the Tigers a 34.48% chance to win, with the Rays at 69.70%.
Tigers vs Rays Trends
Tigers vs Rays Edge
Tigers vs Rays Results
Tigers vs Rays Game Summary
