The Tampa Bay Rays (48-22) and Oakland Athletics (19-50) play the 3rd contest of a 4-game set Wednesday at Oakland Coliseum. First pitch is at 9:40 p.m. ET. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Rays vs. Athletics odds and make our expert MLB picks and predictions for the best bets.
Season series: Rays lead 3-2
The A’s have taken the first 2 games of this series against the team with the best record in baseball and have won 7 in a row. That is what is called variance and why betting on baseball and its 162 games is so difficult. The A’s are allowing just 2.7 runs per game during their winning streak.
The Rays have lost 3 of 4 outings after a 7-game win streak of their own. The A’s got them 2-1 Tuesday and 4-3 Monday. Tampa is vulnerable on the road, where it is 17-15 on the season and it’s also just 12-12 in 1-run games, which isn’t typical of teams with such dominant records.
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Rays at Athletics projected starters
RHP Tyler Glasnow vs. RHP Luis Medina
Glasnow (1-0, 2.87 ERA) makes his 4th start. He has a 1.09 WHIP, 4.0 BB/9 and 11.5 K/9 in 15 2/3 innings.
- Last start: Win, 6 IP, 1 ER, 3 BB, 6 K Friday vs. Texas Rangers
- 2 career starts vs. Athletics: 1-1, 2.13 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 21 K in 12 2/3 IP
Medina (1-5, 7.53 ERA) makes his 6th start and 8th appearance. He has a 1.56 WHIP, 4.4 BB/9 and 8.3 K/9 in 34 2/3 innings.
- Last start: Loss, 2 IP, 6 ER, 6 H, 4 BB, 2 K June 3 vs. Miami Marlins
- Has never faced the Rays
- Home/road splits: 0-2, 5.71 ERA, 1.15 WHIP at home vs. 1-3, 9.35 ERA, 1.96 WHIP on road
Rays at Athletics odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 9:44 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Rays -275 (bet $275 to win $100) | Athletics +230 (bet $100 to win $230)
- Run line (RL)/Against the spread (ATS): Rays -2.5 (-105) | Athletics +2.5 (-115)
- Over/Under (O/U): 8.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
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Rays at Athletics picks and predictions
Prediction
Rays 5, Athletics 3
Moneyline
I don’t mean to ruffle the feathers of the sparse crowd expected at the Coliseum Wednesday, but Glasnow should put Oakland’s win streak to bed. He has gotten better with each start, and he has at least 10 K’s in each of his career starts against the A’s. Both of those came in 2021, though, and he’s not quite there yet with 8, 6 and 6 in his first 3 starts.
As such, forget the -275 ML and take TYLER GLASNOW UNDER 8.5 K’S (-110).
The A’s struck out 7 and 8 times throughout the entire first 2 games.
Run line/Against the spread
The A’s have won 7 in a row and have covered this number in 9 in a row. Glasnow is just making his 4th start, and the wind is blowing out.
I’ll take the ATHLETICS +2.5 (-115).
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Over/Under
We just dropped a spoiler in the wind blowing out as it’s headed out to right-center field at 11 mph. The Under is 4-1-1 in the last 6 meetings between these clubs in Oakland. Even with 7-game winning streaks in recent history, the Rays are 3-7 O/U over the last 10, and Oakland is 5-4-1.
LEAN UNDER 8.5 (-110), but it’s just a lean.
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