The 2022 Tampa Bay Rays finished 3rd in the American League East at 86-76. It was a major step backwards from the previous year when they won the division and racked up 100 wins.
The team had a relatively quiet off-season, but did shell out a 3-year, $40 million contract to SP Zach Eflin. They also added OF Ben Gamel on a minor league deal, and he should give them another solid option against right-handed pitching.
Let’s analyze the Tampa Bay Rays’ World Series odds, along with their projected win total, playoff, division and AL odds as we make our expert MLB picks and predictions.
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Tampa Bay Rays World Series odds
Provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Monday, March 20, at 11:52 p.m. ET.
Odds: +2000 (bet $100 to win $2,000)
Tampa is listed as +2000 to win it all, which is tied with St. Louis for the 10th shortest odds among all teams. This puts them 5th in the AL, behind the Houston Astros (+600), the New York Yankees (+750), Toronto Blue Jays (+900) and Seattle Mariners (+1500).
The Rays had the AL’s best record in both 2020 and 2021. They look like a good bet to improve upon their 2022 performance and backing the RAYS +2000 looks like a smart play.
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Tampa Bay Rays playoff odds
Will they make the playoffs: Yes -190 | No +150
The Rays have made the playoffs in each of the last 4 seasons and almost all of the key pieces from last year are still in place. While they didn’t make any huge offseason splashes, they didn’t suffer from any major losses either.
The biggest voids they will need to fill are those of Corey Kluber, who posted a 4.34 ERA in 2022, and center fielder Kevin Kiermaier. Eflin should be able to put up better numbers than Kluber did last season for as long as he can stay on the mound. Meanwhile, OF Jose Siri should be able to replicate Kiermaier’s production both offensively and defensively and has a better health track record.
The Rays look poised for another strong season, and it would be surprising if they didn’t play into October. Take the RAYS -190 to make it into the playoffs.
Tampa Bay Rays win total
Over/Under: 88.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
Tampa fell short of this mark in 2022 but had played above this level in each of the previous 4 seasons. They won 90-plus in each of the last 3 full seasons (100 in 2021, 96 in 2019, and 90 in 2018), and registered a league-best 40-20 record in the shortened 2020 campaign.
The organization is loaded with young talent, headlined by SS Wander Franco, a budding superstar who should be ready to take another step forward. OF Randy Arozarena should help him carry the offense, and 2B Brandon Lowe, who hit 39 homers in 2021, looks like a good bet to rebound from a tough 2022 season.
As for the rotation beyond Eflin, SP Shane McClanahan is the ace of the staff, and is among the best pitchers in the league when healthy. Starters Jeffrey Springs and Drew Rasmussen emerged as excellent rotation pieces in 2022, giving the Rays a solid top four. This is a well-balanced team that should push past this win total so go with OVER 88.5 (-110).
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To win AL East Division
- New York Yankees +100 (bet $100 to win $100)
- Toronto Blue Jays +185 (bet $100 to win $185)
- Tampa Bay Rays +350 (bet $100 to win $350)
- Baltimore Orioles +2000 (bet $100 to win $2,000)
- Boston Red Sox +2000 (bet $100 to win $2,000)
The division is strong from top to bottom, as there were 4 teams with winning records last season, and even the last-place Red Sox won 78 games. But Tampa’s odds shouldn’t be this much higher than New York and Toronto. There is solid value in RAYS +350.
To win American League
Odds: +1000 (bet $100 to win $1,000)
The Rays are a great bet to make the playoffs and have the pitching to make a run in the postseason. In addition to the strong rotation, the bullpen is also a strength of the team, with RP Pete Fairbanks and Jason Adam closing things out at the end of games. Though Fairbanks missed a big chunk of last season due to injury, he came back strong and the 2 pitchers combined for a 1.44 ERA across 87 1/3 innings.
This team is strong all around and has more young players in the system who should be ready to contribute later in the season. This looks like a very reasonable price so take the RAYS +1000 to make their 2nd World Series appearance in the last 4 years.
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