Monday’s matchup between the Orioles and Rays is set to get started at 6:50 PM ET from Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FL. The Orioles are currently on a three-game winning streak and are 42-22 overall, which has them 2nd in the AL East. The Rays are 5th in the AL East with a record of 31-34 and they will be looking to snap a three-game losing streak.
Baltimore is currently favored on the money line, with their odds sitting at -153 compared to the Rays at +130. Monday’s over/under line is at 7.5 runs, and the game will be televised on FS1. Corbin Burnes is starting for the Orioles, while the Rays are sending Ryan Pepiot to the mound.
Red-Hot Orioles Chase AL East Lead with Stellar Road Record and Potent Offense
The Orioles are 42-22 overall and trail the Yankees by 2.5 games for the AL East lead. Baltimore is on a three-game winning streak, and they have taken the first three games of this series vs. the Rays. In AL East matchups, the Orioles are 16-6 this year. At home, the Orioles have gone 21-12 this year, and they have been really good on the road, putting together a record of 21-10. As the favorite, the Orioles are 35-18 this year, and they are 7-4 as the underdog. So far, they have an overall series record of 13-4-3.
The Orioles are on the road today against the Rays, and the over/under line for the game is set at 7.5 runs. Baltimore’s games have averaged 8.8 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 33-24. When the over/under line has been set at 7.5 runs, their record is 4-3. Overall, 78.1% of their games have had higher over/under lines than 7.5 runs. Corbin Burnes is starting for the Orioles today, and he is 6-2 with an ERA of 2.26 this season. Burnes has 10 quality starts and is averaging 8.59 strikeouts per nine innings. He has been especially tough at home, coming in with an ERA of 1.78.
The Orioles have been the top-scoring team in the league this season, averaging 5.2 runs per game. Their offense has been especially potent on the road, where they average 5.3 runs per game. Baltimore has hit a league-leading 102 home runs this season, and their slugging percentage of .452 is also the best in the league. Adley Rutschman leads the team in batting average (.306) and RBI (49) this season. He has hit .346 with 3 home runs over his last 6 games. Anthony Santander is also on a 3-game hitting streak.
Struggling Rays Seek Redemption Against Orioles with Pepiot on the Mound
The Tampa Bay Rays are looking to pick up a win today as they have dropped three straight games and are 31-34 overall. They are 5th in the AL East and 14.0 games behind the Yankees. The Rays are 10-16 against other teams in the AL East and 17-21 at home compared to 14-13 on the road.
Ryan Pepiot is starting for the Rays today and is 4-2 with a 3.96 ERA this season. He is facing the Orioles and has not given up more than three earned runs in any of his last four starts. Overall, he is averaging 10.15 strikeouts per nine innings. The over/under line for the game is set at 7.5 runs, and the Rays have an over/under record of 34-30 this year.
The Rays have a run line record of 26-39 this year and are 11-27 at home. They are averaging 3.9 runs per game, which is 26th in the league. Their team batting average of .233 is below average, and their OPS of .659 ranks 23rd. They have hit just 49 home runs this season, which is 21st. Isaac Paredes is hitting .288 with 10 home runs for the Rays this season.
Rays to Edge Out Orioles in Predicted 6-5 Thriller: Burnes vs. Pepiot Strikeout Showdown
Our predicted final score for this Orioles and Rays matchup is 6-5 in favor of the Rays. With the Rays being the underdog at +130, this is a great payout for a team that we have winning and would lock in a Rays win.
Looking at the starting pitchers, our projections have Corbin Burnes finishing with six strikeouts, which is fourth-best among all starters. As for Ryan Pepiot, we have him finishing with just four strikeouts, which is the fourth lowest among all starters.
