Atlanta Braves vs Tampa Bay Rays Prediction, 7/8/2023 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds
Game: Atlanta Braves vs Tampa Bay Rays
Date: Saturday, July 8, 2023
Location: Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FL
TV: Bally Sports Sun
Odds/Point Spread: Atlanta (-145) Tampa Bay (+125)
The Tampa Bay Rays (57-33) host the Atlanta Braves (58-28) at Tropicana Field on Saturday. The moneyline on this contest has the Braves at -145 and the Rays are at +125. The over/under has been set at 7.5. The expected starting pitchers are Spencer Strider and Taj Bradley.
As a team, the Atlanta Braves are earning 5.7 runs/g, which puts them at 2nd in baseball. They have a total of 487 runs while holding a team on-base percentage of .342. The Braves have accumulated 152 two-baggers as a squad and have hit 166 balls out of the park. They have compiled 470 runs batted in and 809 base knocks on the season, while their batting average comes in at .274. Atlanta has a slugging % of .499 and have been called out on strikes 698 times, while drawing a walk on 288 occasions.
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The Braves have a team earned run average of 3.63 for the season (2nd in the league), and they have rung up 808 hitters. Braves pitchers have relinquished 90 home runs and 340 total runs (2nd in MLB). Their pitching staff has walked 270 opposing players and their FIP is 3.92 as a unit on the season. Atlanta has surrendered 697 hits (8.2 per 9 innings) in addition to 309 earned runs. Their K/BB ratio is 2.99 and the pitching staff has recorded a WHIP of 1.26.
Braves bullpen pitchers have stepped onto the hill with runners on base 76 times and also have had 96 appearances in high leverage situations. The relief pitchers have a total of 64 holds so far this season (2nd in MLB). The Braves relievers have a save rate of 65.9% and stepped onto the hill in 109 save situations. They have accumulated 29 saves over the course of the season and have blown 15 of 44 chances to get a save. The relief pitchers have inherited 111 base runners for the year with 29.7% of those runners earned a run for their team. The Braves have sent 286 relievers to the mound this season.
The Atlanta Braves are sitting with 2,301 putouts at this point in the season, as well as 709 assists and 52 errors. Their fielding percentage is holding at .983 which ranks 26th in pro baseball, and they have turned 72 double plays. The Braves have transformed 68.4% of balls in play into outs out of their 6,903 innings, which has them ranked 20th in professional baseball.
Strider has taken the hill for 232 innings and has accounted for 357 strikeouts during his pro baseball career. Strider (22-7 mark in his career) is the owner of a FIP of 2.40 and he has gone up against 939 opposing batters in the majors. His earned run average is 3.10 (80 ER's allowed) and his WHIP is 1.046. He has allowed 164 hits (6.4 hits per nine innings) and has had 79 free passes.
Tampa Bay has a total of 134 HRs on the season to go along with 472 RBIs. They have recorded 163 two-baggers, while getting a free base 293 times and putting up 494 runs. The Tampa Bay Rays have an OBP of .332 as well as a team batting average of .260 so far this season. The Rays hold a slugging % of .455 and they earn 5.49 runs per contest (3rd in baseball). They have been rung up on 772 instances (14th in baseball) and have earned 789 hits.
The Rays have a team WHIP of 1.212 and have a FIP of 4.03 as a squad this year. Their K/BB ratio comes in at 9.00 (797 strikeouts vs 285 free passes). They rank 2nd in baseball as a pitching staff in total hits relinquished with 680. They have given up 93 HR's and they allow 3.90 runs per 9 innings (2nd in MLB). The Tampa Bay pitching staff have conceded 345 runs over the course of the season while having a team ERA of 3.72 (329 earned runs yielded).
Tampa Bay relievers have an inherited score percentage of 23.0% out of 113 inherited base runners. Their relief pitchers have stepped onto the hill 88 times in high leverage situations in addition to 72 occasions with runners on. Sitting with 87 save situations, the Rays have recorded 45 holds in addition to 17 blown saves. They sit at 19th in the league holding a save rate of 59.5%, and they have sent 296 relievers to the mound on the season. Tampa Bay has had relief pitchers step onto the mound in 42 save chances and they have walked away with 25 saves.
In their 7,164 innings on the diamond, the Rays have earned a efficiency on defense of 71.0% (1st in the majors). The Tampa Bay Rays have gotten 75 double plays and hold a fielding percentage of .989 (4th in MLB). The Rays have recorded 813 assists, 36 errors and have earned a total of 2,388 putouts for the season.
During his MLB career, Bradley has surrendered 61 hits while tallying 76 K's in 56 innings pitched. Bradley (5-4 record in his career) has a 5.27 earned run average while conceding 9.7 hits per nine innings. He has allowed 33 earned runs while earning a WHIP of 1.385 and being the owner of a FIP of 3.9. He has a strikeout to walk ratio of 4.47 and he has gone up against 247 batters during his MLB career.
Who will win tonight's MLB game against the spread or moneyline?
Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Tampa Bay (+125)
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