Phillies-Rays prediction, odds, pick, how to watch
The Philadelphia Phillies are on the road to take on the Tampa Bay Rays in interleague play! This game will continue our MLB odds series as we hand out a Phillies-Rays prediction and pick while letting you know how to watch, as well.
The Phillies are in third place in the NL East division and have won six of their last 10 games. Over the weekend, Philadelphia dropped a series to the Washington Nationals, so they are looking to get back on track in this one. The Phillies are hitting .260 as a team and they score 4.54 runs per game. Nick Castellanos hits everything as he is batting .316 with 12 home runs, 26 doubles and 54 RBI. Kyle Schwarber leads the team with 22 home runs, but he is batting below .200. On the pitching side of things, the Phillies have a 4.13 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 9.4 K/9. Zach Wheeler and Aaron Nola both have over 100 strikeouts. Pretty much all of the Phillies' bullpen has a K/9 over 9.0.
The Rays are coming off a series loss in Seattle, but they still have a healthy lead in the AL East division. Tampa Bay is batting .264 as a team and they have both speed and power. The Rays have hit 131 home runs and stolen 103 bases. They are the only team in the MLB with over 100 in both categories. This has helped them score over 5.5 runs per game. On the mound, the Rays have a 3.70 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 8.9 K/9. However, they did just lose Shane McClanahan for the time being as he went on the IL last week.
Aaron Nola will start for the Phillies and Zach Eflin will take the ball against his old team.
Here are the Phillies-Rays MLB odds,
MLB Odds: Phillies-Rays Odds
Philadelphia Phillies: +1.5 (-176)
Tampa Bay Rays: -1.5 (+146)
Over: 8 (-105)
Under: 8 (-115)
How To Watch Phillies vs. Rays
TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia, Bally Sports Sun
Stream: MLB TV Subscription
Time: 4:10 PM ET/1:10 PM PT
*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Phillies Could Cover The Spread
Nola is the ace for the Phillies. The Rays are a very good offense, but opponents are hitting just .226 off Nola this season. Nola also has a low WHIP of 1.12. He does a good job at limiting the base runners, but he does get himself into trouble sometimes. If Nola can find a way to limit the big inning in this game, the Phillies will be able to keep this one close.
The Phillies offense will need to get things going in this game. They do hit slightly better against right-handed pitching this season. The Phillies offense is a little underrated, as well. With Castellanos, Trea Turner, Alec Bohm, J.T Realmuto and Bryce Harper, the Phillies are a dangerous team. If just two of those guys can have a good game, the Phillies will be able to cover this spread.
Why The Rays Could Cover The Spread
Eflin has been very good this season, but he has been even better at home. When pitching at the Trop, Eflin is 8-0 with a 2.17 ERA. In 49 2/3 home innings, Eflin has 50 strikeouts to just six walks and is holding opponents to a batting average of .209. Eflin has a lot of comfort when pitching in Tampa Bay and there should be some extra adrenaline running through his blood as he takes on his own team. Eflin gives the Rays a chance to cover this spread.
As mentioned, the Rays are very good at hitting. They have 131 home runs on the season, which is top-5 in the MLB. Nola does tend to give up the long ball, which is why his numbers do not look all that great. The Rays need to take advantage of the mistakes Nola makes over the plate in this one. If they can lift a few over the fence, they should have no problem covering the spread.
Final Phillies-Rays Prediction & Pick
This is going to be a fun game to watch. The Phillies are on a nine game road win streak and the Rays are one of the best teams in the MLB when it comes to defending home turf. However, I expect the winning streak to end in this game. I have the Rays winning and covering the spread.
Final Phillies-Rays Prediction & Pick: Rays -1.5 (+146), Under 8 (-115)
