The Tampa Bay Rays and the San Diego Padres play the middle contest of a three-game interleague set at Petco Park in San Diego on Saturday evening.
The Rays kicked off the series Friday night with a 6-2 win to back LHP Shane McClanahan as the total pushed at most shops.
The Padres have dropped two in a row against American League foes, and the pitching has allowed 14 runs in those pair of setbacks.
Can the Rays catch another win on the left coast, or will San Diego’s prayers be answered with a much-needed Padres victory? We’ll discuss in our MLB picks and predictions for Rays vs. Padres on Saturday, June 17.
Rays vs Padres odds
Rays vs Padres predictions
The Rays started off the seven-game road trip to the Golden State with a whimper, losing the first two games to the hapless Oakland Athletics. However, Tampa Bay has won each of the past three outings, averaging 5.4 runs per game.
Tampa Bay’s pitching continues to be the gold standard in the majors. The Rays have allowed four or fewer runs in each of the five games on the trip, and the team has yielded three or fewer runs in 12 of the past 14 outings.
The Rays are second in the majors with a 3.51 ERA, and third in the league with a 1.20 WHIP.
That, combined with an offense ranking second with 5.63 runs and a league-leading .809 OPS, has been a recipe for plenty of success.
The Padres were expected to be much better, but they just cannot seem to piece together long stretches of good baseball — they’ve managed just five home victories in the past 15 tries.
The Rays turn to RHP Zach Eflin, who is 8-2 with a 3.28 ERA and 1.00 WHIP. The southpaw hasn’t allowed a home run in four straight outings.
The Padres use former Rays hurler LHP Blake Snell, and he has been better lately. While he’s 2-6 overall, he has a sparkling 0.69 ERA in 13 innings over two June starts, and he has allowed just two runs in the past 24 innings in four starts. The best bet here is to go low on the total.
My best bet: Under 8.5 (-110)
Rays vs Padres same-game parlay
Under 8.5 Runs (-120)
Snell Over 5.5 Strikeouts (-148)
Eflin Over 5+ Strikeouts (-146)
That’s a tidy little three-way single-game parlay at +333 at FanDuel, and we simply have to hope we get a pitcher’s duel. With the way these two have been going, while tossing in Snell and the revenge factor against his former team, it’s a good bet we should see one.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
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Rays vs Padres moneyline and Over/Under analysis
The Rays have posted five victories in the past seven road games, while going 22-6 in the past 28 tries against a left-handed starting pitcher. In addition, Tampa Bay is 6-1 in its past seven interleague games vs. LHP.
For the Padres, they’re 4-0 in the past four Game 2s, and 4-1 in the past five at home against a right-handed starting pitcher. As a result, I don’t have a strong opinion on a side, although if forced to pick, I’d like the 50-win Rays, who have just been more consistent.
For the totals, the Under has cashed in six of the past seven games on the road for Tampa Bay, while going 7-1 in the past eight against losing teams.
As far as the Padres are concerned, the Padres have seen the Under go low in 20 of the past 27 games at home, while cashing at a 20-6 clip in the past 26 tries vs. RHP. The Under is 6-1-1 in the past eight against the AL East, too.
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Trend to know
The Under is an impressive 36-15-1 in the past 52 games for the Padres, while going 17-5-1 in the past 23 interleague games against a right-handed starter. Find more MLB betting trends for Rays vs. Padres
Rays vs Padres game info
| Location: | Petco Park, San Diego, CA |
| Date: | Saturday, June 17, 2023 |
| First pitch: | 7:15 p.m. ET |
| TV: | FOX |
Starting pitchers
Zach Eflin (8-2, 3.28 ERA): The right-hander has enjoyed life under the roof at Tropicana Field, but he has a 1-2 record and 5.53 ERA across 27 2/3 innings in five road starts. Still, he has 29 strikeouts in those outings, and overall, he has a tremendous 9.08 K/9 ratio while he is on pace for a career-best OBP, currently sitting at .260.
Blake Snell (2-6, 3.78 ERA): The former Rays southpaw is heating up just in time to face his former mates. Overall, he has 10.6 K/9, which is just slightly off his production from the past five seasons. His walks are up slightly, but he has been working that down lately with three consecutive quality starts.
