The Tampa Bay Rays (58-99) and Baltimore Orioles (89-68) tangle Wednesday in what marks the middle contest of a 3-game series. The opening pitch from Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Maryland, is slated for 6:35 p.m. ET (FS1). Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s MLB odds around the Rays vs. Orioles odds and make our expert MLB picks and predictions for the best bets.
Season series: Tampa Bay leads 6-5
The Rays dropped Tuesday’s series opener 6-0 and have lost 3 of their last 4 games. Tampa had just 2 hits in the game and went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position. Since Sept. 5, the Rays have gone 5-12.
The Orioles’ 6 runs equaled their 6 runs scored while going 1-3 across their previous 4 games. The Baltimore offense has registered an anemic .567 OPS since Sept. 5.
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Rays at Orioles projected starters
RHP Shane Baz vs. RHP Tyler Wells
Baz (10-12, 4.99 ERA) is making his 31st start. He has a 1.35 WHIP, 3.4 BB/9 and 9.6 K/9 through 162 1/3 innings.
Last outing: Win, 5 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 1 BB, 4 K in 4-0 home win vs. Toronto Blue Jays ThursdayCareer vs. Orioles: 0-1, 0.75 ERA (12 IP, 1 ER), 4 H, 3 BB, 12 K in 2 starts
Wells (2-0, 2.04 ERA) is making his fourth start. He’s allowed 10 hits and 1 walk with 14 K’s through 17 2/3 innings.
Last outing: Win, 6 IP, 1 ER, 4 H, 0 BB, 4 K in 3-1 win at Chicago White Sox Sept. 17Career vs. Rays: 0-3, 5.97 ERA (31 2/3 IP, 21 ER), 1.23 WHIP, 11.4 K/9 in 6 starts and 4 relief appearancesRays at Orioles odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 10:20 a.m. ET.
Moneyline (ML): Rays -105 (bet $105 to win $100) | Orioles -115 (bet $115 to win $100)Run line (RL)/Against the spread (ATS): Rays -1.5 (+150) | Orioles +1.5 (-185)Over/Under (O/U): 8.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
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Rays at Orioles picks and predictionsPrediction
Rays 4, Orioles 3
Against a solid slate of likely playoff teams, Baz has registered a 3.70 ERA over his last 5 starts. The Tampa righty has logged a solid 3.63 ERA on the road over the last 2 seasons. He has a short but dominant history against current Baltimore bats, and the Orioles have struggled mightily of late.
Wells has been quite good since returning from injury. Wednesday’s game marks his fourth start back off a lengthy IL stay. Wells had UCL revision surgery last June. He has benefited from a .156 batting average on balls in play and may well be due for a market correction.
Tampa has played a slew of 1-run games and come up on the wrong side in those taut battles. It is just 22-28 across 50 such games. The Rays figure as a lesser-than-the-sum-of-their-parts club; they are a betting-value option when the pitching lines up as it does here.
And peg the Rays as having much the better bullpen. TAMPA BAY (-105) is the value side here.
No interest; AVOID.
The Under has cashed in 3 straight series meetings and in 6 consecutive Baltimore games.
An undervalued Baz and rested back ends of both bullpens tilt the needle just slightly here. Consider a partial-unit play on the UNDER 8.5 (-110).
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