- Tampa Bay (38-40) is coming off consecutive series victories on the road
- Seattle (45-35) has a six-game lead over the Astros in the American League West
- Rays vs Mariners will take place at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FL on Tuesday, June 25 at 6:50 PM ET
Seattle is just 5-5 in its last 10 games after dropping back-to-back series in Cleveland and Miami. Heading into Tampa Bay, the Mariners are just 18-23 on the road this season. Despite being two games under .500, the Rays are only four games back of the last AL Wild Card Spot.
Who will win game 2 of the series on Tuesday? Before we look at the latest odds, here’s where you can find our best MLB betting sites and our 2024 World Series betting guide.
Rays vs Mariners
Seattle’s offensive struggles
Seattle had won 16 of 21 games before dropping four of six on the road to the Guardians and Marlins. Scott Servais’ club has the third-worst team batting average (.221) in the MLB, and Julio Rodríguez continues to struggle, batting just .233 over his last 15 contests.
The Mariners’ only saving grace is that they have four starting pitchers (Bryce Miller, Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Luis Castillo) with a 1.15 WHIP or lower. But with their lead over the Astros in the AL West down to only six games, their bats must heat up soon.
Just an INSANE catch by Julio Rodríguez. 🤯pic.twitter.com/vKJeA17Hhs
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) June 22, 2024
Rays disarray
Tampa Bay’s low payroll may finally be catching up with them. After making the postseason in five straight years, the Rays are four games back of the final AL Wild Card spot and 13 back of the Yankees in the AL East.
Kevin Cash’s team has a minus-62 run differential, but they’re coming off series victories over the Pirates and Twins.
Tampa Bay vs Seattle
Tampa Bay is -106 on the money line while the Mariners are -104 to pick up the victory at Tropicana Field. With a 19-23 home record heading into the series, the Rays are -190 to cover the +1.5 run line on Tuesday. At 18-23 on the road this season, Seattle is +165 to cover the -1.5 spread.
The over/under has been set at just 7.5 total runs. Seattle has scored the fifth-fewest runs per game (3.93) in the MLB, just behind Tampa Bay’s 3.99 (7th-worst). The Mariners are only permitting 3.71 runs per game to opponents (5th), while the Rays are allowing 4.78 (8th-worst).
First pitch. First at bat. First in our hearts.
Vote Yandy: https://t.co/xd21pMuMpf pic.twitter.com/83zAUHhtGs
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) June 23, 2024
Pitching matchup
Luis Castillo (6-7) struck out seven Rangers in his last start on Friday, picking up his sixth win of the year. While he hasn’t got much run support, Castillo is enjoying a strong campaign with a 3.32 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 92:24 K:BB in 15 starts.
Zach Littell (2-5) exited his last start against the Braves in the second inning after allowing seven runs on eight hits. Over his last six outings, the right-hander has a 5.79 ERA. He hasn’t won a game since May 11.
Best Bet
While Seattle has been downright miserable on the road, they should be able to put some runs on the board against Littell. We’ll take Castillo and the Mariners to cover the -1.5 run line (+165) with the OVER 7.5 runs (-115).
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