Chicago White Sox vs Tampa Bay Rays Betting Pick & Prediction 5/7/24
At 6:50 PM from Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, we have an American League matchup between the White Sox and Rays. Heading into Tuesday’s game, the White Sox have the worst record in the AL at 8-27, while the Rays are 18-18 overall. Chicago is +211 on the money line, and the over/under line is at 8 runs.
Starting for the White Sox is Michael Soroka, and he is facing off against Zach Eflin for the Rays. Tampa Bay comes in with a four-game winning streak, and they are the heavy favorite at -261. You can catch this one on NBCS.
CHICAGO WHITE SOX VS TAMPA BAY RAYS BETTING PICK
The Pick: OVER 8 Runs
This game will be played at Tropicana Field at 6:50 ET on Tuesday, May 7th.
HOW TO BET THE WHITE SOX VS RAYS:
- We have the Rays winning by a score of 6 to 5
- However, if you’re looking for a run line pick, we like the White Sox to cover
- As for an over/under pick, we have this game finishing with 11 runs and like the over
Tampa Bay cruised to an easy 8-2 win over the White Sox in the most recent game of this series. The Rays had a huge 2nd inning, scoring three runs, and added five more in the 5th. As for the White Sox, they scored their only two runs in the 3rd. Heading into the game, the Rays were favored at -169 on the money line.
Harold Ramirez had a four-hit game for the Rays while Jonny DeLuca scored four times and drove in four runs while going 2/4. Josh Lowe also had a two-hit game and scored a run for Tampa Bay’s offense.
Tyler Alexander only went four innings for the Rays but gave up just two hits and two earned runs. Erasmo Ramirez got the win out of the bullpen. Mike Clevinger had a rough outing for the White Sox, going just two innings and giving up three earned runs.
White Sox Records & Stats
With an overall record of 8-27, the White Sox are 15 games out of the AL Central lead. So far, they have really struggled against other AL Central teams, going 2-18. Chicago is currently the 5th place team in the division, just behind the Tigers.
Chicago has struggled both at home (5-12) and on the road (3-15) this season. The White Sox are also just 4-15 in night games compared to 4-12 in day games. As the road underdog, Chicago has gone 3-15 this year, and they are 2-8-1 in series this year, with their current series still ongoing. So far, they have yet to win a series.
When betting the White Sox on the run line, it’s best to do so when they are the underdog. They are 16-19 on the run line this season, with a 10-7 record at home and a 6-12 mark on the road. Their average run differential is -2.5 runs per game, and they have a -2.9 run differential on the road.
The Chicago White Sox have played 34 games so far this season, and 17 of them have gone over the total. Their games have averaged 8.3 runs per game, and their average over/under line for the season is 8 runs. When the line is set at 8 runs, their games have gone over the total 4 out of 5 times. So far this season, 51.4% of their games have had higher over/under lines than 8 runs.
Right-hander Michael Soroka gets the start for the White Sox today as he faces the Rays on the road. He has made seven starts this season and has a record of 0-3 with a 6.48 ERA. Soroka’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.62, and he has issued 5.13 walks per nine innings compared to just 4.32 strikeouts. Soroka has made one quality start this year and has allowed a total of seven home runs. In his last outing, he finished with a no-decision, giving up two earned runs in 4 1/3 innings of work.
Chicago’s offense has been the worst in the league so far this season, averaging just 2.9 runs per game. They are also near the bottom of the league in most major offensive categories, including team batting average, on-base percentage, and OPS. One of the few bright spots for the White Sox has been their home run production, as they are 17th in the league in homers, but they will need to start finding ways to put more runs on the board.
Andrew Benintendi comes into the game as the team’s leading RBI man, but he has really struggled at the plate of late, going just 3/23 in his last six games. Eloy Jimenez is hitting just .220 for the season, but his four homers are the most on the team. Nicky Lopez is on a three-game hitting streak, and Korey Lee has gone 4/15 in his last five games.
Rays Records & Stats
Tampa Bay is hosting the White Sox today with an overall record of 18-18, which has them 4th in the AL East. So far, they are 3-4 in divisional games and trail the Orioles by six games. The Rays have won four straight games, and they are currently closing the gap on the Red Sox, who are 3rd in the division.
At home, the Rays are 12-9 this year compared to 6-9 on the road. As the favorite, Tampa Bay has gone 13-14 and 5-4 as the underdog. Their overall series record is 4-5-2, and they have an even 5-5 record over their last 10 games.
When the Rays win, they tend to win big, with an average run margin of 2.4 runs per game. However, in their losses, they lose by an average of 4.2 runs per game. Overall, they have a run line record of 14-22, with an average run margin of -0.9 runs per game. They have been a better bet on the run line at home, where they are 8-13, compared to 6-9 on the road.
The Tampa Bay Rays have been a consistent over team this season, with a 21-15 over/under record. Their games have averaged 9.1 runs per game, and the over/under line for their games has been set at an average of 8 runs. When the line has been set at 8 runs, they have gone over in 7 of 9 games. Overall, 52.8% of their games have had over/under lines set at 8 or higher, and their last two games have gone over the total.
Zach Eflin gets the start for the Rays today and will be looking to bounce back from his last outing, where he took the loss. Against the Brewers, he went 5 2/3 innings, giving up three earned runs on six hits. Looking at his overall numbers, Eflin has made seven starts and has a record of 1-4. His ERA for the season is 4.17, along with a WHIP of 1.17. Opposing batters are hitting .263 off Eflin this year. One positive note for Eflin is that he has turned in three quality starts this year. Per nine innings, he is averaging 7.9 strikeouts and just 0.88 walks.
So far, the Rays have been a better offensive team at home, averaging 4.4 runs per game, which is 12th in the league. Overall, they are 19th in scoring at 4.1 runs per contest. Tampa Bay is batting a collective .246, which is 8th in the league, and they have the 8th best on-base percentage in the league. The Rays have been good at putting the ball in play, as their team BABIP of .31 is the 3rd best mark in the league.
Isaac Paredes has been a big power threat for the Rays this season, as his seven home runs is the best mark on the team and 5th best in the league. Paredes also comes into the game with a strong batting average of .285. Amed Rosario has also been a good hitter for the Rays, batting .308 with two homers. However, he has just one hit in his past five games. Randy Arozarena is 2nd on the team with five homers but is batting just .147 this season and has gone 3/17 in his last five games.