Miami and Tampa Bay open their two-game interleague series at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, on Tuesday night, so we have prepared the best Marlins vs. Rays betting pick and tips along with the latest odds update.
The Marlins are +142 moneyline dogs on BetDSI Sportsbook, while the Rays are listed as -154 home favorites with a total of 6.5 runs. Miami meets Tampa for the first time in 2022, and the Marlins have lost 15 of their previous 17 games against the Rays.
The Fish beat the reigning champs to snap their three-game skid
The Miami Marlins are coming off a 4-3 victory over the Atlanta Braves this past Sunday. They avoided a sweep in a three-game set, finishing a nine-game homestand with a 4-5 record and improving to 18-22 on the season. Sandy Alcantara went the distance, yielding three unearned runs on six hits and a couple of walks, while Jazz Chisholm Jr. exited the game with hamstring tightness.
Chisholm should return sooner rather than later, but he’s still questionable for Tuesday’s clash against Tampa Bay. Jazz is enjoying a wonderful season, posting a .290/.341/.581 triple-slash across 139 plate appearances. Miami has scored 19 runs on a .256/.319/.423 slash line over its last five tilts and the Marlins are now tallying 4.20 runs per game (16th in the MLB) and a .710 OPS (11th).
Pablo Lopez will get the nod Tuesday, and the 26-year-old righty boasts a 4-1 record, 1.57 ERA, 2.29 FIP, and 0.91 WHIP in eight starts (46 innings) in 2022. However, after yielding only one run through his four starts in April, Lopez has allowed seven runs across four appearances in May. Last week, he gave up three earned runs on four hits and three walks across three innings in a no-decision against the Nationals.
The Rays suffered a tough loss in Baltimore
The Tampa Bay Rays fell to 24-17 on the season following a 7-6 defeat in 11 innings at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore this past Sunday. The Rays dropped a three-game series against the O’s, blowing a two-run lead in the bottom of the ninth of Sunday’s closer.
Wander Franco sat out Saturday’s contest against Baltimore due to a quadriceps injury. He struck out on four pitches as a pinch-hitter in Sunday’s loss, and the 21-year-old superstar has recorded only two hits over his last 35 at-bats. Still, the Rays have scored 32 runs in their past five games, slashing .271/.313/.458 in the process.
Shane McClanahan will toe the rubber Tuesday, searching for his second straight win. The 25-year-old southpaw has allowed just one earned run over his previous two starts and 14 innings of work while punching out 18. McClanahan is 3-2 with a shiny 2.33 ERA, 2.69 FIP, and 0.86 WHIP in eight starts (46.1 frames) in 2022.
Trends:
Miami:
- 6-14 in the last 20 games overall
- 2-15 in the last 17 games against Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay:
- 8-1 in the last nine home games against Miami
- 4-1 in Shane McClanahan’s last five starts
Miami Marlins vs. Tampa Bay Rays Pick
The Rays’ offense is doing a good job despite Wander Franco’s slump. Pablo Lopez will look to bounce back from his rough outing at Washington, and he’ll have a tall task to slow down the Rays.
While Tampa Bay doesn’t care if it’s a lefty or righty on the mound, the Marlins are way more dangerous when hitting the right-handed pitchers. Miami owns a poor .617 OPS and 79 OPS+ against the left-handed pitchers, so I’m expecting another strong performance from Shane McClanahan.
Pick: Take Tampa Bay Rays at -154
The Total:
The totals are a tricky wager because both teams have done a solid job at the plate lately, while both starters have been outstanding for most of the young season. Also, the Rays’ bullpen has registered a 2.70 ERA over the last seven days, while Miami’s ‘pen has posted a 2.11 ERA in that span.
On the other hand, the over is 7-3 in the last ten meetings between the Marlins and Rays. Furthermore, only one of the Marlins’ previous eight contests and none of the Rays’ last five has produced fewer than seven runs in the total.
Pick: Go over 6.5 runs at -110
