The MLB betting action is heating up on Jackie Robinson Day. With 15 games on the card, there are plenty of markets to choose from, so we bring you the best Rays vs. White Sox betting pick along with the latest odds update on MyBookie Sportsbook.

The Rays and White Sox open a three-game set at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago. Tampa Bay is listed as a +130 moneyline underdog, while the Chi Sox are -140 favorites with a total of 8.5 runs. 

The D-Rays hope to bounce back                       

The Tampa Bay Rays (4-3) started the new season on a high note, sweeping a three-game home series against the Baltimore Orioles. However, they’ve dropped three of their next four contests to the Oakland Athletics, playing as firm home favorites on all four occasions.

The Rays have allowed a whopping 31 runs through a four-game series against the A’s. They suffered a heavy 13-2 defeat in the opener this past Monday. Tampa responded with a 9-8 victory in ten innings on Tuesday, but the Rays couldn’t cope with the A’s in the final two games.

Over their first seven outings in 2022, the Rays have scored 31 runs on a .261/.318/.416 triple-slash. Their pitching staff carries a 4.08 ERA and 1.31 WHIP, and the Rays’ starters have gone 0-3 with a 4.63 ERA and 1.63 WHIP thus far. 

The Chi Sox fell apart on Thursday           

The Chicago White Sox (4-2) put an end to their four-game winning streak on Thursday afternoon. They failed to sweep a three-game home series against the Seattle Mariners, suffering a 5-1 defeat. Just one day after scoring six runs off the reigning AL CY Young champ, Robbie Ray, the White Sox had four hits against Logan Gilbert and four relievers.

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When they face lefties, the White Sox are killing it at the plate. They boast a .344/.394/.641 slash line in 64 at-bats against the left-handed pitchers. But the Chi Sox are slashing only .224/.272/.365 against the righties.

On the other side of the ball, Chicago owns a 3.06 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, and .201 batting average against. Dylan Cease will take the mound Friday, and the 26-year-old righty threw five innings of a one-run ball in a 5-2 victory at Detroit this past Saturday. He fanned eight while yielding three walks and a couple of hits.

Trends:

Tampa Bay:

  • 5-10 in the last 15 games on the road

Chi Sox:

  • 4-1 in the last five games overall
  • 13-6 in the last 19 games at home

Tampa Bay Rays vs. Chicago White Sox Pick

The Rays haven’t announced who’ll get the starting call, and I’m expecting to see Drew Rasmussen. The 26-year-old righty earned a no-decision in his first start of the season, allowing a couple of earned runs across four innings in a 5-3 victory to Baltimore last Saturday. He’s never met the White Sox before, while the current Rays have a .458 OPS in only 11 plate appearances against Dylan Cease.

Although the Rays are more dangerous when hitting the righties, Cease should fare well in this matchup. The White Sox can lean on their bullpen, which has recorded a 2.78 ERA and 2.58 FIP thus far, so I’m backing the hosts to come out on top. Hopefully, they’ll get things going against Rasmussen, who has only 95.1 big-league frames under his belt. The Rays’ bullpen carries a 4.11 ERA and 3.40 FIP.

Pick: Take Chicago White Sox at -140                 

The Total:

The Rays possess a few experienced right-handed pitchers in their bullpen. They certainly need more from their relievers, who are allowing 1.29 home runs per nine innings and a .310 BABIP. On the other side, the White Sox hope for another strong performance from Dylan Cease and their bullpen. Last year, Cease recorded 226 strikeouts across 165.2 innings while posting a 3.91 ERA and 1.25 WHIP.

Tampa and Chicago split their six-game series in 2021, and two of their three encounters at Guaranteed Rate Field produced less than nine runs in total.

Pick: Go under 8.5 runs at +100