The Rays (80-52, 35-29 away) travel to take on the Marlins (66-65, 38-29 home) in game one of this interleague matchup. Aaron Civale is getting the start for the Rays while Sandy Alcantara is starting for the Marlins. See who I like to pick up the win in today’s Tampa Bay Rays vs. Miami Marlins showdown at loanDepot Park.

TAMPA BAY RAYS VS MIAMI MARLINS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Tampa Bay Rays -103

This game will be played at loanDepot Park at 6:40 ET on Tuesday, August 29th.

WHY BET THE TAMPA BAY RAYS:

  • Coming into the game, the Marlins have gone just 4-6 in their last ten home games.
  • In their two most recent games as the favorite, the Rays are 2-0.
  • Over his last two starts, Aaron Civale has an ERA of just 2.70.

TAMPA BAY RAYS TRYING TO CLOSE GAP IN AL EAST

Tampa Bay comes into the game with an above .500 series record on the road at 11-7. Currently, the Rays are 2nd in the AL East with an overall record of 80-52. Against the runline, they are 67-65 and have an over/under mark of 70-58. On the road, Tampa Bay has a runline record of 33-31.

The Rays will turn to starter Aaron Civale, who has been a bright spot in their rotation this season. With an overall record of 6-3, Civale has made 17 appearances and boasts an impressive ERA of 2.59 and K/9 figure of 7.21. Additionally, his FIP stands at 3.30 and OBP at .274, making him a reliable option for the Rays in 2023.

Aaron Civale was unable to secure the victory in his last outing against the Rockies, surrendering three runs and four hits. Despite this, the Rays were still able to come away with a 6-5 win.

The Rays have been one of the top power lineups in the league of late, having hit 17 home runs over their last ten games. Compared to other clubs, this is 4th best in that span. For the season, they are ranked 3rd in home runs and 4th in slugging percentage. Overall, Tampa Bay is averaging 5.3 runs per game (3rd).

The Tampa Bay Rays have been dealt a blow as Wander Franco is out for today’s game. The 2023 campaign has seen Franco hit at a .281 clip, while also slugging .475.

WILL THE MIAMI MARLINS TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

The Marlins enter today’s game with an overall record of 66-65 which includes going 30-40 against teams with above .500 records. As of today, they are 3rd in the NL East. Across their 42 series, Miami is 20-20-2 and have records of 28-36 and 38-29 on the road and at home, respectively.

The Marlins will turn to starter Sandy Alcantara, who has compiled a 6-11 record this season. In 26 appearances, he has posted an ERA of 4.16 and a K/9 of 7.58. His FIP stands at 4.02, and his OBP is .287.

Sandy Alcantara’s latest start ended in a 4-0 loss for the Marlins, despite his 6 2/3 innings of work. Unfortunately, he was tagged for four runs on seven hits.

Over their last five games, the Marlins are ranked 19th in the league in scoring at 2.2 runs per game. Their season-long scoring average of 4 per contest puts them 23rd in baseball. In terms of on-base percentage, Miami is 18th, with an OBP currently sitting at .314. The team’s collective batting average is .258 (6th).

The Marlins’ Luis Arraez leads the team in hits, boasting a .350 batting average. His slugging percentage stands at .449 and on-base percentage at .393 entering the 2023 season.