The Tampa Bay Rays head to Citizens Bank Park on Saturday night for Game 2 of a three-game interleague series against the Philadelphia Phillies, fresh off a 2-0 win in Friday's opener.
The stakes could not be more lopsided. Tampa Bay (97-63) has already locked up the AL East and the American League's top seed, while Philadelphia (87-73) holds just a one-game lead over Arizona for the final NL wild-card spot with two games left, and its magic number is stuck at two.
The Phillies have now dropped three straight potential clinchers, scoring just two runs across 4-1 and 5-1 losses to Milwaukee and Friday's shutout, when Freddy Peralta and four relievers held them to four singles.
Saturday brings another problem for Rob Thomson. After Cristopher Sánchez threw seven innings on Friday, Philadelphia is expected to go with a bullpen game against Rays right-hander Griffin Jax.
First pitch at Citizens Bank Park is at 7:15 p.m. ET on FOX. Here are our picks for Rays vs. Phillies tonight.
Rays vs. Phillies betting picks & predictions
Tampa Bay Rays -1.5 (+165)
The run line is the best way to back Tampa Bay tonight, and the pitching matchup is the main reason. Philadelphia hasn't named a starter and is expected to piece together a bullpen game, while the Rays hand the ball to Jax.
The Phillies' offense is also in a deep freeze. They've scored two runs in their last 27 innings and didn't record a single extra-base hit on Friday.
Jax is 8-10 with a 3.62 ERA and 115 strikeouts across 109.1 innings, and his ability to miss bats is exactly what you want against a lineup that's pressing.
The heart of Philadelphia's order has gone cold, with Kyle Schwarber hitting just .125 over his last 10 games, and the Phillies could also be without Luis Arraez, who sprained his left ankle on Thursday.
Friday's game showed how thin their margin is right now, as they put runners on early and still couldn't push a run across.
Tampa Bay has little to play for, and Chandler Simpson left Friday's game after fouling a ball off his foot, so a lineup with some rest days is possible. Even so, the Rays have won 73 of their 115 games as favorites this season, and the run line at plus money offers far better value than a near pick'em money line.
Four of Tampa’s last five wins have come by 2+ runs as well. Against a bullpen game and an offense that can't buy a run, Tampa Bay has a clear path to a multi-run win.
Kyle Schwarber Under 1.5 Total Bases (-220)
Schwarber has been Philadelphia's main power source all season, with 45 home runs and 95 RBIs, but he's hitting just .232 this season and has gone cold at the worst possible time. He's 4-for-32 over his last 10 games and went 0-for-3 in Friday's shutout.
Jax's strikeout stuff is a tough matchup for an all-or-nothing hitter in a slump, and Tampa Bay's staff didn't allow a single extra-base hit to this lineup on Friday.
With the Phillies pressing in a must-win spot and Schwarber chasing the big swing, his Under 1.5 total bases is the best individual value on the board tonight, even if you have to pay up for that price.
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Rays vs. Phillies odds
Tampa Bay Rays | -110 |
Philadelphia Phillies | -110 |
Run Line | TB -1.5 |
Total Runs | O/U 7.0 |
Rays vs. Phillies player props
Player Home Run Odds
Junior Caminero (TB Rays) | +320 |
Kyle Schwarber (PHI Phillies) | +350 |
Victor Mesa JR. (TB Rays) | +525 |
Bryce Harper (PHI Phillies) | +600 |
Jonathan Aranda (TB Rays) | +625 |
Yandy Diaz (TB Rays) | +650 |
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
