The Chicago Cubs (32-35) travel to face off against the Tampa Bay Rays (32-35) on Wednesday, June 12th. This game will be played at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg and televised on MARQ. The Rays are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Cubs are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Rays. First pitch is set for 5:50 CT.
Cubs vs Rays
Tampa Bay picked up a 5-2 win over the Cubs in the most recent game of this series. The Rays had a big 9th inning, scoring four of their five runs. Heading into the game, they were favored at -136 on the money line.
Both teams scored one run in the 4th inning, and the Cubs could only muster one more run in the 6th inning. As for the Rays, they scored their first run in the 5th and didn’t score another run until putting up four in the 9th. Heading into the game, the Cubs had the edge in hits 10 to 8.
Zach Eflin only went 5 2/3 innings for the Rays but gave up just two hits and two earned runs. He finished the game with three strikeouts and didn’t issue a walk. Chris Devenski got the win out of the bullpen, and Hector Neris took the loss for the Cubs.
Chicago is 32-35 overall and trails the Brewers by seven games in the NL Central. The Cubs are in 5th place in the division and have an 8-15 record against other NL Central teams. The Cubs are on a three-game winning streak as the favorite, and they are 16-13 as the favorite overall. As for their record as the underdog, they are 16-22 this year.
At home, the Cubs have gone 18-13 this year and are just under .500 at 14-22 on the road. Chicago lost the series opener vs. the Rays and are 4-6 in their last 10 games overall.
When the Cubs win, they win big, with an average run margin of +2.9 runs per game. But when they lose, it’s usually by a lot, with an average run margin of -3.2 runs per game. Their overall run line record is 33-34, but they are 21-15 vs. the run line on the road.
The Chicago Cubs are on the road today against the Tampa Bay Rays, with the over/under line set at 7.5 runs. The Cubs have a combined run average of 8.8 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 30-34. When the over/under line has been set at 7.5 runs, their record is 8-8. Overall, 62.7% of their games this season have had over/under lines set higher than 7.5 runs, and their current under streak is at 4 games.
Javier Assad Gets The Start For The Cubs
Right-hander Javier Assad is on the mound for the Cubs today as he faces the Rays on the road. He has made 13 starts this season and has a record of 4-2 with a 2.74 ERA. Looking at his overall numbers, opponents are batting .220 this season, and he has a WHIP of 1.22. Assad’s last outing came against the Reds, where he took the loss, giving up five earned runs in 5 2/3 innings of work. Before that, he had gone three straight outings without giving up a home run. So far, he has allowed seven homers this season.
Cubs Offense Breakdown
Christopher Morel has been the Cubs’ top power threat this season, as his 13 home runs is 9th in the league and leads the team. However, he is batting just .208 for the season. Morel has been hot of late, though, going 8/26 in his last seven games with three homers. Cody Bellinger and Michael Busch are tied for 2nd on the team with eight homers. Bellinger is batting .264 for the season, and Busch comes in at .245.
Chicago’s offense is averaging 4.3 runs per game, which is 17th in the league. Their team batting average of .229 is 18th in the MLB. The Cubs are 11th in home runs and have been good at working counts this season, as they are 5th in walks and have the league’s 9th best on-base percentage.
The Rays are 32-35 overall, putting them 5th in the AL East. Currently, they trail the Yankees by 15 games in the division. So far, they have gone just 10-17 in AL East matchups. Tampa Bay is coming off a loss in their series finale vs. the Blue Jays but took the first game of this series vs. the Cubs.
At home, the Rays are 18-22 this season compared to 14-13 on the road. So far, they have really struggled as the underdog, losing four straight and coming in at 11-16 overall. As for their time as the favorite, the Rays are 21-19 this year. Tampa Bay’s overall series record is 9-10-2, and they are 4-6 over their last 10 games.
When the Rays win, they win big, with an average run margin of +2.3 runs per game. But when they lose, they lose big, with an average run margin of -3.9 runs per game. Overall, Tampa Bay has a run line record of 27-40 this season, and they are 12-28 against the run line at home. They have lost four straight run line bets as the favorite, and their run line record as the favorite is just 14-26.
When the Tampa Bay Rays play at home, the over/under line is set at 7.5 runs. This season, their games have averaged 8.7 runs per game, and their over/under record is 34-31. When the line is set at 7.5 runs, their over/under record is 12-6. Overall, 68.7% of their games have had higher over/under lines than 7.5 runs, while only 4.5% have had lower lines.
Aaron Civale Gets The Start For The Rays
Right-hander Aaron Civale gets the start for the Rays today as he faces off against the Cubs. He has made 13 starts this season and has a record of 2-5 with an ERA of 5.51. So far, Civale has turned in three quality starts and is coming off a rough outing against the Orioles, where he took the loss. In that game, he gave up four earned runs in five innings of work. Looking back at his last four outings, Civale has finished with a no-decision in three straight starts.
Rays Offense Breakdown
For the season, the Rays are averaging just 3.9 runs per game, which is 27th in the league. They have been even worse in terms of home runs, as their 51 homers are the worst in the league. As a team, they are batting .232, which is 15th in the league, and their collective on-base percentage of .305 is 14th in the league.
Yandy Diaz has been swinging a hot bat of late, going 14/41 in his last 10 games. This has helped him bring his season average up to .258. He is also on a five-game hitting streak. Isaac Paredes has been the Rays’ top power threat this season, as his 10 homers are the best on the team and 12th in the league. However, he is batting just .287.
Cubs vs Rays Prediction
Our prediction for this Cubs vs. Rays matchup is to take the Rays on the money line at -118. We have the Rays winning this one by a score of 5-4. Looking at the starting pitchers, our projections have Aaron Civale finishing with six strikeouts, and Javier Assad with just four.
Offensively, our projections have the Cubs finishing with the 14th most strikeouts today and the Rays finishing with the 20th most. As for home runs, the Cubs are projected to finish 15th in the league, and the Rays 17th.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
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Last updated:June 12, 2024 Cubs, Rays