The Tampa Bay Rays (64-62) travel to face off against the Oakland Athletics (54-73) on Thursday, August 22nd. This game will be played at Oakland Coliseum in Oakland and televised on NSPCA. The Rays are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Athletics are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Rays. First pitch is set for 2:37 CT.

Rays vs. Athletics Betting Prediction

• Money Line Prediction: Athletics (+106)
• Over/Under Prediction: Over 7.5 Runs

• Oakland Athletics have won 6 out of their last 10 home games.
• In their last 15 games, the Athletics have scored 5 or more runs in 6 games.
• Oakland has a recent head-to-head win against the Rays, winning 3-0 on August 19th.
• The Athletics have a 6-4 record in their last 10 games, indicating a positive recent trend.
• In their last 15 games, the Athletics have held their opponents to 4 or fewer runs in 8 games.

Rays vs Athletics

Tampa Bay picked up a 4-2 road win over the Athletics in the most recent game of this series. The Rays had a two-run 5th inning and added two more runs in the 7th, while the A’s scored their only two runs in the 6th. Heading into the game, the Rays were favored at -132 on the money line.

Ryan Pepiot started for the Rays and picked up the win, going six innings and giving up two earned runs. He finished the game with five strikeouts but issued just one walk. Manuel Rodríguez got the save. Mitch Spence had a rough outing for the A’s, taking the loss after going seven innings and giving up four earned runs.

Jose Siri was the difference for the Rays’ offense, as he homered and scored twice while going 2/4. JJ Bleday hit a home run for the A’s, going 1/3.

With a 64-62 record, the Rays are 9.5 games behind the Yankees in the AL East, sitting in 4th place. They have a 6-4 record in their last 10 games and have won two straight. In the series against the Athletics, they lead 2-1.

On the run line, the Rays have been more profitable as underdogs with a 41-24 record, compared to 23-38 as favorites. Their games have averaged 8.1 runs this season, resulting in a 56-64 over/under record. Today’s O/U line of 7.5 runs is lower than usual, as 59.5% of their games have had higher totals.

Jeffrey Springs Gets The Start For The Rays

Jeffrey Springs is getting the start for the Rays on the road against the Athletics. Springs has been solid in his first two starts of the season, picking up a win in his last outing, where he went 5 innings and struck out 7. He also has a no-decision and a loss on his record, but has yet to allow more than 1 earned run in a start.

Rays Offense Breakdown

Yandy Diaz has been one of the Rays’ most consistent hitters this season, batting .275 overall and .314 over his last 10 games. He is currently on a three-game hitting streak. Diaz’s 55 RBIs are the best mark on the team, and his 10 homers are 3rd. Christopher Morel has struggled this season, batting just .191, but he does have 20 homers, which is the most on the team.

As a team, the Rays are 28th in the league in scoring at just 3.9 runs per game. They have been even worse at home, averaging just 3.7 runs per contest. Overall, they are 25th in home runs and have a team batting average of .231.

As underdogs, the Athletics have a 43-69 record this season, and they are 11-4 as favorites. They are 31-33 at home and 23-40 on the road. Oakland’s run line record at home is 35-29, and overall, they are 68-59. The A’s games have averaged 8.5 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 56-69.

Oakland is 4th in the AL West, 4.5 games behind the Rangers. They have lost two straight games and are 16-20 in divisional matchups. The A’s last five games have gone under the total, and the O/U line for today’s game is set at 7.5 runs.

Osvaldo Bido Gets The Start For The Athletics

Right-hander Osvaldo Bido gets the start for the Athletics today as he faces off against the Rays at home. Bido has made 12 appearances this year and has a record of 4-3 with a 3.40 ERA. Looking at his overall numbers, Bido has a WHIP of 1.16 and has turned in three quality starts. In his most recent outing, he didn’t allow a run in six innings of work, picking up the win in the process. Bido has actually won his last two starts, and opponents are batting .190 off him this season.

Athletics Offense Breakdown

As a team, the Athletics are batting just .230 this season, which is 20th in the league. However, they do have the 8th most home runs in the league and are 11th in walks. Oakland is also near the bottom of the league in strikeouts and are averaging just 4 runs per game. Their team on-base percentage of .303 is also towards the bottom of the league.

Brent Rooker has been a bright spot for the Athletics this season, as he is batting .286 with 29 homers and 84 RBIs. Shea Langeliers is 2nd on the team with 22 homers but is batting just .227 for the season. JJ Bleday has struggled of late, batting just .217 over his last six games, but has three homers in that stretch. Seth Brown has gone 6/14 in his last six games.

Rays vs Athletics Prediction

At +106, the Athletics are our recommended pick today, as we have them winning this game by a final score of 5-4. If you’re looking for a payout, we would take the Athletics on the money line.

Looking at the starting pitchers, we have Osvaldo Bido finishing with six strikeouts compared to Jeffrey Springs with five. However, Bido is projected to go 13th in terms of innings pitched, while Springs is expected to go five innings.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.