The Tampa Bay Rays remain in Pittsburgh to face the Pirates at 1:35 PM ET on Sunday afternoon in the final game of a three-game set. Keep reading for our Rays vs. Pirates betting prediction.
Can the Pirates win the game outright as money-line home favorites?
Projected starting pitchers: Aaron Civale (TB) vs. Paul Skenes (PIT)
The Tampa Bay Rays are 37-40 straight up this year. Tampa is 5-5 straight up in their last 10 games. The Rays are 34-43 ATS this season.
The Pittsburgh Pirates are 37-39 straight up this year. Pittsburgh is 5-5 straight up in their last 10 games. The Pirates are 41-35 ATS this season.
Rays vs. Pirates Game Matchup and Betting Odds
973 Tampa Bay Rays (+130) at 974 Pittsburgh Pirates (-155); o/u 7.5
1:35 PM ET, Sunday, June 23, 2024
PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA
Rays vs. Pirates Public Betting Information
Our MLB Public Betting Information page indicates that 84% of public bettors are currently backing the Pirates money line. Please note that these numbers are subject to change all the way up to game time, so be sure to check the link to ensure that you’re receiving the most up-to-date public betting data.
Tampa Bay Rays DFS Spin
Rays catcher Ben Rortvedt was one of three Tampa Bay players to drive in a run in his club’s 4-3 loss to the Pirates on Saturday. In that contest, the Madison, Wisconsin native went 1 for 3 with an RBI single in the 4th inning. Rortvedt has been raking of late. In the past 15 games, Ben Rortvedt is slashing .310/.356/.524 with 2 homers, 10 RBIs, 4 runs scored, and 2 walks. Rortvedt could be a nice sleeper in DFS if he draws another start behind the dish against the Pirates on Sunday afternoon.
Pittsburgh Pirates DFS Spin
Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz had a big game as the #3 hitter during his club’s 4-3 win over the Rays on Saturday. In that contest, Cruz went 1 for 3 with a homer, an RBI, a run scored, and a walk. Cruz is having a nice season as he’s hitting .243 with 10 homers, 31 RBIs, 5 steals, and a .722 OPS on the campaign. Cruz has an OPS of .828 against righties and an OPS of .864 at home this season. He’ll be facing Rays righthanded starter Aaron Civale at PNC Park on Sunday, making Cruz worth a look in most DFS formats.
Rays vs. Pirates MLB Betting Trends
Tampa Bay is 14-19 straight up as an underdog this season.
Tampa Bay is 33-35 straight up when playing an opponent on equal rest this season.
Pittsburgh is 4-2 straight up in their last 6 games overall.
Pittsburgh is 36-33 straight up when playing an opponent on equal rest this season.
Rays vs. Pirates Betting Prediction
Pittsburgh will send former 2023 #1 overall draft pick Paul Skenes to the hill for this contest. Skenes zipped through the minor leagues and has been blowing away big-league hitters for most of this season. His numbers are tremendous. Paul Skenes is 4-0 with a 2.29 ERA, a 0.99 WHIP, a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 7.6, and a K/9 of 12.1 this season. In Skenes’ 7 starts this year, he’s thrown 5 quality starts. He’s also gone at least 6 innings and allowed 1 run or fewer on 4 occasions.
Tampa’s offense hasn’t exactly been a juggernaut in 2024. The Rays are 21st in batting average, 27th in slugging percentage, and 22nd in runs scored this season. Their hitters have the 6th-most strikeouts in baseball this year. I don’t see how Tampa Bay will be able to score enough runs to win this game, so I’m taking Pittsburgh on the money line at home on Sunday afternoon.