Two teams headed in different directions as of late meet when the Rays and Mariners begin a four-game series in Seattle Thursday night. Reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Robbie Ray hits the hill for the home team here against fellow lefty Shane McClanahan for the visitors.
How are we playing this game with our free baseball betting pick?
MLB Betting Odds
Thursday’s baseball betting lines opened this game at right around a pick ’em, with an over/under of seven runs. Early betting action then slid Tampa Bay into a -120 favorite.
Rays-Mariners MLB Betting Preview
Tampa Bay just swept three games at Oakland to begin this week, winning Wednesday’s series finale 3-0. Just before that, the Rays lost two of three games at home to Minnesota, but just before that, they took two of three from this Seattle team.
Going back a bit further, Tampa is 3-1 over its last four series and 8-3 over its last 11 games.
The Mariners, meanwhile, just got swept three games at Houston, losing Wednesday’s series finale 7-2. Just before that, Seattle lost two of three at Miami, and just before that, it lost two of three at the Rays.
So the Mariners are 0-3 over their last three series and 1-7 over their last eight games.
As mentioned above, Tampa Bay took two of three games from Seattle three series ago. The Mariners won the first game of that series 8-4, but the Rays won the next two by scores of 3-2 and 2-1.
Thursday’s Pitching Match-Up
Ray is 3/5 on quality starts this season and two for his last three. Last Saturday, he gave up three runs and four hits through five innings, with four walks and eight strikeouts, in a 3-1 Seattle loss to Miami. But over his last three starts, he’s held opponents to seven runs and 13 hits through 17 innings.
Ray’s really only had one bad outing this year, and the Mariners are 3-2 with him.
Last year pitching for Toronto, Ray started six times against Tampa Bay, allowing ten runs and 26 hits, including six home runs, through 38 2/3 innings, with five walks against 51 strikeouts! Thanks to some poor run support, the Blue Jays lost four of those six games.
McClanahan is 2/5 on quality starts this year but also two for his last three. Last Saturday, he gave up three runs and two home runs through five innings, with two walks and 11 whiffs, in a 9-1 Rays loss to Minnesota. But over his last three starts, he’s held foes to six runs and 14 hits through 18 innings, with two walks and 27 K’s.
Tampa is only 2-3 with McClanahan this season but should be 3-2.
In his only career start against Seattle, in June of last season, McClanahan allowed just one run and three hits through six innings of a 6-2 Rays defeat.
Splits With the Sticks
This season, Tampa Bay is batting .258 against left-handed pitching, with a .333 team OBP and a .395 team slugging percentage.
Seattle is slashing .214/.326/.378 against left-handed pitching. The Mariners have also been held to two runs or less six times over their last eight games.
The Bullpens
The Rays bullpen owns a 2.80 ERA this season and a 1.02 WHIP.
The Seattle pen owns a 3.21 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP.
- Get more details: Rays vs. Mariners 5/5/22 Betting Stats
MLB Betting Trends
The Rays are 6-3 on the road this season and 4-1 against left-handed starters.
This season, the Mariners are 7-2 at home but 1-4 against left-handed starters.
Totals Report
The Under is 13-10 in Rays games this season, which are averaging 8.5 total runs.
The Under is 13-12 in Mariners games this season, which are averaging 8.3 runs.
The overs are 6-3 at T-Mobile Park this season.
