Rays vs Marlins Prediction and Betting Odds May 24
Rays vs Marlins Betting Preview and Odds
The Rays and Marlins kickoff their interstate rivalry tonight with two of the best pitchers in the MLB so far taking the mound. WagerTalk MLB handicapper Andy Lang offers his Tampa Bay Rays vs Miami Marlins betting preview for Tuesday, May 24, with the first pitch scheduled for 6:40pm ET / 3:40pm PT.
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| Tuesday, May 24 | MLB Betting Notes, Courtesy of Caesars |
|---|---|
| Moneyline: | Tampa Bay Rays -140 vs Miami Marlins +130 |
| Runline: | Rays -1.5 (+150) / Marlins +1.5 (-170) |
| Total: | 6.5 Runs (Over -105 / Under -115) |
| Game Time: | 6:40pm ET / 3:40pm PT |
| Where: | Tropicana Field in Tampa, FL |
| Weather: | Dome |
Rays vs Marlins Analysis
The Miami Marlins and Tampa Bay Rays begin a short two game series in the battle for Florida on Tuesday night.
The Rays somehow managed to lose two of three games to the Baltimore Orioles in the middle of a hot streak, over the course of the weekend. The Marlins are coming off a hard fought series where they also ended up losing two of three games to the Atlanta Braves.
The young gun Pablo Lopez gets the start for Miami, while the lefty Shane McClanahan will toe the rubber Tampa Bay. First pitch is scheduled for 6:40 PM EST/3:40 PST.
Rays Rare Series Loss to O’s
To say the Tampa Bay Rays have had the Baltimore Orioles number over the past few seasons would be an understatement. They unbelievably went 18-1 against Baltimore in 2021 and swept a three game series against them in their first head-to-head series this season.
They dropped two of three games to the Orioles over the course of this weekend. Both losses were heartbreakers as they ended in extra innings. They lost the series deciding game 7-6 in the 11th inning on Sunday afternoon.
The Rays ended up using a total of 9 different arms in the game as starting pitcher Corey Kluber only lasted three innings while allowing two runs on five hits. Ji-Man Choi went 3 for 5 with with a double and Isaac Paredes hit a three-run blast.
It was a rare series loss as the Rays currently occupy 2nd place in the American League East with a 24-17 record. While the Rays are known for their pitching, their offense has held their own while ranking 11th in runs scored and wRC+.
Southpaw starter Shane McClanahan had an impressive MLB debut season in 2021 and has been even more dominant in 2022. McClanahan is 3-2 with a 2.33 ERA and 2.69 FIP but what’s even more impressive is his robust 36.7% strikeout to go along with a miniscule 5.6% walk rate.
Marlins Fight The Good Fight
The Miami Marlins have a respectable 18-22 record as they fight their way through a division of teams that can out spend them twice over without breaking a sweat.
On Sunday afternoon, they beat one of those teams in the Atlanta Braves 4-3 to salvage the third and final game of their weekend series.
Starting pitcher Sandy Alcantara was absolutely filthy, tossing a complete game shutout while allowing 6 hits and striking out 7.
Third baseman Brian Anderson went 2 for 4 with an RBI double. Alcantara hands the ball off to his ace counterpart Pablo Lopez who has plans of spinning his own gem.
It’s basically a 1A & 1B situation between these two studs, as Lopez has a 4-1 record with an outstanding 1.57 ERA, 2.29 FIP and 0.91 WHIP. He also boasts a 27% strikeout rate while walking just 6.2%. The Marlins added a few pieces and tweaked their lineup and they have made some improvements.
Last season they ranked 29th in run scored, so far this season they rank 16th while ranking 11th in OPS and 12th in wRC+.
Rays vs Marlins Prediction
The Tampa Bay Rays money line is set at -165 with the Florida Marlins at +145 and a total of 6.5. Everything points towards unders in this one and the lines are set accordingly with a 6.5 total.
We should also see a ton of strikeouts as both teams have a team strikeout percentage above 23%. The Marlins strikeout over 30% of the time against left-handed pitching, while the Rays strikeout over 25% of the time against right-handed pitching.
Both starting pitchers have sharp strikeout totals that are juiced as well. If there is one offense I don’t trust, it’s the Marlins and it looks like the may be without spark plug leadoff man Jazz Chisholm.
McClanahan should be able to make quick work of this Marlins lineup as a dominant southpaw. The Marlins team total for full game is 2.5 at -105 odds. However if you take first five under its 1.5 -150.
The -150 is just about my personal max, but considering you lop off the final four innings for .45 cents, I think the juice is worth the squeeze in Florida tonight.
Prediction: Miami Marlins First Five Inning Team Total Under 1.5
Interested in placing a bet on Tuesday’s Rays vs Marlins Interleague clash? Caesars Sports is offering up to a $1,500 match bet for first-time deposits in New Jersey, West Virginia, Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Virginia, Tennessee, Arizona, New York and Louisiana.
First Pitch | MLB Betting Preview for May 24
Join Drew Martin and a rotating panel of guests for First Pitch as we break down the daily baseball slate from a betting perspective. Jose Ramirez and Pete Alonso are the only players to have hit the 40 RBI mark so far this season as they continue their hot season so far. Join WagerTalk’s team of MLB betting experts every weekday at 1:45pm ET / 10:45am PT for First Pitch as we discuss the baseball betting slate.
Daily MLB Game Previews and Predictions
See all of the daily MLB predictions and picks by WagerTalk and Sportsmemo handicappers to assist you in betting. We breakdown various games from a betting perspective all across the league. View all of our daily game previews using the links below!
WagerTalk Live Odds Screen
WagerTalk’s Live Odds Screen features up-to-the-minute lines from a variety of offshore and domestic sports books. Track the MLB moneylines, run lines and betting percentages for all of Tuesday’s baseball games, including this Rays vs Marlins showdown, from your desktop or phone.
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Meet the Author
Andy Lang has lived in Indianapolis his whole life, and like most people from the Hoosier State, he became fascinated with motor sports. That interest in motor sports turned into a desire to make money off the sport through fantasy contests and sports betting. Like most, he took his lumps when he first got started, but now he is one of the most respected NASCAR bettors in the industry. Andy has expanded that sports betting experience to become profitable in a number of other sports, transforming this interest from a side hobby to a major source of income.
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