Discover the Rays vs Athletics Preview and Prediction – Thursday August 22, 2024

Tampa Bay Rays

@

Oakland Athletics

As the Tampa Bay Rays face off against the Oakland Athletics on August 22, 2024, the stakes are high in this American League matchup. The Rays currently sit with a record of 64-62, while the Athletics have struggled this season at 54-73, ranking them among the bottom teams in the league. This game marks the fourth in their series, with the Rays winning the previous encounter 4-2 on August 21.

On the mound, Osvaldo Bido will take the hill for the Athletics. Despite being ranked as the 180th best starting pitcher in MLB, Bido has shown flashes of brilliance, notably pitching six innings with no earned runs in his last start on August 17. However, his 4.85 xFIP suggests that he may have been somewhat fortunate this season, and he projects to allow 4.2 hits and 1.7 walks today, which could be problematic against a Rays offense that, while struggling, ranks 4th in stolen bases.

Jeffrey Springs will start for the Rays, presenting a more favorable matchup. Springs is ranked 84th among MLB starters and has been effective in his limited appearances this year. He comes off a solid outing of five innings with just one earned run, and despite projections indicating he may allow 4.9 hits, his ability to limit damage could be crucial in this game.

Both teams’ offenses have had their issues, with the Athletics ranking 20th overall and the Rays sitting at 25th. However, the Athletics boast a powerful lineup, ranking 4th in home runs with 132 this season. This power could be vital against Springs, who has a tendency to give up fly balls.

The leading MLB projection system suggests that the Athletics have a 49% chance to win, while the Rays are slightly favored at 51%. With a low game total of 7.5 runs, bettors should prepare for a closely contested game.

Tampa Bay Rays Insights

• Jeffrey Springs – Over/Under 5.5 Strikeouts (-115/-115)
  The Oakland Athletics have 8 bats in the projected offense that will have the benefit of the platoon advantage against Jeffrey Springs today.
  Explain: Right-handed pitchers perform worse against left-handed hitters (and visa-versa). If several hitters hold this advantage against the pitcher, it can have a huge impact on whether he will perform well or struggle on any given day.
• Dylan Carlson – Over/Under 0.5 Hits (-160/+125)
  Dylan Carlson is projected to hit 3rd on the lineup card in today’s game, which would be an upgrade from his 77% rate of hitting in the bottom-half of the lineup this season.
  Explain: The higher in the order a player bats, the more plate appearances he will get and the more opportunities he will get to hit the Over for every market. A player who hits higher in the order than he normally does may provide extra value opportunity since the market may be based on him hitting lower.
• Tampa Bay Rays – 2H Moneyline
  According to the leading projection system (THE BAT), the Tampa Bay Rays’ bullpen profiles as the 7th-best among all teams in the majors.
  Explain: Most bettors only consider the starting pitcher, but a strong bullpen sneakily creates a tougher matchup for the opposing offense and suppresses a game’s runs.

Oakland Athletics Insights

• Osvaldo Bido – Over/Under 5.5 Strikeouts (+120/-155)
  Osvaldo Bido’s 94.3-mph fastball velocity this year ranks in the 76th percentile among all SPs.
  Explain: Velocity is a key component to fastball success in generating strikeouts and preventing runs.
• Brent Rooker – Over/Under 1.5 Total Bases (+145/-185)
  Brent Rooker has seen a substantial improvement in his exit velocity on flyballs this season; just compare his 97.3-mph average to last year’s 94.9-mph average.
  Explain: Most home runs are flyballs, and the harder those flyballs are hit, the more often they turn into home runs. This is a strong indicator of power.
• Tyler Nevin – Over/Under 0.5 Total Bases (-150/+115)
  In today’s game, Tyler Nevin is at a disadvantage facing the league’s 10th-deepest RF fences given that he hits his flyballs to the opposite field at a 40.9% rate (98th percentile).
  Explain: This player’s skill set does not match up particularly well with the park he’s in today, which may lead to worse-than-usual performance.

Betting Trends

• Oakland Athletics – Moneyline (-105)
  The Oakland Athletics have hit the Moneyline in 22 of their last 39 games (+10.25 Units / 24% ROI)
• Tampa Bay Rays – Over/Under 1.5 1st Five Innings (F5) Team Total (-140/+110)
  The Tampa Bay Rays have hit the 1st Five Innings (F5) Team Total Under in 60 of their last 103 games (+14.55 Units / 12% ROI)
• Tyler Nevin – Over/Under 0.5 Singles (+125/-160)
  Tyler Nevin has hit the Singles Under in 20 of his last 25 games (+12.00 Units / 33% ROI)