Phillies vs Rays: Prediction, Odds, & Best Bet (July 5)
Written by: Nate Hornung
Last Update: Wed Jul 05, 2023, 12:41 pm ET
Read Time: 4 minutes
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The Philadelphia Phillies traveled south down the East Coast all the way to Tampa, Florida where they face the Rays in game 2 of a three game series!
Yesterday the Phillies were able to steal a 3-1 victory out from underneath the Rays, but today Tampa Bay will look to prove why they are the best team in baseball. We've dug into the betting odds and came up with our prediction and best bets for the game this evening!
Let's breakdown tonight's matchup!
Check out our expert's thoughts on our MLB Picks Page!
Phillies vs Rays Preview
It's been a couple years since these two teams faced off. Back in 2021, they played a couple two-game series, with each team hosting the other. The Rays were able to win all 4 of those games in 2021.
Go back a year further, to the shortened season in 2020. The Phillies and Rays played a three game weekend series down in Tampa. The Rays swept Philly.
Finally, back in 2018 you can find the Phillies last win against the Rays, aside from last night obviously. The Phillies did sweep Tampa Bay in the 2018 series.
What's my point?
We'll get to that. But first let's check out the odds!
Phillies vs Rays Game Information
Matchup Information
- Venue & Location: Tropicana Field (St. Petersburg, FL)
- Date: Wednesday, July 5th, 2023
- First Pitch: 6:40pm Eastern
- Broadcast: MLB Network
Pitching Matchup
- Philadelphia Phillies: Taijuan Walker (9-3, 3.93 ERA)
- Tampa Bay Rays: Zack Littell (0-1, 5.28 ERA)
Betting Odds
Odds courtesy of Bovada.
Runline
- Phillies +1.5 (-180)
- Rays -1.5 (+160)
Moneyline
- Phillies +107
- Rays -128
Total
- Over 9 (-120)
- Under 9 (+100)
Can the Phillies Win Again on the Road?
Ten straight wins on the road for the Phillies. And sadly, their away record is only 23-23. However, good for Philadelphia for pulling themselves out of a terrible hole. In my opinion, this explains the short line when factoring in the starting pitchers.
Taijuan Walker is off to a 9-3 start this year after 17 outings. His ERA is below 4.00, he has over twice as many strikeouts than walks, and he's posting a 1.23 WHIP.
If anyone can shut down the Rays, it's this guy.
But will he be able to do it today?
The Rays are throwing out a bullpen guy to make his first start of the season. Zack Littell has pitched 15.1 innings out of the bullpen and has never gone more than 2.2.
I can't imagine the Rays letting him go very long, but if the Phillies get to him it could be ugly.
I lean with the Rays to bounce back today, even with it being a bullpen game, so I'll take the bait and sprinkle on the short ML.
The Phillies can't win on the road forever, right?
The Pick: Rays ML (-126) BetOnline
Player Props
Taijuan Walker Over 4.5 Strikeouts (+100)
Although I think the Rays win, I do think Walker will get the job done. He's cleared this line in 10/17 starts this year, and he's been red hot recently.
Walker has 5+ Ks in five straight games, including two games with 8 Ks.
The Rays don't strikeout a ton, but pitchers have been able to get to them. The opposing starting pitcher has posted at least 6 strikeouts in the Rays last 5 games.
I think Walker shuts these guys down, but then the Rays win it towards the end of the game.
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Nate has been a recreational sports bettor for about 5 years. In that time, he has grown to love the pursuit of winners and sticking it to The Man. Nate loves data and uses his understanding of numbers to help him be a more profitable sports gambler, however he will be the first to tell you this game is about more than just stats.
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