Tampa Bay Rays (14-2) vs. Cincinnati Reds (6-9)
April 17, 2023 6:40 pm EDT
The Line: Cincinnati Reds +134 / Tampa Bay Rays -145; Over/Under: +9.5
(Get latest betting odds)
The Tampa Bay Rays and Cincinnati Reds meet Monday in MLB action at Great American Ball Park. Let’s preview this game and give out a pick and prediction.
The Tampa Bay Rays have scored 13 runs in their last 3 games and 4 or more runs in 10 of their last 13 games. The Rays have won 21 straight games when scoring 4 or more runs. Wander Franco leads the Rays with 21 hits and 13 RBI, while Randy Arozarena and Josh Lowe have combined for 31 hits and 27 RBI. Jalen Beeks gets the ball, and he is 0-0 with a 3.00 ERA and 5 strikeouts this season. This will be Beeks’ second career game against the Reds.
The Cincinnati Reds have scored 19 runs in their last 3 games and 4 or more runs in 6 of their last 8 games. The Reds are 5-5 this season when scoring 4 or more runs. Jonathan India leads the Reds with 18 hits and 7 RBI, while Spencer Steer and TJ Friedl have combined for 32 hits and 11 RBI. Hunter Greene gets the ball, and he is 0-0 with a 5.14 ERA and 23 strikeouts this season. This will be Greene’s second career game against the Rays.
The Rays are 4-1 in their last 5 during game 1 of a series and 36-17 in their last 53 interleague games. The Reds are 8-3 in their last 11 interleague games and 3-8 in their last 11 overall. The over is 9-2-2 in Rays last 13 overall. The over is 7-1 in Reds last 8 overall. The Rays are 0-4 in the last 4 meetings in Cincinnati and 5-13 in the last 18 meetings.
I’m not excited to get behind Jalen Beeks on the mound, but the Rays have comfortably been the better team here, and we’re getting a cheap price with a team that has a 87.5 percent winning percentage. The Cincinnati Reds can’t get out of their own way most nights, and Greene continues to struggle with control and consistency. I’ll gladly take the Rays at this price.
