The Rays and Dodgers play the first game of their three-game series on Monday, June 15.
Los Angeles is a -186 moneyline favorite, while Tampa Bay is +153 on DraftKings Sportsbook. The game total is set at over/under 9.5 runs.
Let’s get into a pick and prediction for this Rays vs. Dodgers game.
Rays vs. Dodgers prediction, preview
Two of the best MLB teams face off in this inter-league series starting Monday, June 15. Los Angeles, the reigning two-time champions, will host Tampa Bay for three games. Eric Lauer will start for the Dodgers in the first game, which may be concerning for Los Angeles. With such a star-studded rotation, it’s not the best day when Lauer and his 5.47 ERA takes the mound. He arrived via trade with the Blue Jays, but he’s been better in his new situation through three outings and 16.1 innings. His ERA is 2.76 with the Dodgers, allowing two earned runs twice and one earned run once.
Home runs have been an issue, with the 31-year-old allowing four in his three starts with the Dodgers. Luckily, the Rays rank last in the majors in total home runs, so that may not be an issue in this game. Tampa Bay instead focuses on batting average, which it ranks third in the majors (.257).
The Dodgers, of course, have the best batting average with their stacked lineup. They have a .262 batting average with the second most home runs (99) and most total bases (1,066). Nick Martinez will have the challenge of facing this group in what’s been a career year for him. The 35-year-old has been a quality pitcher in some years, but he hasn’t been a full-time starter since early in his career. Now in his first season with the Rays, Martinez has a career-best ERA of 2.43 in 13 starts. and 77.2 innings.
Strikeouts aren’t his forte, so don’t expect a ton in this game, especially since the Dodgers rank ninth in fewest total strikeouts. Additionally, Martinez has struggled in recent outings. He allowed three earned runs in seven innings against Boston and six earned in four innings against Detroit. That increased his ERA from 1.62 to 2.43 in just two starts.
Rays vs. Dodgers Pick, Best Bet
It’s been a rough two-game stretch for Martinez, but he should bounce back, even against the mighty Dodgers. Los Angeles is obviously excellent, but the team hasn’t won two consecutive games since June 6. That’s seven games of flip-flopping between wins and losses.
The consistency isn’t there, and while that could be attributed to the road trip, the two-time reigning champs have more than enough away experience to combat that. It may just be a poor stretch, and thus I’m leaning for the under at 9.5 runs.
