Tampa Bay Rays vs Atlanta Braves Prediction, 7/16/2021 MLB Pick, Tips and Odds

Game: Tampa Bay Rays vs Atlanta Braves

Date: Friday, July 16, 2021

Location: Truist Park in Cumberland, GA

TV: Bally Sports South

Odds/Point Spread: Tampa Bay (+120) Atlanta (-130)

Michael Wacha and the Tampa Bay Rays (53-37, 2nd in AL East) head to Truist Park on Friday where they'll take on the Atlanta Braves (44-45, 3rd in NL East). The odds on this game have the Rays priced at +120 and the Braves are at -130. The over/under has been set at 9. The pitchers taking the mound will be Michael Wacha and Charlie Morton.

The Rays have hit 158 two-baggers as a team and have smacked 110 baseballs out of the park. Tampa Bay has a slugging percentage of .396 and have struck out 923 times, while being walked on 342 occasions. As a team, the Tampa Bay Rays are putting up 4.9 runs per contest, which is 8th in the league. They have accounted for 418 RBI's as well as 700 hits on the year, and their batting average comes in at .230. They have tallied 440 runs scored and hold an on-base percentage of .315.

The Rays have compiled a team earned run average of 3.50 this season (7th in baseball), and the staff has struck out 851 hitters. They have accrued a K/BB ratio of 3.43 and their pitching staff has earned a collective WHIP of 1.13. Rays pitchers have allowed 101 long balls and also 355 total runs (8th in MLB). Their pitching staff has walked 248 opposing players and their FIP is 3.71 as a unit on the campaign.

The Rays bullpen have accumulated a save percentage of 68.6% and has stepped onto the mound in 91 save situations. The bullpen pitchers have inherited 92 runners so far this year and 30.4% of those players ended up scoring. Rays relief pitchers have entered the game with runners on base 74 times as well as having 113 appearances in high leverage situations. The Rays have dispatched 288 relief pitchers to the hill on the season. The bullpen have notched 54 holds on the season (7th in the league). They have compiled 24 saves this year and have blown 11 of their 35 chances to get a save.

The Tampa Bay Rays have accounted for 2,430 putouts at this point in the season, as well as 799 assists and 43 errors. Their fielding rate is holding at .987 which puts them in 4th in baseball, and they have turned 582 double plays. The Rays have turned 71.1% of baseballs in play into outs in their 7,290 innings, which ranks them 5th in the majors.

Wacha has thrown 959 innings and has tallied 846 strikeouts during his career. His earned run average is 4.06 (433 earned runs allowed) and his career WHIP is 1.334. He has surrendered 955 hits (9.0 hits per 9 innings) and has 324 free passes. Wacha (62-45 record in his career) sits with a FIP of 4.05 while he has gone up against 4,090 batters during his time in the major leagues.

The Braves hold a team SLG% of .425 and they are recording 4.72 runs per game (11th in the league). They have hit 152 doubles, while taking a walk 327 times as well as putting up 420 runs. Atlanta has compiled 123 home runs this season as well as 403 runs batted in. They have been rung up on 835 instances (7th in the league) and have tallied 695 hits. The Atlanta Braves have an OBP of .322 and a batting average of .238 for the season.

The Braves hold a team WHIP of 1.317 and have a FIP of 4.17 as a team for the season. Their strikeout to walk ratio comes in at 2.63 (796 strikeouts against 303 free passes). They have a ranking of 16th in the league as a staff in total hits given up with 716. They have given up 104 dingers and they surrender 4.66 runs per 9 innings (17th in the league). The Atlanta pitching staff have allowed 401 runs this season while having an ERA of 4.24 (365 earned runs allowed).

Atlanta relievers have an inherited score rate of 39.0% out of 123 inherited runners. Their relief pitchers have stepped onto the hill 130 times in high leverage situations and on 80 occasions with base runners. Sitting with 91 save situations, the Braves have earned 58 holds in addition to 13 blown saves. They sit at 21st in MLB holding a save percentage of 59.4%, and they have sent 323 relievers onto the field on the year. Atlanta has called on relief pitchers to enter the contest in 32 save chances and they have tallied 19 saves.

The Atlanta Braves have turned 53 double plays and hold a fielding percentage of .986 (6th in professional baseball). The Braves have 791 assists, 45 errors and have accounted for 2,322 putouts for the year. Out of their 6,966 innings on the field, the Braves have accumulated a efficiency on defense of 69.3% (18th in the majors).

Morton (101-92 win-loss record in his career) has a 4.05 ERA while allowing 8.6 hits per nine innings. His strikeout to walk ratio is 2.52 and he has faced 6,612 opposing hitters during his MLB career. He has surrendered a total of 693 earned runs while holding a WHIP of 1.319 and being the owner of a FIP of 3.8. During his career, Morton has allowed 1,478 base hits while he has earned 1,390 punch outs in 1,538 innings pitched.

Who will win tonight's MLB game against the spread?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Atlanta (-130)

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