Atlanta Braves vs Tampa Bay Rays Prediction, 7/9/2023 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Atlanta Braves vs Tampa Bay Rays

Date: Sunday, July 9, 2023

Location: Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FL

TV: Bally Sports Sun

The Tampa Bay Rays (57-33) are welcoming the Atlanta Braves (58-28) at Tropicana Field on Sunday. The starting pitchers are Bryce Elder and Zach Eflin.

The Braves have compiled 152 doubles as a squad and have hit 166 balls out of the park. Atlanta has a slugging percentage of .499 and have struck out 698 times, while being walked on 288 occasions. As a squad, the Atlanta Braves are putting up 5.7 runs per contest, which has them at 2nd in baseball. They have compiled 470 runs batted in and 809 base knocks for the year, and their average at the plate is .274. They have notched a total of 487 runs and have an on-base percentage of .342.

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They have earned a K/BB ratio of 2.99 and the pitching staff holds a collective WHIP of 1.26. Braves pitchers have surrendered 90 home runs and also 340 runs in total (2nd in baseball). Atlanta has given up 697 base knocks (8.2 per 9 innings) and 309 earned runs. The Braves have a team ERA of 3.63 on the season (2nd in baseball), and they have rung up 808 hitters. They have walked 270 opposing players and their FIP is 3.92 as a team so far this year.

Braves relief pitchers have entered the game with runners on base 76 times in addition to having 96 appearances in high leverage situations. The relief pitchers have 64 holds on the season (2nd in MLB). The Braves relievers have earned a save percentage of 65.9% and has entered the game in 109 save situations. They have compiled 29 saves for the season and have not converted 15 of 44 chances to get a save. The bullpen pitchers have inherited 111 base runners this year and 29.7% of those players ended up scoring. The Braves have dispatched 286 relief pitchers to the hill this year.

The Atlanta Braves have a total of 2,301 putouts thus far, in addition to 709 assists and 52 errors. Their fielding percentage is holding steady at .983 which has them sitting 26th in professional baseball, and they have twisted 72 double plays. The Braves have turned 68.4% of balls in play into outs out of 6,903 innings on the field, which ranks them 20th in the majors.

Elder (9-5 win-loss mark in his career) has earned a FIP of 3.79 and he has gone up against 642 hitters in the major leagues. He has surrendered 131 hits (7.5 hits per 9 innings) and has 53 free passes. His earned run average is 2.70 (47 ER's allowed) and his WHIP is 1.174. Elder has taken the mound for 156 innings and has racked up 127 strikeouts so far in his pro baseball career.

The Rays have a slugging percentage of .455 and they tally 5.49 runs per contest (3rd in the league). They have hit 163 two-baggers, while getting a free base 293 times as well as putting up 494 runs. Tampa Bay has tallied 134 home runs over the course of the season to go along with 472 runs batted in. They have struck out on 772 occasions (14th in baseball) and have 789 base knocks. The Tampa Bay Rays have tallied an on-base percentage of .332 as well as a batting average of .260 so far this season.

The Rays are sitting with a team WHIP of 1.212 and are the owners of a FIP of 4.03 as a team for the season. Their K/BB ratio sits at 9.00 (797 strikeouts vs 285 walks). They rank 2nd in the league as a staff in total hits surrendered with 680. They have surrendered 93 long balls and they concede 3.90 runs per 9 innings (2nd in baseball). The Tampa Bay pitching staff have given up 345 runs for the year while having an ERA of 3.72 (329 earned runs surrendered).

Tampa Bay relief pitchers have an inherited score rate of 23.0% out of their 113 inherited runners. Their relief pitchers have stepped onto the hill 88 times in high leverage situations in addition to 72 occasions with runners on. With 87 save situations, the Rays have earned 45 holds and 17 blown saves. They sit at 19th in the league holding a save rate of 59.5%, and they have dispatched 296 bullpen pitchers to the mound for the season. Tampa Bay has called on relievers to enter the game in 42 save opportunities and they have come away with 25 saves.

In 7,164 innings played, the Rays have earned a defensive efficiency of 71.0% (1st in the majors). The Tampa Bay Rays have turned 75 double plays and have notched a fielding percentage of .989 (4th in pro baseball). The Rays have accrued 813 assists, 36 errors and have a tally of 2,388 putouts on the season.

Thus far in his career, Eflin has surrendered 776 base knocks while he has accumulated 652 K's in 756 frames. Eflin (45-49 win-loss mark in his career) holds a 4.33 earned run average and has given up 9.2 hits per 9 innings. He has allowed 364 ER's while holding a WHIP of 1.257 and being the owner of a FIP of 4.2. He has a K/BB ratio of 3.73 and he has gone up against 3,188 hitters in his MLB career.

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

Parlay's Pundit's Pick: Take Tampa Bay

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