Tampa Bay Rays vs Houston Astros Prediction, 7/30/2023 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Tampa Bay Rays vs Houston Astros

Date: Sunday, July 30, 2023

Location: Minute Maid Park in Houston, TX

TV: AT&T SportsNet Southwest

Odds/Point Spread: Tampa Bay (-120) Houston (+100)

The Tampa Bay Rays (63-43) are traveling to Minute Maid Park on Sunday where they will play the Houston Astros (58-46). The moneyline on this matchup has the Rays at -120 and the Astros are priced at +100. The over/under is 9. The pitchers taking the mound are Taj Bradley and Hunter Brown.

The Rays have accumulated 185 two-baggers as a team and have hit 151 balls out of the park. Tampa Bay is slugging .444 and have been rung up 910 times, while drawing a walk on 336 occasions. As a squad, the Tampa Bay Rays are scoring 5.2 runs per game, which has them at 4th in the league. They have amassed 526 RBI's as well as 902 base knocks this year, and their team batting average is .255. They have earned 549 runs and hold an OBP of .327.

Get all of our MLB Expert Picks

The Rays have compiled a team ERA of 3.70 for the season (1st in MLB), and the staff has struck out 955 batters. Rays pitchers have surrendered 109 home runs in addition to 407 total runs (1st in the league). Their pitching staff has walked 314 batters and their FIP sits at 3.89 as a squad on the campaign. Tampa Bay has conceded 790 base hits (7.6 per 9 innings) and also 385 earned runs. They have accrued a K/BB ratio of 3.04 and their pitching staff has a collective WHIP of 1.18.

Rays relief pitchers have come into the game with runners on 80 times in addition to having 104 appearances in high leverage situations. The bullpen have a total of 49 holds so far this season (20th in MLB). The Rays bullpen have a save percentage of 63.0% and has entered the game in 95 save situations. They have tallied 29 saves so far this season and have missed out on 17 out of their 46 chances to save the game. The bullpen pitchers have inherited 122 base runners on the season with 23.0% of those players ended up scoring. The Rays have dispatched 344 relief pitchers to the hill for the season.

The Tampa Bay Rays have notched a total of 2,813 putouts at this point in the season, as well as 959 assists and 41 errors. Their fielding rate is holding steady at .989 which is 2nd in pro baseball, and have a total of 79 double plays. The Rays have turned 71.3% of balls hit into play into outs in their 8,439 innings on the diamond, which has them sitting 1st in MLB.

Bradley (5-6 career record) sits with a FIP of 3.96 while he has faced 312 opposing hitters during his time in the major leagues. He has surrendered 76 base hits (9.6 hits per 9 innings) and has 22 walks. His ERA is 5.30 (42 ER's allowed) and his WHIP is 1.374. Bradley has taken the ball for 71 innings and has accounted for 95 punch outs in his pro baseball career.

The Houston Astros have compiled an on-base percentage of .317 as well as a team batting average of .248 so far this season. They have been called out on strikes on 818 occasions (26th in baseball) and have earned a total of 872 hits. Houston has a total of 130 home runs so far this season and 470 RBIs. The Astros hold a slugging percentage of .411 and they tally 4.68 runs per game (12th in the league). They have hit 171 doubles, while taking a walk 331 times as well as putting up 487 runs.

The Astros are sitting with a team WHIP of 1.272 with a FIP of 4.19 as a squad on the year. Their K/BB ratio is 9.30 (956 strikeouts vs 335 walks). They rank 13th in baseball as a staff in total hits surrendered with 847. They have surrendered 122 long balls and they surrender 4.25 runs per 9 innings (9th in baseball). The Houston pitching staff have given up 439 runs this season while holding an ERA of 3.82 (394 earned runs allowed).

Houston has had bullpen pitchers take the mound in 48 save opportunities and they have walked away with 32 saves. They sit at 10th in the league with a save percentage of 66.7%, and they have dispatched 330 relievers to the mound over the course of the season. Their bullpen pitchers have come in 111 times in high leverage situations and on 61 occasions with base runners. Houston bullpen pitchers hold an inherited score rate of 33.3% of 99 inherited base runners. Sitting with 107 save situations, the Astros have amassed 58 holds in addition to 16 blown saves.

Out of their 8,367 innings on the field, the Astros have earned a defensive efficiency of 69.1% (16th in the majors). The Houston Astros have turned 94 double plays and hold a fielding percentage of .986 (15th in pro baseball). The Astros have accrued 880 assists, 51 errors and have accumulated 2,789 putouts this year.

Brown (8-7 mark in his career) has a 3.65 earned run average while allowing 8.5 hits per nine innings. He has a strikeout to walk ratio of 3.43 and he has faced 523 batters so far in his MLB career. He has given up 51 ER's while holding a WHIP of 1.281 and having a FIP of 3.4. In his MLB career, Brown has given up 119 hits while he has totaled 144 strikeouts in 125 innings pitched.

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

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Tampa Bay (-120)

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here