Tampa Bay Rays vs Oakland Athletics Prediction, 6/15/2023 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Tampa Bay Rays vs Oakland Athletics

Date: Thursday, June 15, 2023

Location: Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, CA

TV: NBC Sports California

Odds/Point Spread: Tampa Bay (-240) Oakland (+200)

Oakland Coliseum is the site where the Oakland Athletics (19-50) will take on the Tampa Bay Rays (48-22) on Thursday. The moneyline on this game has Tampa Bay at -240 and Oakland is priced at +200. The over/under has been set at 8.5. The starting pitchers are Taj Bradley and Paul Blackburn.

Tampa Bay has a slugging percentage of .469 and have been called out on strikes 585 times, while taking a walk on 235 occasions. They have 378 RBI's as well as 615 base knocks for the year, while their average at the plate sits at .262. The Rays have accumulated 126 doubles as a unit and have smacked 113 baseballs out of the park. They have accounted for 395 runs while having a team OBP of .336. As a squad, the Tampa Bay Rays are scoring 5.6 runs per game, which puts them at 2nd in MLB.

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Their strikeout to walk ratio is 2.64 and the pitching staff has a collective WHIP of 1.20. Rays pitchers have relinquished 68 home runs in addition to 257 runs in total (3rd in baseball). Tampa Bay has given up 517 base hits (7.5 per 9 innings) and also 245 earned runs. The Rays are sitting with a team earned run average of 3.56 this year (3rd in MLB), and they have struck out 591 batters. Their pitching staff has walked 224 opposing batters and their FIP is 4.03 as a team so far this season.

The Rays relievers have earned a save rate of 57.1% and has entered the game in 75 save situations. The bullpen pitchers have inherited 86 runners on the campaign with 29.1% of those runners crossed home plate. Rays relief pitchers have entered the game with opponents on base 57 times as well as having 66 appearances in high leverage situations. The Rays have dispatched 227 relievers to the hill on the year. The bullpen are sitting with 40 holds for the season (7th in MLB). They have earned 20 saves this year and have blown 15 of 35 save opportunities.

The Rays have turned 71.9% of balls hit into play into outs in their 5,571 innings on the diamond, which ranks them 1st in baseball. The Tampa Bay Rays have 1,857 putouts this year, in addition to 654 assists and 28 errors. Their fielding percentage sits at .989 which puts them in 3rd in professional baseball, and have a total of 57 double plays.

Bradley has thrown 38 innings and has earned 52 punch outs in his MLB career. His earned run average is 4.19 (18 ER's allowed) and he has a career WHIP of 1.267. He has allowed 37 hits (8.6 hits per nine innings) and has had 12 free passes. Bradley (4-3 career win-loss record) has a FIP of 2.94 while going up against 164 opposing batters in the major leagues.

Oakland has tallied 65 long balls for the season as well as 243 runs batted in. They have 94 doubles, while getting a free base 234 times and putting up 251 runs. The Oakland Athletics have accumulated a team OBP of .306 as well as a batting average of .223 for the year. The Athletics have a team slugging % of .356 and they are scoring 3.64 runs per contest (29th in baseball). They have struck out on 631 occasions (5th in MLB) and have notched a total of 509 hits.

The Athletics have a team WHIP of 1.582 and have a FIP of 5.61 as a squad on the season. They are currently ranked 30th in baseball as a staff in total hits conceded with 642. The Oakland pitching staff have allowed 443 runs on the campaign while having a team ERA of 6.26 (421 earned runs surrendered). Their strikeout to walk ratio is 7.70 (517 strikeouts against 315 bases on balls). They have conceded 105 HR's and they yield 6.59 runs per 9 innings (30th in the league).

Sitting with 44 save situations, the Athletics have recorded 21 holds and 12 blown saves. Oakland has had relievers step onto the mound in 22 save opportunities and they have tallied 10 saves. Their relief pitchers have come in 77 times in high leverage situations and on 79 occasions with runners on. Oakland bullpen pitchers hold an inherited score percentage of 40.9% out of their 127 inherited runners. They sit at 30th in the league with a save rate of 45.5%, and they have dispatched 233 relievers onto the diamond on the year.

The Oakland Athletics have turned 51 double plays and have notched a fielding percentage of .984 (20th in MLB). The Athletics have recorded 547 assists, 38 errors and have a total of 1,815 putouts so far this year. In their 5,445 innings on the diamond, the Athletics have earned a efficiency on defense of 68.5% (20th in the majors).

Blackburn (13-17 career record) holds a 5.01 earned run average while surrendering 9.9 hits per 9 innings. His K/BB ratio is 2.47 and he has gone up against 1,134 hitters during his pro baseball career. He has allowed 147 earned runs while earning a WHIP of 1.381 and having a FIP of 4.4. In his MLB career, Blackburn has given up 292 base knocks and he has 180 K's in 264 frames.

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

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Oakland (+200)

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