The Oakland Athletics have run into a wall of great starting pitching following their 13-game winning streak and have now dropped three of their last four ball games.
But the A’s will be MLB betting favorites as they try to split their series with the Tampa Bay Rays when they close out the four-game set with a matinee matchup at Tropicana Field.
Check out our MLB free picks and predictions for A’s vs. Rays on Thursday, April 29, with first pitch scheduled for 1:10 p.m. ET.
A's vs Rays odds
Odds via the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.
Compare MLB odds before betting to ensure you get the best number.
MLB sharp money and line movement report
By Patrick EversonOakland went up as a slim -110 favorite at FanDuel on Wednesday night and got out to -120 a couple of times, but the moneyline is a -108 pick 'em as of noon ET today. Ticket count is 2/1 and money 3/1 on the A's. The total moved from 8 to 7.5 multiple times and is now 8 (Under -114), with 57 percent of bets/60 percent of cash on the Under.
Check out the full line movement for this gameA's vs Rays betting preview
Starting pitchers
Chris Bassitt (2-2, 4.13 ERA): Bassitt has been a reliable arm for the A’s this season with a 4.13 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP, and has allowed just two earned runs in each of his last three starts. The right-hander has also pitched at least into the sixth inning in four of his five starts this season.
Shane McClanahan (0-0, 0.00 ERA): The Rays' No. 5 prospect is making his first Big League start after debuting in the postseason last year. The left-hander will mainly rely on two pitches in this one, but they are two fantastic pitches. McClanahan flashed a fastball that can hit triple digits and mixes that with a disgusting wipeout slider.
Weather
Be sure to monitor the gametime conditions with our MLB weather info.
Key injuries
A's: A.J. Puk RP (Out), Burch Smith RP (Out), Trevor Rosenthal RP (Out), Chad Pinder OF (Out).
Rays: Cody Reed RP (Out), Collin McHugh RP (Out), Peter Fairbanks RP (Out), Chaz Roe RP (Out), Nick Anderson RP (Out), Ji-Man Choi 1B (Out).
Find our latest MLB injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Under is 9-2 in the last 11 meetings between the A's and Rays. Find more MLB betting trends for A's vs. Rays.
Moneyline pick
Nothing cools down a hot baseball team more than fantastic starting pitching and that is exactly what the A’s have gone up against over their last four games. Oakland has scored just six runs over its last four, hitting just .171 as a team.
It’s hard to predict what the A’s are going to face in Shane McClanahan, but you know the kid is going to come out throwing gas, and if he runs out of fuel quickly, Kevin Cash won’t wait long to give him the hook and hand the ball to a bullpen that has looked much better over the last two weeks.
On the other side, while Bassitt has been solid for the A’s he doesn’t miss a lot of bats and has struggled against tougher lineups. The Rays’ lineup isn’t the Dodgers or Astros but they are solid, ranking 14th in scoring and OPS.
With the A’s recent struggles at the dish and a questionable-at-times bullpen, the Rays are giving good value as short home underdogs.
PREDICTION: Rays (-105)
The first three games of this series have all fallen below the number and there is a good reason that the finale will follow suit.
As noted, the A’s offense has dried up over the last four games and that tends to happen when a team relies on power and not average. While the A’s rank 12th in the MLB in scoring, they sit 25th in batting average, hitting just .215 as a team.
On the other side, the Rays aren’t all that different, ranking 14th in scoring and 19th in average, and over the last five games, they have plated just 12 runs. So, it should be no surprise the Under is 5-0 in their last five games overall.
When you mix in Tampa Bay’s excellent pitching staff, the Under is the safer of the two bets when it comes to the total.
PREDICTION: Under 8 (-110)
A's vs Rays betting card
- Rays (-105)
- Under 8 (-110)
Picks made on 4/28/2021 at 11:00 p.m. ET
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