The Tampa Bay Rays and Washington Nationals begin a short two-game set in the Nation's capital on Tuesday night. Oddsmakers are expecting a close game, with MLB betting lines opening the Nats as +100 home underdogs before moving to a pick'em.
Here are our best free Rays vs. Nationals picks and predictions for Tuesday, June 29.
Rays vs Nationals game info
• Location: Nationals Park, Washington, D.C.
• Date: Tuesday, June 29, 2021
• Time: 7:05 p.m. ET
• TV: MASN 2, Bally Sports Sun
Rays vs Nationals 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 EversonThis moneyline jumped the fence at TwinSpires, where Tampa Bay opened a slim -110 chalk and the price moved to Washington -115, where it stands at 4 p.m. ET. The Rays are taking 63 percent of tickets and the Nationals 56 percent of cash. "We saw respected money come in on the Nats right at open," TwinSpires trading analyst Zachary Lucas said. The total moved from 9 to 9.5, though not on overwhelming play, with 58 percent of tickets/63 percent of money on the Over.
Check out the full line movement for this gameRays vs Nationals betting preview
Starting pitchers
Rich Hill (6-2, 3.52 ERA): The 41-year-old Hill just keeps throwing, pitching to a 1.08 WHIP and an opponent batting average of .200 in 76 2-3 innings this season. Hill is coming off a strong start against the Red Sox where he pitched five innings of one-run ball. That performance allowed him to rebound from back-to-back poor outings against the Mariners and Orioles.
Joe Ross (4-7, 4.12 ERA): After jumping between the bullpen and rotation in 2019 and skipping last season during the COVID-19 pandemic, Ross is settling into a starting role.
The 28-year-old has pitched to a 1.21 WHIP with an OBA of .231 in 14 starts. Ross is coming off a game against the Marlins where he pitched seven shutout innings and fanned eight batters.
Weather
Be sure to monitor the gametime conditions with our MLB weather info.
Key injuries
Rays: Taylor Walls SS (Out).
Nationals: Andrew Stevenson LF (Out), Daniel Hudson RP (Out).
Find our latest MLB injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Under is 22-6 in the Nationals' last 28 home games. Find more MLB betting trends for Rays vs. Nationals.
Moneyline pick
The Rays had a stranglehold on first place in the AL East before a seven-game losing streak earlier this month led to them falling one game behind the Red Sox with a 47-32 mark. The Nationals have won 12 of their last 15 games to improve their record to .500.
Joe Ross will get the start for Washington tonight, and he's been up-and-down lately. While he has pitched very well in three of his last four games, he also has an unimpressive 3.91 ERA in his last 10 starts, with the Nats going 3-7 during that span.
Washington has been hitting the ball much better lately but they still rank second-last in the majors in runs per game at home with 3.42 per game. Meanwhile, the Rays have been raking on the road, ranking second in the majors with 5.55 runs per game in away contests.
Tampa Bay will give the ball to southpaw Rich Hill who has looked sharp this season, pitching to a 1.99 ERA with a 0.99 WHIP through 54 1-3 innings in his last 10 starts.
Even with the Rays' recent slide, they are a team that typically plays well on the road and have the better starter on the mound tonight. Take Tampa Bay on the moneyline.
PREDICTION: ML Tampa Bay (-110)
Over/Under pick
The total for this game opened at 8.5 before moving to 9.5, but there's plenty of reason to go against the line movement. Sure, the Nats have been hitting well lately, but they have still cashed the Under in 22 of their last 28 games at home.
While Ross can be a bit of a mixed bag, he does have three excellent performances this month, combining to throw 21 innings of shutout ball against the Marlins, Giants, and Phillies. In 11 of Ross' 14 starts this season, the final score has seen nine or fewer runs scored.
Hill has been on fire for Tampa Bay over the last two months, allowing one run or fewer in seven of his 10 starts since the beginning of May. And the Rays bullpen has been excellent behind him with Tampa Bay's relievers ranking third in the majors in ERA (3.08) and second in WHIP (-1.13).
With the Under cashing in six of the last seven games in the head-to-head back it again tonight.
PREDICTION: Under 8.5 (-115)
Rays vs Nationals betting card
- ML Tampa Bay (-110)
- Under 8.5 (-115)
Picks made on 6/29/2021 at 1 p.m. ET
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