In this article, we will formulate a Tampa Bay Rays vs Pittsburgh Pirates prediction for this MLB game on Sunday, June 23rd at PNC Park.
Rays Look to Bounce Back
The Rays faced off against the Pirates on Saturday, and they were defeated 4-3. Josh Lowe was the top player for the Rays, finishing with two walks and one RBI. The Rays need to find a way to get the offense going early in this game. The Rays are averaging 4.0 runs while their pitching is giving up 4.83 runs. The offense is ranked 25th in the league while the pitching is also ranked 25th. Isaac Parades has hit 11 home runs and driven in 39 RBIs so far this season. Getting the start for the Rays will be Aaron Civale who sits with a 2-5 record and an ERA of 5.42. In his last start against the Twins, he went 3.2 innings giving up seven hits and four runs.
Why the Rays Will Win
- The Pirates have lost nine of their last 12 games as favorites against American League opponents.
- The Rays have won three of their last four games as underdogs following a loss.
- The Rays have covered the run line in each of their last six road games.
- The Pirates have failed to cover the run line in 21 of their last 24 games as home favorites against American League opponents following a win.
Pirates Only a Few Games Below .500
The Pirates are only a few games below .500 and they are going to look to win a couple more games to get there. The Pirates gave up one run in the top of the 9th but they were still able to secure the win. The Pirates are averaging 4.03 runs while their pitching is giving up 4.44 runs per game. The offense is ranked 24th in the league while the pitching is ranked 18th. Bryan Reynolds has hit 11 home runs and driven in 42 RBis so far this season. Getting the start for the Pirates will be Paul Skenes who sits with a 4-0 record and an ERA of 2.29. Over his last two starts he has gone 12 innings and given up only one run total. The Pirates will meet the Reds after this series.
Why the Pirates Will Win
- The home team has won nine of the last 10 games between the Rays and Pirates.
- The Rays have lost five of their last six day games against NL Central opponents following a loss.
- The Rays have failed to cover the run line in four of their last five day games against NL Central opponents.
Tampa Bay Rays vs Pittsburgh Pirates Prediction
Skenes has been dominant heading into this game and it’s going to be no different here. Civale gets the start for the Rays and he has had his issues. In his last start he gave up seven hits and four runs and he’s going to really struggle here. The Rays offense is going to really struggle here while the Pirates offense is going to tee off early and often. Back the Pirates on the money line to cash here.