Rays vs Athletics Prediction 9/17/26 MLB Picks Today

The Athletics and Tampa Bay Rays meet Thursday in MLB action at Tropicana Field. Here’s a Rays vs. Athletics Prediction. This article will include a Rays vs. Athletics Pick.

Athletics Betting Preview

The Athletics are 61-91 on the year and play the Guardians and Angels next. The Athletics are batting .245 on the season, have a .317 OBP, and have a .403 slugging percentage. The Athletics’ pitching staff has a 5.39 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP. Jeff McNeil leads the Athletics with 120 hits and 54 RBI, while Shea Langeliers and Henry Bolte have combined for 206 hits and 89 RBI.

Jeffrey Springs gets the ball for the Athletics, and he is 4-13 with a 5.93 ERA and 105 strikeouts this season. Springs is 0-2 with a 5.40 ERA and 14 strikeouts in his career against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Tampa Bay Rays Betting Preview

The Tampa Bay Rays are 92-59 on the year and play the Red Sox and Yankees next. The Tampa Bay Rays are batting .260 on the season, have a .328 OBP, and have a .407 slugging percentage. The Tampa Bay Rays’ pitching staff has a 3.75 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP. Yandy Diaz leads the Tampa Bay Rays with 173 hits and 81 RBI, while Chandler Simpson and Junior Caminero have combined for 328 hits and 130 RBI.

Drew Rasmussen gets the ball for the Tampa Bay Rays, and he is 14-5 with a 2.81 ERA and 160 strikeouts this season. Rasmussen is 4-0 with a 2.67 ERA and 24 strikeouts in his career against the Athletics.

Why the Tampa Bay Rays will win

• The Rays have won each of their last seven home games against AL West opponents.
• The Athletics have lost seven of their last eight games at Tropicana Field.
• The favorites have covered the run line in six of the last eight games between the Athletics and Rays.
• The Rays have led after 3 innings in each of their last four games against the Athletics.
• The Athletics have trailed after 5 innings in each of their last five games at Tropicana Field against opponents that held a winning record.

Why the Athletics will win

• The Athletics have won four of their last five games as underdogs following a loss.
• The Rays have lost four of their last five Thursday games as favorites.
• The Rays have failed to cover the run line in each of their last 10 home games against AL opponents that held a losing record.
• The Athletics have covered the run line in each of their last eight road games against the Rays.
• The Athletics have led after 3 innings in three of their last four day games against the Rays.
• The Rays have trailed after 5 innings in each of their last five Thursday games as favorites.

Total Runs Facts

• Seven of the Rays’ last eight home games against AL West opponents have gone UNDER the total runs line.
• Each of the Athletics’ last four games against AL East opponents have gone UNDER the total runs line.
• There has been at least one run scored in the first inning in six of Jeffrey Springs’ last seven appearances as a starter.
• There has been no run scored during the first inning in six of the Rays’ last seven day games against AL opponents.

Tampa Bay Rays Player Prop Facts

• Junior Caminero has hit a home run in five of the Rays’ last seven games as favorites against the Athletics.
• Drew Rasmussen has recorded six or more strikeouts in three of his last four appearances in day games.
• Jonathan Aranda has recorded at least one hit in each of his last 13 home appearances against AL West opponents.
• Drew Rasmussen has recorded a win in five of his last six appearances with the Rays as favorites against AL opponents.

Athletics Player Prop Facts

• Jeffrey Springs has recorded four or more strikeouts in each of his last eight appearances at Tropicana Field against opponents that held a winning record.
• Shea Langeliers has recorded at least one hit in each of his last 12 appearances.
• Jeffrey Springs has recorded a win in four of his last five appearances against AL opponents that held a winning record.
• Max Muncy has hit a home run in each of his last two road appearances against the Rays after playing the previous day.

Rays vs Athletics Prediction

As I continue to say, the A’s look like a team that’s checked out months ago. Springs doesn’t make things better with his 5.93 ERA and 1.45 WHIP. The Rays continue to win and have been ridiculously good at home. Rasmussen has a 2.81 ERA and 0.92 WHIP on the season, and the Rays have won his last 10 starts. There’s only one way to go in this spot, and that’s for me to side with the Rays and the RL for max betting value.