In this article, we will formulate a Rays vs Giants Prediction for this MLB game on Saturday, August 16th at the Oracle Park in the second game of this series, with the Rays having the 1-0 lead. Let’s take a look at the prediction for this MLB matchup.
San Francisco Giants Preview
The San Francisco Giants have a 59-63 record this season and are sitting on the 4th place of the NL West. They have a 29-32 home record and are 56-61 in over/under. They are coming off a 6-7 home defeat by the Rays, and have six consecutive losses. Under is 5-2-1 in their last 8 games and are playing the Padres and the Brewers next.
The Giants have a .233 batting average this season, .309 OBP and .374 Slugging percentage. San Francisco’s pitching staff has a 3.74 ERA and 1.29 WHIP. Heliot Ramos leads the Giants with 125 hits and is the team’s best hitter, with a .267 batting average. Willy Adames leads the team in RBI with 62, adding a team-high 19 home runs.
Justin Verlander (R) is the projected starting pitcher for the Giants, and he has a 1-9 record, 4.53 ERA and 1.50 WHIP.
Tampa Bay Rays Preview
The Tampa Bay Rays have a 60-63 record this season and are sitting on the 4th place of the AL East. The Rays have a 28-33 road record and are 50-66 in over/under. They are coming off a 7-6 road victory over the Giants, and are 3-1 in their last 4 games. Over is 6-2-1 in their last 9 games and are playing the Yankees and the Cardinals next.
The Rays have a .251 batting average this season, .314 OBP and .401 slugging percentage. Tampa’s pitching staff has a 3.91 ERA and 1.21 WHIP. Yandy Diaz leads the Rays with 130 hits, while Jonathan Aranda is the team’s best hitter with .316 batting average. Junior Caminero leads the team in RBI, with 85 and in home runs, with 35.
Adrian Houser (R) is the projected starting pitcher for the Rays, and he has a 6-4 record, 2.84 ERA and 1.32 WHIP.
Why the San Francisco Giants will win
- The Rays have lost six of their last seven night games following a road win.
- The Giants have won five of their last six home games against American League opponents that held a losing record.
- The favorites have covered the run line in five of the Rays’ last six games.
- The Rays have failed to cover the run line in five of their last six games as underdogs after playing the previous day.
- The Giants have led after 3 innings in each of their last four home games against American League opponents.
- The Rays have trailed after 5 innings in each of their last five Saturday games against NL West opponents that held a losing record.
- The Giants have won the first inning in six of their last seven night games against AL East opponents.
Why the Tampa Bay Rays will win
- The Giants have lost each of their last eight games as home favorites after playing the previous day.
- The Rays have won each of their last 12 night games against NL West opponents that held a losing record.
- The Giants have failed to cover the run line in each of their last 11 home games after playing the previous day.
- The Rays have covered the run line in each of their last seven games as road underdogs against National League opponents following a road win.
- The Rays have led after 5 innings in nine of their last 12 night games against NL West opponents that held a losing record.
Total Runs Facts
- Seven of the Giants’ last eight games as favorites against AL East opponents have gone OVER the total runs line.
- Six of the Rays’ last seven games against NL West opponents have gone UNDER the total runs line.
- The ‘Inning 1 OVER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in each of the Giants’ last six games as home favorites against AL East opponents.
- The ‘Inning 1 OVER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in four of the Rays’ last five games as underdogs.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Giants rank 1st in the league for home runs allowed this season (107).
- The Giants rank 29th in the league for steals this season (54).
- The Rays rank 1st in the league for steals this season (157).
- The Rays are one of only five teams in the league to rank top 10 in both steals and batting average this season.
Rays vs Giants Prediction
The Rays are 6-2 in their last 8 head-to-head meetings against the Giants, and are 4-1 in their last 4 visits in San Francisco. Over is 3-0 in their last 3 meetings.
In this Rays vs Giants Prediction, the Giants are coming as -130 home favorites. There is now way I’m backing Verlander up as a favorite, in fact, I wouldn’t back him at all. He has a 1-9 record and the Giants are in a free fall lately, having dropped six straight games. Houser on the other hand, has been great this season, but he is a rough stretch lately, but I still trust him more than Verlander. The Giants also have the second-best bullpen in the league to back him up, and are better against right-handed pitching. The value is with the road dog in this matchup, so take the Tampa Bay Rays on the moneyline.