The Tampa Bay Rays and San Francisco Giants clash Tuesday in game 1 of an MLB series at Oracle Park. Let’s preview this game and give out a pick and prediction.

Tampa Bay Rays Betting Preview

The Rays look for a win after winning 10 of their last 16 games. The Rays are 3 games back in the AL East division. The Rays pitching staff is 7th in ERA (3.89), 3rd in WHIP (1.20) and 19th in quality starts (38). The Rays’ offense is 4th in runs per game (5.17), 10th in batting average (.255) and 4th in homers (173). Yandy Diaz leads the Rays with 125 hits and 59 RBI, while Wander Franco and Randy Arozarena have combined for 229 hits and 126 RBI. Zack Littell gets the ball, and he is 2-3 with a 4.10 ERA and 36 strikeouts this season. This will be Littell’s first career game against the Giants.

Tampa Bay Rays Team Facts

• The Rays have won four of their last five night games against NL West opponents.
• The road team has covered the run line in each of the Rays’ last six games.
• The ‘Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in each of the Rays’ last six games against National League opponents.
• The Rays have trailed after 7 innings in each of their last five Tuesday games against NL West opponents that held a winning record.

San Francisco Giants Betting Preview

The Giants could use a feel good win after losing 7 of their last 9 games. The Giants are currently holding onto the second NL wild card spot. The Giants pitching staff is 6th in ERA (3.87), 6th in WHIP (1.23) and 16th in quality starts (40). The Giants’ offense is 18th in runs per game (4.37), 21st in batting average (.238) and 20th in homers (131). JD Davis leads the Giants with 91 hits and 56 RBI, while Thairo Estrada and LaMonte Wade Jr. have combined for 173 hits and 66 RBI. The Giants didn’t announce a starting pitcher at the time this article was published.

San Francisco Giants Team Facts

• The Giants have lost each of their last six night games against American League opponents that held a winning record.
• The Giants have failed to cover the run line in seven of their last eight games after playing the previous day.
• The ‘Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in each of the Giants’ last three night games against AL East opponents.
• The Giants have trailed after 7 innings in each of their last seven night games against American League opponents.

Matchup/League Facts

• The San Francisco Giants ranks 1st in the league for walks allowed this season (302).
• The San Francisco Giants ranks 29th in the league for steals this season (46).
• The Tampa Bay Rays ranks 1st in the league for opponent batting average this season (.232).
• The Tampa Bay Rays ranks 2nd in the league for steals this season (130).

Randy’s Pick

The Rays are as consistent as they come, and they’re an easy team to back blindly due to a balanced attack that wins far more than not. The Giants are going in the wrong direction at the worst time, with losses in 7 of their last 9 tries. Zack Littell hasn’t been great this season, but he’s at his best on the road, where he has a 2.92 ERA compared to his 5.82 ERA at home. The Giants didn’t announce a starting pitcher at the time this article was published, but I’m still going to lean toward the Rays and their consistency, especially with the Giants in a current free fall.