Tampa Bay's pitching staff and batting order hope to create an unwelcoming environment in interleague play on Friday when the Miami Marlins pay a visit to Tropicana Field.

Tampa Bay hands the ball to starter Matt Moore in this one and he'll try to improve on his 3-5 mark on the year. Miami counters with Carlos Zambrano, who will try to quiet the fans and the Rays bats at the same time.



View Miami vs Tampa Bay Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
Sportsbooks had set the Rays as -130 favorites on the Sportsbook moneyline for this contest. The over under opened at 7.5 for bettors hoping to turn a profit on totals.

Power Rankings:
This game puts the Rays, most recently No. 3 in the American League Odds Shark MLB Power Rankings, up against the Marlins, who rate a National League No. 13 in the latest survey.



How They Match Up:
The game also pits Tampa Bay's No. 10-rated American League offense, averaging 4.3 runs per game, against a Marlins defense that ranks No. 8 in the National League at 4.3 in runs allowed per game. The Rays have averaged 7.7 hits per game so far, less than Marlins batters have averaged on the year (8.1 hits per game).

Pitching and defensive stats are important baseball handicapping factors and Tampa Bay has the American League's No. 5-ranked defense. In the other dugout, the Marlins own the National League's No. 8 mark in runs allowed.

Last time out for Miami, they were a 10-2 loser as they battled the Red Sox at home. Moneyline bettors who got the Red Sox at +100 were rewarded, while the 12 combined runs moved the game OVER for totals bettors. The Marlins endured a 10-2 loss at the hands of the Red Sox on Wednesday, with Ricky Nolasco throwing 6 innings of 5-hit ball at Marlins Park.

The Rays were a 9-6 loser in their most recent outing at home against the Mets. That made Sportsbooks of bettors who got New York at +116 on the moneyline, while the total score (15) was good news for OVER bettors. Tampa Bay suffered a 9-6 loss against New York on Thursday, as Jeremy Hellickson wasn't able to lead his team to victory at Tropicana Field.


Miami Marlins Trends:
When playing on Friday are 3-7
Before playing Tampa Bay are 2-8
After playing Boston are 2-8
After a loss are 4-6

Tampa Bay Rays Trends:
When playing on Friday are 7-3
Before playing Miami are 6-4
After playing NY Mets are 6-4
After a loss are 5-5

A few Marlins at Rays trends to consider:
Miami is 13-4 SU in its last 17 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 17 of Miami's last 23 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Miami's last 7 games when playing Tampa Bay
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Miami's last 6 games
Tampa Bay is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Miami
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Tampa Bay's last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Tampa Bay's last 5 games at home
Tampa Bay is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Miami


Next up:
Miami at Tampa Bay, Saturday, June 16