The baseball wagering menu sees a clash between Tampa Bay and Oakland on Thursday, with the host Rays trying to win for themselves and reward bettors who back them on the moneyline.

For the Rays, Alex Cobb gets the ball, charged with keeping the Athletics hitters off the base paths. He'll face Tyson Ross, 2-8 on the year.



View Oakland vs Tampa Bay Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
The Athletics were listed as +-140 underdogs on the baseball moneyline at many online sportsbooks. The total was set at 7.5 before betting started earlier on Monday.

Power Rankings:
The Rays - Athletics odds would favor the Rays if the lines were set according to our power ranks. Tampa Bay is rated No. 4 in the current American League Odds Shark poll, while Oakland is at No. 11 in the American League.



How They Match Up:
Rating these teams in several key categories is important for handicappers and Tampa Bay has the American League's No. 9-rated offensive output, at 7.8 hits per game. The Athletics average 7.9 hits per game, good for No. 13 on the American League list.

Comparing defensive stats, Oakland owns the American League's No. 5-rated road mark, allowing 4.1 runs per game on the highway. Tampa Bay, on the other hand, rates No. 13 in scoring at home.

The Athletics were a 5-1 Sportsbook in their most recent outing at home against the Twins. That made Sportsbooks of bettors who got Oakland at -172 on the moneyline, while the total score (6) was good news for UNDER bettors. Oakland rolled to a 5-1 win against Minnesota on Wednesday, as Tom Milone and the Athletics' bats led the team to victory at O.co Coliseum.

Tampa Bay won its last outing, a 5-3 result against the Royals on August 22. Bettors who backed the Rays at -185 on the moneyline won on the day, and the total score (8) sent OVER bettors to the payout window. The Rays grabbed a win last time out, defeating Luis Mendoza and the Royals 5-3 on Wednesday at Tropicana Field.


Oakland Athletics Trends:
When playing on Thursday are 5-5
Before playing Tampa Bay are 5-5
After playing Minnesota are 5-5
After a win are 6-4

Tampa Bay Rays Trends:
When playing on Thursday are 4-6
Before playing Oakland are 6-4
After playing Kansas City are 5-5
After a win are 8-2

A few Athletics at Rays trends to consider:
Oakland is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
Oakland is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Tampa Bay
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Oakland's last 10 games when playing on the road against Tampa Bay
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Oakland's last 13 games when playing Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Tampa Bay's last 13 games at home
Tampa Bay is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Tampa Bay's last 10 games when playing at home against Oakland


Next up:
Oakland at Tampa Bay, Friday, August 24