The Rays will be trying to slam their rivals from the other league on Friday, as the Atlanta Braves visit in inter-league play at Tropicana Field.

Tampa Bay sends James Shields out against Tommy Hanson for the Braves in this game. Shields is 6-1 with a 3.52 ERA on the season, while Hanson is 4-3 on the year and has a 3.43 ERA.



View Atlanta vs Tampa Bay Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
Sportsbooks had set the Rays as -125 favorites on the Sportsbook moneyline for this contest. The over under opened at 7 for bettors hoping to turn a profit on totals.

Power Rankings:
According to new MLB Power Rankings here, it's the American League No. 6-ranked Rays and the National League No. 3-rated Braves in this matchup.



How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Tampa Bay's No. 7 ranked American League offense (4.5 runs per game) against a Braves defense and pitching staff that sits at No. 11 in the National League at 4.3 runs allowed per game. The Rays have been averaging 8.2 hits per game, less than the Braves have managed so far this season (9.5 hits on average).

Atlanta brings the National League's No. 11-rated defense to this matchup, facing the Rays' league No. 5-ranked defense.

Last time out for Atlanta, they were a 7-0 Sportsbook as they battled the Marlins at home. Moneyline bettors who got the Braves at -150 were rewarded, while the 7 combined runs moved the game UNDER for totals bettors. Brandon Beachy chucked 9 shutout innings at the Marlins in their last game, striking out 6 in a 7-0 win against Miami in baseball action at Turner Field.

Last time out for Tampa Bay, they were a 5-3 loser as they battled the Red Sox at home. Moneyline bettors who got the Red Sox at +110 were rewarded, while the 8 combined runs moved the game UNDER for totals bettors. The Rays endured a 5-3 loss at the hands of the Red Sox on Thursday, with Matt Moore throwing 6 innings of 5-hit ball at Tropicana Field.


Atlanta Braves Trends:
When playing on Friday are 6-4
Before playing Tampa Bay are 4-6
After playing Miami are 8-2
After a win are 4-6

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

A few Braves at Rays trends to consider:
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Atlanta's last 7 games when playing Tampa Bay
Atlanta is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Atlanta's last 5 games when playing on the road against Tampa Bay
Atlanta is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Tampa Bay's last 7 games when playing Atlanta
Tampa Bay is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Tampa Bay's last 5 games when playing at home against Atlanta
Tampa Bay is 11-3 SU in its last 14 games at home


Next up:
Atlanta at Tampa Bay, Saturday, May 19