The Tampa Bay Rays (85-71) can clinch a playoff spot tonight as they begin a three-game series with the Houston Astros (102-54). This is also a big game for Houston, who can clinch the top seed in the American League, which brings with it home field advantage up until the World Series. See below for more on this matchup including a Rays vs. Astros prediction.
- Date/Time: September 30th, 8:10p.m. ET
- Stadium: Minute Maid Park
- TV Coverage: Bally Sports Sun, ATT Sportsnet-SW
- Sportsbook Rays vs Astros Odd: Phillies -175 | O/U 6.5
- Rays vs Astros Betting Matchup Report
Rays vs. Astros Odds & Analysis
Sportsbook Odds
Houston opened as pretty big favorites for the series opener. They shut down Tampa’s bats when these two teams met earlier this month with the Astros sweeping the three-game set while outscoring the Rays 13-2. The total opened at 6.5. The UNDER is 6-0 in Tampa’s last six road games vs. Houston.
Starting Pitchers
Drew Rasmussen will be on the mound for Tampa in search of his 11th win of the season. He has been excellent with an E.R.A. of 2.85 in 27 starts, despite the fact he has lost three straight decisions. One of those was against the Astros in which he gave up four earned runs over six innings.
The Astros will counter with Mr. Consistency, Framber Valdez, who had his MLB record, 25 straight quality starts, snapped in his most recent outing. He is having a Cy Young worthy season with a 16-5 record and a 2.69 E.R.A. This will be Valdez’s first career start against Tampa.
Get the best Rays vs. Astros odds and lines available from our recommended sportsbooks for your favorite picks of the night
- Best Spread-145+125TB+1.5-1.5HOU
- Best Moneyline+158-172TBHOU
- Best Total-105-115Over77Under
Rays Hoping To Right The Ship As Post-Season Nears
The question isn’t likely if Tampa clinches a playoff spot, but rather when. And maybe that pressure is getting to them as their bats have gone silent in recent games. They are 1-4 SU in their last five contests, scoring just one run in each of their four losses.
The Rays dropped two of three games to Cleveland, including a 2-1 loss last night that prevented them from clinching a Wild Card spot. Nobody is happier than Randy Arozarena to be starting a new series. He went 0-for-13 with 7 strikeouts against the Guardians.
Tampa has struggled on the road this season with a 34-41 record, winning just three of their last 10 games away from Tropicana Field.
Astros Already In Playoff Form
Houston is rolling, as the most important time of the year approaches, with a 15-5 record in their last 20 games. Jose Altuve is leading the way offensively, hitting .353 for the month of September. He beat up Tampa pitching in their previous series earlier this month, going 5-for-9. He also scored five runs, which was three more than the entire Tampa team that series.
The Astros already know they will have a first round bye when the post-season begins. But a win tonight can solidify home-field for the ALDS and ALCS. They are 16-6 SU in their last 22 games at Minute Maid Park. Only the Yankees and Dodgers have a better home winning percentage than Houston.
Yordan Alvarez is questionable for tonight’s game with an ankle injury.
Prop: No Home Run (+225)
With the O/U set at 6.5, oddsmakers believe this will be a low scoring game. Both pitchers are having fantastic seasons, so keeping the ball in the park seems like a very real possibility. Valdez has given up just 11 home runs all season, while Rasmussen has allowed just one more.
Blue Jays vs Red Sox Rays vs Astros Pick Insights
Rays: Keys To Victory
Tampa will likely need Drew Rasmussen to be at his best. After a solid first half of the season, he has been reeling in recent starts. If he can regain his early-season form and get ahead of Astros hitters tonight, then taking Tampa when making your Rays vs. Astros pick, could be the smart play.
Astros: Keys To Victory
The stars seemed to be aligned for Framber Valdez to begin a new quality start streak. Tampa is struggling offensively, hitting just north of .200 in their last 10 games, and Valdez will be hungry to get retribution following his poor performance in his most recent outing. If he provides another quality start, Houston’s bats should do enough to earn them the win.
MLB Computer Picks: Astros ML -200
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- Tampa Bay is 1-5 SU in their last six games vs. the Astros.
- Houston is 12-3 SU in their last 15 games vs. an A.L. opponent.
- The UNDER is 5-1 in the last six head-to-head meetings.
