Rays vs Diamondbacks Prediction & Picks (June 29): Can Tampa Bay Capitalize After Comeback Win?

Thursday, June 29’s MLB schedule includes the finale of a three-game series between the Tampa Bay Rays and Arizona Diamondbacks. Tampa Bay and Arizona split the first two meetings of the series, leaving time to tell who’ll emerge the victor from the final Rays vs Diamondbacks showdown.

🗣️ LATE NIGHT GREAT NIGHT#RaysUp pic.twitter.com/mKfGg9VNX4

— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) June 29, 2023

After winning 8-4 on Tuesday, the Diamondbacks look well on their way to another victory last night. Torey Lovullo’s club was up 2-0 heading into the top of the ninth inning, but that all changed when the Rays scored three unanswered runs to win 3-2.

Can the Rays build off last night’s momentum with another victory? Or will the Diamondbacks make a statement to the doubters after their blown lead?

Here’s a look at everything you know heading into this afternoon’s Rays vs Diamondbacks showdown, from the latest betting odds to a prediction with the best betting recommendation, courtesy of Betting News.

Tampa Bay Rays vs Arizona Diamondbacks Game Information and Betting Odds

Matchup Information

• Matchup: Tampa Bay Rays (55-28, 21-18 Away) vs. Arizona Diamondbacks (48-33, 24-19 Home)
• Venue & Location: Chase Field (Phoenix, Arizona)
• Date: Thursday, June 29, 2023
• Game Time: 3:40 p.m. Eastern Time
• Rays vs Diamondbacks Bally Sports Arizona, Bally Sports Sun, MLB Extra Innings

Rays vs Diamondbacks Odds

Game odds as of Thursday, June 29 at 8:40 a.m. ET from Bovada. Odds from other sportsbooks may also be mentioned in this article.

Spread

• Tampa Bay Rays -1.5 (+140)
• Arizona Diamondbacks +1.5 (+165)

Over/Under

• Over 10.5 Runs (-105)
• Under 10.5 Runs (-115)

Moneyline

• Tampa Bay Rays -110
• Arizona Diamondbacks -110

Rays vs Diamondbacks Starting Pitchers

• Rays: Yonny Chirinos (11 games/4 starts — 3-3, 3.91 ERA)
• Diamondbacks: Brandon Pfaadt (5 starts—0-2, 8.37 ERA)

Rays vs Diamondbacks Betting Trends

• Tampa Bay is 13-3 straight up in its last 16 games played on a Thursday.
• Arizona is 2-4 straight up in its last six games against the AL East.
• The total has hit the over in seven of Tampa Bay’s last nine games.
• The total has hit the over six of Arizona’s last nine games against Tampa Bay.
• The total has hit the over in seven of the last 10 Tampa Bay-Arizona matchups at Chase Field.

Rays vs Diamondbacks Game Preview

After last night’s comeback win, the Rays would love to keep the momentum coming. Having said that, it’s been a while since they’ve won consecutive games. The last time they accomplished the feat was nearly two weeks ago — a span of 10 games.

Fortunately for them, the Rays have a juicy pitching matchup that gives them a solid shot at victory. Diamondbacks starting pitcher Brandon Pfaadt has been dreadful this season, going 0-2 with an 8.37 ERA and 1.648 WHIP in five starts.

Pfaadt’s underwhelming performance to begin his rookie season resulted in his being sent down to Triple-A Reno at the end of May. However, he’s ready to make his MLB return after only allowing five earned runs after striking out 29 batters over 18 2/3 innings with the Aces.

Although Pfaadt hopes to bounce back, it won’t be easy. Tampa Bay heads into this afternoon’s Rays vs Diamondbacks matchup with a 43-24 record (64.2%) record against right-handed batters this season.

Also, when it comes to facing righties, the Rays have racked up 95 home runs (No. 2 in MLB) while batting .260 (T-No. 7) with a .791 on-base + slugging percentage (No. 2). In other words, if Pfaadt struggles to get things going, it could be a short night for the Arizona top prospect.

Brandon Pfaadt on his comfort level with returning to the big leagues after his debut earlier this season.

“Right now I feel more comfortable, and I think we’re in a good spot.” pic.twitter.com/xFSYBUm8cX

— PHNX Diamondbacks (@PHNX_Dbacks) June 28, 2023

On the other side, the Rays are sending Yonny Chirinos to the mound as today’s starter. While the 29-year-old righty had a strong start to the 2023 MLB season, he’s struggled to get the job done lately.

In his last two appearances, Chirinos has surrendered 13 runs on 15 hits over just 10 innings. He’s shown a lack of control over that stretch, issuing four balls and one wild pitch while hitting two batters.

Even with his recent play leaving much to be desired, there’s a good chance that Chirinos gets back on track today. The Venezuelan hurler has played better on the road than at home this season, going 2-2 with a 2.79 ERA in seven away appearances (one start).

Furthermore, Chirinos is 3-1 all-time with a 2.60 ERA in eight games (four starts) when it comes to inter-league play. Considering that the D-Backs are only 6-5 at home against American League teams this year, Chirinos’ chances of continuing that trend look promising.

Rays vs Diamondbacks Prediction and Picks

Rays vs Diamondbacks Prediction: Rays 6, Diamondbacks 5

Rays vs Diamondbacks Best Bet: Rays ML (Best Value: -110 ) & Over 10.5 Runs (Best Value: -105)

In a game that oddsmakers see going either way, I’m backing the Rays to win. Not only do they have momentum on their side, but their talented bats are more than capable of taking advantage of Pfaadt in his MLB return. If Tampa Bay can get at the young pitcher early, victory will follow.

Another strong bet to make is taking the over on the 10.5-run total. For starters, the over is 7-2 in Tampa Bay’s previous nine games, as well as 6-4 in Arizona’s last 10. On top of that, the over is 7-3 in the last Rays vs Diamondbacks games played at Chase Field, averaging 10.6 runs during that stretch.

Including the fact that both starting pitchers haven’t performed well in the MLB recently and it’s easy to see why taking the over is the right call.

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