Zac Gallen, the current betting favorite to win the NL Cy Young, takes the mound for the Arizona Diamondbacks when they take on the Tampa Bay Rays.
The Diamondbacks may be facing the Rays at the perfect time, as Tampa Bay is in the midst of a mini slump, going 5-5 in their last 10 games. The Rays will roll with Taj Bradley (3.86 ERA) tonight.
Let's dive into the betting odds for tonight's series opener and then I'll break down why you should place some money on the DBacks.
Rays vs. Diamondbacks odds, run line, and total
Rays vs. Diamondbacks prediction and pick
Zac Gallen's 2.84 ERA is far from fraudulent. He also sports a 2.58 FIP (Field Independent Pitching), which is the best mark in the National League. He has been dominant all season and has allowed only two combined earned runs in his last 14 innings pitched.
He may be facing the Rays at the perfect time as their offense has started to slump. Over their past 14 days, they're 12th in Major League Baseball in OPS at .754.
It's also worth noting their OPS drops from .812 against left-handed pitchers to .799 against righties.
While the Rays have the best record in baseball, they have been nearly as good on the road this season. In fact, they're just 20-17 away from their home stadium, compared to 34-10 at home.
Things are lining up perfectly for the Diamondbacks to pick up a win tonight. I'll back them as home favorites.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change