| MATCHUP | Athletics | Tampa Bay Rays |
|---|---|---|
| Team Records | 61-90 | 91-59 |
| Spread | +1.5 -142 | -1.5 118 |
| Moneyline | +157 | -192 |
| Total | Over 8 (-105) | Under 8 (-115) |
| Where | Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Florida | |
| When | Wednesday, September 16, 2026 | |
| Time | 06:40 PM EDT | |
| TV | MLB.TV | |
Athletics Betting Preview
The Athletics are 61-90 on the year and play the Guardians and Angels next. The Athletics are batting .246 on the season, have a .319 OBP, and have a .404 slugging percentage. The Athletics’ pitching staff has a 5.42 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP. Jeff McNeil leads the Athletics with 117 hits and 54 RBI, while Shea Langeliers and Henry Bolte have combined for 202 hits and 87 RBI.
Brady Basso gets the ball for the Athletics, and he is 1-2 with a 3.86 ERA and 28 strikeouts this season. This will be Basso’s second career game against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Tampa Bay Rays Betting Preview
The Tampa Bay Rays are 91-59 on the year and play the Red Sox and Yankees next. The Tampa Bay Rays are batting .261 on the season, have a .329 OBP, and have a .407 slugging percentage. The Tampa Bay Rays’ pitching staff has a 3.78 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP. Yandy Diaz leads the Tampa Bay Rays with 173 hits and 81 RBI, while Chandler Simpson and Junior Caminero have combined for 321 hits and 128 RBI.
Nick Martinez gets the ball for the Tampa Bay Rays, and he is 14-4 with a 2.92 ERA and 98 strikeouts this season. Martinez is 5-5 with a 2.90 ERA and 52 strikeouts in his career against the Athletics.
Why the Tampa Bay Rays will win
- The Rays have won each of their last nine Wednesday games against AL West opponents.
- The Athletics have lost nine of their last 10 night games against AL East opponents.
- The Rays have covered the run line in five of their last six games as favorites against the Athletics.
- The Athletics have failed to cover the run line in three of their last four games at Tropicana Field against AL opponents that held a winning record.
- The Athletics have trailed after 3 innings in three of their last four games against opponents that held a winning record.
- The Rays have led after 5 innings in four of their last five games against the Athletics.
Why the Athletics will win
- The Athletics have won each of their last four games as underdogs against AL opponents following a loss.
- The Rays have lost six of their last eight night games against the Athletics at Tropicana Field following a home win.
- The Rays have failed to cover the run line each of their last nine games at Tropicana Field against AL opponents that held a losing record.
- The Athletics have covered the run line in each of their last seven games as road underdogs against the Rays.
Total Runs Facts
- Seven of the Athletics’ last eight night games after playing the previous day have gone OVER the total runs line.
- Six of the Rays’ last seven home games against AL West opponents have gone UNDER the total runs line.
- There has been no run scored during the first inning in each of the Athletics’ last four road games.
- There has been at least one run scored in the first inning in each of Nick Martinez’s last three home appearances as a starter.
Tampa Bay Rays Player Prop Facts
- Junior Caminero has hit a home run in four of the Rays’ last five games against the Athletics.
- Nick Martinez has recorded five strikeouts in three of his last four appearances with the Rays as favorites against AL opponents.
- Nick Martinez has recorded a win in four of his last five appearances against AL West opponents.
- Jonathan Aranda has recorded at least one hit in each of the Rays’ last 13 games as home favorites against AL West opponents.
- Yandy Diaz ranks 3rd in the league in Hits (173) this season.
Athletics Player Prop Facts
- Shea Langeliers has hit a home run in three of his last four appearances with the Athletics as road underdogs against the Rays.
- Shea Langeliers has recorded at least one hit in each of his last 11 appearances with the Athletics as underdogs.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Rays rank 1st in the league for walks allowed this season (376).
- The Rays rank T2nd in the league for hits this season (1312).
- The Athletics rank 29th in the league for home runs allowed this season (226).
- The Athletics rank 29th in the league for hits allowed this season (1409).
Athletics vs Tampa Bay Rays Prediction
Basso has been solid for the A’s this season, but he’s pitched just 37.1 innings. The A’s also aren’t a team I’m trying to back these days, as they’ve underachieved. The Rays are as hot as any team in baseball, and they’ve been ridiculous at home. Martinez has a 2.92 ERA and 1.07 WHIP through 166.1 innings, and he’s allowed 15 hits and 6 runs in his last 24.2 innings. Two teams heading in different directions, and we’ve backed the Rays every game this series already. No reason to stop now, folks. Give me the Rays and the RL for max betting value.