Twins vs Rays Prediction & Best Bet (June 8): Pitchers Shine at Tropicana Field

The Tampa Bay Rays aim to sweep the Minnesota Twins when the two clubs collide for the finale of their three-game series on Thursday, June 8. Tampa Bay has been racking up the wins while Minnesota is in danger of slipping below .500, leaving time to tell which side will emerge the victor from this afternoon’s Twins vs Rays collision.

That's All-Star Randy Arozarena to you.#RaysUp

— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) June 8, 2023

The Rays beat the Twins for the second consecutive night with a 2-1 victory less than 24 hours ago. The game was tied 1-1 heading into the bottom of the ninth inning before Tampa Bay’s Randy Arozarena hit a walk-off home run to win the game for his club.

Can the Twins prevent their losing streak from reaching five games? Or will the Rays complete the sweep for their sixth consecutive victory?

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

Minnesota Twins vs Tampa Bay Rays Game Information and Betting Odds

Matchup Information

• Matchup: Minnesota Twins (31-31, 13-17 Away) vs. Tampa Bay Rays (45-19, 28-6 Home)
• Venue & Location: Tropicana Field (St. Petersburg, Florida)
• Date: Thursday, June 8, 2023
• Game Time: 1:10 p.m. Eastern Time
• Twins vs Rays TV Info: MLB Extra Innings, Bally Sports Sun, Bally Sports North

Twins vs Rays Game Odds

Game odds are via BetOnline as of Wednesday, June 8 at 10:41 p.m. ET. Odds from other top online sportsbooks may also be mentioned in this article.

Spread

• Minnesota Twins +1.5 (-140)
• Tampa Bay Rays -1.5 (+116)

Over/Under

• Over 7.5 Runs (-115)
• Under 7.5 Runs (-105)

Moneyline

• Minnesota Twins +146
• Tampa Bay Rays -174

Twins vs Rays Starting Pitchers

• Twins: Bailey Ober (8 starts — 3-2, 2.33 ERA)
• Rays: Tyler Glasnow (2 starts —0-0, 3.72 ERA)

Twins vs Rays Betting Trends

• Minnesota is 2-5 straight up in its last seven games played in June.
• Tampa Bay is 10-1 straight up in its last 11 games against the AL Central.
• The total has hit the under in four of Minnesota’s last six road games.
• The total has hit the over in nine of Tampa Bay’s last 10 home games.
• The total has hit the over in 14 of the last 20 Minnesota-Tampa Bay matchups at Tropicana Field.

Twins vs Rays Game Preview

The Twins are in danger of slipping below .500 for the first time in the 2023 MLB season. They’ve lost four straight matchups ahead of this afternoon’s clash and if they want things to turn around, their bats must show up.

During the skid, the Twins have only averaged one run per game while batting .161. They’ve hit below .200 as a team in each of their last three contests while striking out a whopping 37 times over that stretch. In fact, Minnesota has recorded one or zero runs in four of its last five contests.

Unfortunately, scoring runs against the Rays won’t be easy. Tampa Bay has held its opponents to two or fewer runs during each outing of its five-game winning streak. On the flip side, the Rays’ batters have shown up during that run, averaging 4.6 runs per contest.

Another obstacle in the Twins’ way is the fact that the Rays own an impressive 28-6 record at Tropicana Field this season. That includes a 20-4 record against fellow American League clubs.

For reference, the Twins are just 13-16 on the road and 7-15 as underdogs this campaign.

"We know we have work to do."#MNTwins manager Rocco Baldelli spoke about the recent struggles at the plate. pic.twitter.com/sjjshPb9vJ

— Bally Sports North (@BallySportsNOR) June 7, 2023

Nevertheless, the Rays have some work to do to remain successful at home. For instance, they must figure out how to get the better of Twins starting pitcher Bailey Ober.

Ober has looked fantastic in his third MLB campaign, going 3-2 with a 2.33 ERA and 0.971 WHIP through eight starts. He’s also been near-perfect on the road, tallying a 2-0 record with a 0.69 ERA in two away games.

Tampa Bay’s chances of a victory also hinge on how Tyler Glasnow performs on the mound. The oft-injured hurler had a delayed start to the season due to an oblique injury, but has been solid since his 2023 debut, striking out 14 batters while allowing four runs on nine hits over 9 2/3 innings in two starts.

The Twins have had moderate success against right-handed pitchers, going 26-24 in 50 matchups. Meanwhile, the Rays own a 35-16 record against righties.

Twins vs Rays Game Prediction and Picks

Twins vs Rays Prediction: Rays 5, Twins 2

Twins vs Rays: Rays ML (Best Value: -174 at BetOnline) & Under 7.5 Total Runs (Best Value: -105 at BetOnline)

Unfortunately for Twins fans, I don’t see their team avoiding the sweet. The Rays have been electric at home and have shown no signs of slowing down during their winning streak. They’ve done a terrific job at limiting runs, whereas Minnesota has struggled to produce them. At the end of the day, the makings are right for another Tampa Bay win.

Another worthwhile Twins vs Rays bet is taking the under on the 7.5-run total. For starters, Minnesota has experienced the under in four of its last six games while Tampa Bay has done so in seven of its previous eight overall. On top of that, the total has gone under 7.5 runs in each of the last three meetings between the Twins and Rays.

With the way that both starting pitchers have performed lately, I don’t anticipate much offense at Tropicana Field this afternoon.

Other Minnesota vs Tampa Bay Resources

• Twins vs Rays Consensus Picks, Score Projections & Betting Stats