The best team in the National League will face the best team in the American League for the first time this season. The Atlanta Braves hold the best record in baseball and the Tampa Bay Rays are only a few games back in the loss column. Now, they will meet for a three-game weekend series in Tampa.
The pitching matchup in Game 1 will feature former teammates as Charlie Morton goes for Atlanta and Tyler Glasnow takes the mound for Tampa Bay. Morton is 8-6 in 16 starts with a 3.57 ERA and Glasnow is 2-2 in seven starts with a 4.50 ERA. The Braves are the favorites in Game 1 on the road.
Braves vs. Rays odds, run line and total
Braves vs. Rays prediction and pick
The Rays were the story of the spring, but as we've moved into the summer, the Atlanta Braves have asserted themselves as the best team in baseball. At this point it's borderline indisputable. In the last 30 days Atlanta is 23-4 with a +84 run differential. During that same period the Rays are 14-13 with a +19 run differential. The Braves have the best offense over that stretch by far and are also second in team ERA.
The Rays overachieved at the start of the season and now are coming back down to Earth, it doesn't even look like they'll hold onto the division lead with Baltimore just a few games back now.
The Braves on the other hand are running away with things in the National League and have a much deeper offense. Glasnow is starting to find a groove with 23 strikeouts across his last two starts and a 3.68 FIP, but those came against the Royals and the Mariners, both are under .500 and are decidedly not the Atlanta Braves.
The Braves had Thursday off to reset their bullpen and to refocus for a series with the AL's best team. They are the road team, but have every other possible advantage. I'll take the Braves in nearly any pitching matchup in this series.
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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change
