Pittsburgh Pirates vs Tampa Bay Rays 5/4/2023 Picks Predictions

Pittsburgh Pirates vs Tampa Bay Rays 5/4/2023 Picks Predictions Previews

The Pittsburgh Pirates will go against the Tampa Bay Rays in MLB action in Tropicana Field, FL, on Thursday, April 4, 2023, at 1:10 PM ET.

After the first month of the 2023 season, Pittsburgh is in first place in the National League rankings with a 20-10 record. Are the Pirates able to maintain this speed?

Pittsburgh is seventh in both run production (7.23 runs per game) and batting average (7.261,.785 OPS). It ranks 14th in home runs with 34 and leads the league in base stealers with 42.

LF Bryan Reynolds leads the team in hits (35) and leads the league in batting average (.330), RBI (23), and CF. Six home runs by Jack Suwinski gave him the team’s lead.

With a league-high 18 quality starts, the pitching staff’s 3.58 ERA (9th) and 1.31 WHIP (16th) rank ninth and sixteenth, respectively.

For the visitors on Thursday, Velasquez will pitch. Since a poor performance on April 8, he was solid, holding three of his subsequent four opponents without a point.

He made four starts, allowed only three runs over 25 frames, struck out 28 batters, and won all four of them.

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 3-2 in their last 5 matches against the spread.
Pittsburgh is 12-5 in their road matches against the spread.
The totals went OVER in 3 of the Pirates’ last 5 matches.

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Pittsburgh Pirates vs Tampa Bay Rays Predictions 5/4/2023

Tampa Bay continues to lead MLB in winning percentage one month into the season, putting to rest critics who claimed the Rays were only successful due to a lenient schedule.

But only time will tell if they are genuine World Series contenders. Tampa Bay bats .280 with a .876 OPS and averages 6.63 runs per game.

It had the most home runs (62) in MLB and the fifth-most base steals (29).

LF While first baseman Yandy Diaz leads the team in home runs (seven) and on-base percentage (.431), Randy Arozarena leads the team in hits (37), batting average (.325), and RBI (28).

With nine quality starts, the Rays’ pitching staff has the best 3.03 ERA and 1.11 WHIP in baseball.

For Tampa, Eflin will start on Thursday. The eight-year veteran has a 21:3 K:BB ratio in 21 innings thrown while holding all four of his opponents to three runs or less.

Additionally, he pitched five or more frames in each of those outings.

The Tampa Rays are 3-2 in their last 5 matches against the spread.
Tampa Bay is 8-5 in their road matches against the spread.
The totals went OVER in 3 of the Rays’ last 5 matches.

Pittsburgh Pirates vs Tampa Bay Rays. The MLB pick for this game is the Pittsburgh Pirates. In their previous 10 matches against a club with a winning percentage above .600, the Rays are 3-7.

Tomorrow, Pittsburgh is my wager. Velasquez was dominant, pitching 18 innings without allowing a run. He kept three opponents scoreless, and on Thursday at Tropicana Field, he will do his part.

Although Tampa Bay has a massive offensive arsenal, the Pirates’ offense can keep up. Their road splits (.266/.350/.461/.812) and splits against right-handers (.252 BA/.332 OBP/.441 SLG/.772 OPS) are both strong.

This will be Eflin’s first real test of 2023, despite four strong starts against Detroit, Oakland, and the White Sox (twice).

Anticipating the Pirates will take the lead right away, boosting Velasquez’s self-assurance on the bench. Pitt has a superior bullpen (second-lowest ERA in the NL), just like TB.

The Pirates have excellent value to win straight up at +155. The Pittsburgh Pirates will win to a predicted score of 5-4.

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