DETROIT, MI – SEPTEMBER 24: Ryan Pepiot #44 of the Tampa Bay Rays works up a baseball while pitching in the first inning of a game against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on September 24, 2024 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images)
The stage was set for the Tampa Bay Rays to have a stellar debut on Opening Day. The Colorado Rockies' new faces were outshined by Tampa Bay's rookies in 2025's MLB Spring Breakout. Shortly after, the Rays romped the Boston Red Sox 14-2 in a Grapefruit League game. Las Vegas gave Tampa Bay great odds to beat Colorado in this Friday afternoon's opener.
Then the Rays' plans had to change, and the betting odds changed with them. Starting ace Shane McClanahan's spring training injury was worse than coaches had hoped. Reports from Wednesday not only indicate that McClanahan will miss the Rays-Rockies opener at 4 p.m. this Friday, but that a nerve injury will impact more than one of McClanahan's turns as the Rays' projected top starter this spring.
How far are the gambling odds moving in Colorado's direction? Not as far as you might think. The Rays remain a stout moneyline favorite, also drawing picks at one-to-one odds to defeat Friday's (-1.5) Run Line. But meanwhile, run total predictions for the Rockies-at-Rays opener didn't take long to shift upward.
Spread
- Rockies +1.5 (-129)
- Rays -1.5 (+108)
Moneyline
- Rockies (+168)
- Rays (-202)
Total
- Over 8 (-106)
- Under 8 (-117)
*The above data was collected on March 27, 2025, and may have changed since writing.
Tampa Bay Rays vs Colorado Rockies Betting Trends
- The Tampa Bay Rays are 5-1 straight-up in their last six games against Colorado.
- Tampa Bay is 8-1 in its last nine games against Colorado at Tropicana Field.
- Tampa Bay and Colorado have averaged 10 hits each in the Rays and Rockies' last three meetings.
Tampa Bay Rays vs Colorado Rockies Injury Reports
Tampa Bay Rays
- Pitcher Shane McClanahan is on the 15-day IL with an inflamed nerve in his left triceps.
- Second Baseman Richie Palacios is on the 10-day IL with a right ring-finger fracture.
Colorado Rockies
- Shortstop Thairo Estrada is day-to-day with a fractured right wrist.
- Pitcher Austin Gomber is day-to-day with a sore left shoulder.
Tampa Bay Rays vs Colorado Rockies Predictions & Picks
The Tampa Bay Rays will open in a different ballpark this season, and there's a new rotation right away too. Ryan Pepiot steps into the starter's spot for the Rays, following a .500 record last year that didn't get many fans buzzing. Pepiot did throw an "immaculate" inning against the Boston Red Sox last summer. What's more, Tampa Bay's replacement hurler may have the highest upside of any Rays starter.
"You're talking about as elite a fastball that any right-handed starting pitcher has," Rays pitching coach Kyle Snyder tells Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, "and the complement of three above-average secondary pitches that continue to get better ... (Pepiot) is ready to take on a full starter workload."
Friday's predicted batter's wind may make the Rockies feel like they're home in Denver. Colorado's loss of injured SS Thairo Estrada, though, has forced this weekend's visitors to make lineup changes at a bad time. Tampa Bay is more prepared to win in March and April. The Rays make a solid Run Line pick to beat the Rockies by two runs or more.
