KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI – JUNE 26: Jonathan Aranda #62 of the Tampa Bay Rays is congratulated by teammates in the dugout after scoring during the 4th inning of the game against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on June 26, 2025 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
The Tampa Bay Rays will open their series against the Baltimore Orioles tonight. These two teams enter the three-game set in completely different circumstances, with the Rays winning their last three games while competing for the AL East crown. Meanwhile, the Orioles reside in the cellar of the same division, losing four of their last five contests.
The fact that Ryan Pepiot is on the mound gives the Rays a great chance to extend their winning streak. Pepiot has been the most reliable arm on the team by a long shot, posting a 3.04 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP over his 16 starts. Additionally, the last time he faced the Orioles, he managed to pitch eight innings of one-run ball. The fact that this matchup is on the road should not have much of an impact on Pepiot, seeing as almost every single one of his major stats improves when he plays away from home. This should be another tough matchup for a subpar Baltimore offense.
It is not often that Pepiot encounters an opposing pitcher who can match his output, but that is the case in this matchup. Tomoyuki Sugano has been every bit as good as Pepiot, earning remarkably similar statistics, albeit over only 15 starts. However, Sugano has been on quite a cold streak lately, giving up three runs in each of his last three starts while failing to work past the fourth inning in any appearance. The Rays have been fairly hot at the plate lately, potentially setting the stage for another rough outing from Sugano.
Spread
- Rays -1.5 (+128)
- Orioles +1.5 (-151)
Moneyline
- Rays (-126)
- Orioles (+113)
Totals
- Over 8.5 (-114)
- Under 8.5 (-102)
The above data was collected on June 27, 2025, and may have changed since writing.
Rays vs Orioles Betting Trends
- The Rays are 43-38 ATS this season.
- The Rays are 23-22 ATS in games following a victory.Â
- The under is 18-13 when Tampa Bay plays on the road.
- The Orioles are 33-47 ATS this year.
- The Orioles are 12-26 ATS when they play at home.
- The under is 44-33-3 in Baltimore's games.
Rays vs Orioles Injury Reports
Tampa Bay Rays
- Ha-Seong Kim, SS - Out.
- Richie Palacios, OF - Out.
- Manuel Rodriguez, RP - Out.
Baltimore Orioles
- Adley Rutschman, C - Out.
- Tyler O'Neill, DH - Out.
- Jorge Mateo, UTIL - Out.
- Maverick Handley, C - Out.
Rays vs Orioles Predictions and Picks
Chris King of Winners and Whiners writes, "Sugano gets to go on six days' rest here, which is more in line with his workload in Japan, but he has been cuffed around lately. He hasn't gone even five innings in any of his last three starts, and that's going to be problematic against a Rays' squad that is playing good baseball of late. Tampa Bay has pushed into the AL East race and entered Thursday just a single game behind the Yankees for the top spot. Pepiot has been very good of late, and the Rays are capable of supporting him offensively. With Baltimore in the basement of the AL East and struggling to put games in the win column, you have to fade them here. Give the upper hand to Tampa Bay here as they pick up the victory in the opening game of this set."
