BALTIMORE, MD – JUNE 29: Jake Mangum #28 of the Tampa Bay Rays walks back to dug out after striking out in the ninth inning during a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on June 29, 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
The Rays return to Florida to kick off a quick three-game homestand tonight against the Athletics, with first pitch set for 7:35 p.m. ET at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
Tampa Bay (47–37) sits just 1.5 games behind the Yankees in the AL East and will look to bounce back from a 5–1 loss in Baltimore yesterday. Right-hander Drew Rasmussen (7–5, 2.45 ERA) gets the start after throwing five shutout innings in his last outing.
He'll face A's lefty Jacob Lopez (2–4, 3.56), who has allowed just two runs in his last 23 innings while striking out 29 and walking just seven.
Offensively, Tampa Bay has gotten strong production from rookie slugger Junior Caminero (20 HR, 51 RBI) and Jonathan Aranda (.325 AVG). Oakland counters with Brent Rooker (17 HR) and rookie Jacob Wilson, who's batting .338.
The Rays lead the AL in team ERA (3.69) and opponent batting average (.236), while the A's rank last in both categories. Tampa Bay is 27–23 at home, while Oakland is 19–25 on the road. The A's (34–52) enter the series having dropped six of their last eight.
Spread
- Athletics +1.5 (-128)
- Rays -1.5 (+113)
Moneyline
- Athletics +171
- Rays -188
Total
- Over 8 (-114)
- Under 8 (-102)
*The above data was collected on June 30, 2025, and may have changed since writing.
Athletics vs Rays Betting Trends
- The Athletics are 5-12 straight up in their last 17 games against the Rays.
- The Rays are 11-5 in their past 16 games.
- The total has gone under in four of the Athletics' last five games.
- The total has gone under in four of the Rays' last six games.
- The Athletics are 4-6 against the spread in their past 10 games.
- The Rys are 6-4 against the spread in their last 10 games.
Athletics vs Rays Injury Reports
Athletics
- Ken Waldichuk, SP — 60-day IL (elbow).
- Zack Gelof, 2B — 60-day IL (ribs).
- Shea Langeliers, C — 10-day IL (oblique).
- Miguel Andujar, LF — 10-day IL (oblique).
Rays
- Alex Faedo, RP — 60-day IL (shoulder).
- Shane McClanahan, SP — 60-day IL (triceps).
- Richie Palacios, LF — 10-day IL (knee).
- Ha-Seong Kim, SS — 60-day IL (shoulder/hamstring).
- Hunter Bigge, RP — 15-day IL (lat).
Athletics vs Rays Predictions and Picks
"The Rays have won four of their last five games, while the Athletics split their last four games. Tampa Bay has the advantage here because they've hit the ball well against left-handers, and they're going up against Lopez, who has been shaky on the mound on the road, giving up seven runs in his last three road starts. With the Athletics having the second-worst bullpen in the league, they will have a hard time slowing down the Rays .... Take Tampa Bay on the money line." — Bosun Akinpelu, Winners and Whiners
"Everything points to a comfortable Tampa Bay victory in this series opener. The Rays have significant advantages in starting pitching, bullpen strength, offensive production, and overall team performance. While Jacob Lopez has shown promise for Oakland, the discrepancy between these two teams is simply too large to ignore. The Athletics are in full rebuild mode and coming off a tough series against the Yankees, while the Rays are pushing for a division title and playing their best baseball of the season. Tampa Bay should handle business at home and cover the run line." — Joe Jensen, PredictEm
"Lopez is having a fabulous June, where he's allowed 19 hits and six earned runs in 27.1 innings. However, the Athletics are coming off a rough week, and Lopez's numbers fall off on the road, where he has a 4.50 ERA and .275 allowed batting average in 20 innings. The Rays continue to win and remain a valuable team, given their prices usually aren't inflated .... There's no reason to shy away from the Rays. Give me the home team." — Randy Chambers, PickDawgz
