Tampa Bay Rays vs. Baltimore Orioles prediction Sun., 7/17: Will Corey Kluber shut down Trey Mancini and the Orioles?

The Tampa Bay Rays and Baltimore Orioles play on Sunday afternoon with their three-game series knotted 1-1. Which AL East squad will head into the All-Star break with a win? Handicapper Matt McCuen tells us with his Rays vs. Orioles best bet here.

Rays vs. Orioles Start Time, Where to Watch, and Odds

• Date: July 17, 2022
• Game Time: 1:40 pm ET
• Where to Watch: MLB.TV

Click Here for Rays vs Orioles Odds

Tampa Bay Rays vs. Baltimore Orioles Prediction

The Baltimore Orioles face the Tampa Rays going down from the Sunshine State for the final game of this three-game series. The series is split so far, and one team will walk away with a series win today.

The Orioles entered this series as one of the hottest teams in the game, winning 10 in a row before they lost by one run on Friday night to the Rays. The Orioles have come out of nowhere and taken the league by storm. Everyone who is not betting against them is rooting for them because who does not love an underdog story?

It will be interesting to see how the Orioles play the trade deadline and if they are buyers or sellers. This is a team that everyone thought would be sellers before the win streak, but now there are a lot more question marks.

The Rays, on the flip side of things, are 100 percent in win-now mode. They will be in a tough battle for the rest of the summer as they look to maintain their Wild Card playoff position. The division seems like an afterthought for the Rays as the Yankees are turning in a historic season. The AL Wild Card, however, is wide open.

Tampa has had some injuries this season that have slowed them down. Most notably, they have been without Wander Franco, who is by far the most talented player on this Tampa roster. Today the Rays will send veteran Corey Kluber to the mound. Opposing him will be Jordan Lyles. 

I am backing the Rays on the moneyline this afternoon. We hit this bet in game one; I feel it is a similar spot this afternoon. Kluber has been excellent this season, and he should be able to hold down this Baltimore offense.

Jordan Lyles is still Jordan Lyles at the end of the day and does not scare me at all. The Rays lineup should put up numbers against him today and give Kluber some cushion to work with. When it comes to bullpens, I give a solid edge to Tampa Bay which could play a key role in today's ball game. I love the spot for Tampa. Let’s cash in! 

Tampa Bay Rays vs. Baltimore Orioles Pick

• Rays ML (-150) (Bet $150 to win $100)

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