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In Tuesday action from the diamond, it’s the 83-66 Chicago Cubs versus the 73-77 Tampa Bay Rays in the first game of a mini two-game set at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida tonight. The first pitch of the series opener at Tropicana Field is scheduled for 7:10 PM ET.
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The MLB betting boards show the host Rays as a -125 to -130 moneyline favorite with the total line listed at 8 runs at many sportsbooks.
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In their last game the Cubs beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-3. In the game the Cubs scored four runs on 11 hits and the Cardinals scored three runs on 10 hits.
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In their last game the Rays beat the Boston Red Sox 3-2. In the game the Rays scored three runs on eight hits and the Red Sox scored two runs on only three hits.
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This season the Cubs rank 5th in the Majors in runs scored and 10th in team ERA.
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The Rays rank 26th in the Majors in runs scored and 9th in team ERA.
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<h2>
Pitching Match Up<br />
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Chicago: Mike Montgomery (6-8, 3.57 ERA)<br />
Tampa Bay: Chris Archer (9-10, 4.06 ERA)
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Mike Montgomery goes for the Cubs in this interleague game and in his last outing he came out of the bullpen tossing two scoreless innings in a 14-6 win over the New York Mets. The Cubs have lost his last two starts where he has only gone seven innings and given up seven earned runs. In four career appearances, including three starts, against the Rays Montgomery is 0-3 with an ERA of 3.60. Chicago is 4-1 in his last five starts against a team that has a losing record.
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Chris Archer gets the call for the Rays tonight and he gave up three earned runs in four innings in his last outing, which was a 3-2 loss to the New York Yankees. The Rays have lost his last three starts where he has given up 11 earned runs in only seven innings of work. In two career starts against the Cubs Archer is 1-0 with an ERA of 3.00. Tampa Bay is only 2-5 in Archer’s last seven starts overall and 8-22 in his last 30 starts against a team with a winning record, but they are 4-1 in his last five interleague starts.
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<h2>
Betting Angles<br />
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The Cubs are 6-2 in their last 8 games against the Rays.
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Earlier this season in a two-game series in Chicago the Rays and Cubs split.
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This season the Rays are 38-38 at home and the Cubs are 37-34 on the road.
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<h2>
Straight Up / Over/Under / Run Line Records<br />
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Chicago Cubs: 83-66 SU / O/U 71-71 / Run Line W/L 64-85<br />
Tampa Bay Rays: 73-77 SU / O/U 73-74 / Run Line W/L 71-79
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<h2>
Chicago at Tampa Bay Key Betting Trends<br />
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CHC is 6-0 in their last 6 overall
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CHC is 10-1 in their last 11 interleague games
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CHC has an Over record of 7-3 in their last 10 interleague road games
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TB is 3-7 in their last 10 overall
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TB is 2-5 in their last 7 home games
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TB has an Under record of 6-1 in their last 7 games
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<h3>
Key Player Injuries<br />
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<b>CUBS</b><br />
[P] 09/05/2017 - Jake Arrieta left last game, doubtful for next scheduled start ( Hamstring )
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<b>RAYS</b><br />
[LF] 06/23/2017 - Colby Rasmus 10-day DL (06/19) ( Hip )<br />
[P] 06/26/2017 - Diego Moreno 60-day DL (05/22) ( Shoulder )<br />
[LF] 06/09/2017 - Rickie Weeks Jr. 10-day DL (06/09) ( Shoulder )<br />
[P] 05/18/2017 - Xavier Cedeno 60-day DL (04/18) ( Forearm )<br />
[P] 06/01/2017 - Shawn Tolleson 60-day DL (04/01) ( Elbow )<br />
[3B] 06/01/2017 - Matt Duffy 60-day DL (04/02) ( Achilles )<br />
[P] 06/01/2017 - Kevin Gadea 60-day DL (03/26) ( Elbow )<br />
[P] 04/01/2017 - Nathan Eovaldi 60-day DL (03/10) ( Elbow )
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