The ML-best Rays and upstart Orioles open an AL East rivalry series Monday night at Camden Yards. Lefty Shane McClanahan, already 6-0 on the season, hits the hill for Tampa Bay here against Kyle Gibson for Baltimore.

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MLB Betting Odds

Monday’s baseball betting market opened Tampa Bay at around -160 over Baltimore, with an over/under of eight runs. Early betting action then bumped the Rays to -170.

Orioles-Rays Betting Preview

Baltimore just dropped two of three games at Atlanta over the weekend, losing Sunday’s series rubber match 3-2 in 12 innings. Just before that the Orioles took two of three games at Kansas City and just before that they took three of four at Detroit.

Going back a bit further Baltimore is 7-1 over its last eight series and 18-7 over its last 25 games.

Tampa Bay, meanwhile, just took two of three games at home from the Yankees, rallying from a 6-0 deficit to win Sunday’s series rubber match 8-7 in 10 innings. Just before that the Rays swept three games from Pittsburgh and just before that they took three of four from the White Sox.

So Tampa is 3-0 over its last three series and 8-2 over its last 10 games.

At 28-7 overall, the best record in the Majors, the Rays lead the AL East by 5.5 games over the 22-12 Orioles.

Last year Tampa took the season series from Baltimore 10 games to nine.

Monday's Pitching Match-Up

Gibson is 3/7 on quality starts this year but 0 for his last two. Last Wednesday he got touched by Kansas City for six runs and 10 hits through 6 2/3 innings of a 6-0 Orioles loss. And just before that he gave up three runs in less than five innings against Detroit, although Baltimore won that game 7-4.

On the season the Orioles are 5-2 with Gibson but that’s at least a game or two better than they should be, based on his performances.

This will be Gibson’s first start against the Rays since 2021, when he was with Texas, and that’s kinda already a long time ago.

McClanahan is 5/7 on quality starts this season, yet to allow more than two runs in an outing. Last Wednesday he held the Pirates to one run and five hits through six innings, with nine strikeouts, in an 8-1 Tampa Bay victory. And on the season he’s allowed just nine runs and 28 hits through 40 innings, with 16 walks against 51 whiffs.

The Rays are 7-0 with McClanahan this season and he can claim a good deal of credit for that.

Over three starts against Baltimore last season McClanahan gave up four runs and 13 hits through 17 1/3 innings. Tampa won two of those three games.

Splits With the Sticks

Tampa Bay is batting .268 against right-handed pitching this season, with a .343 team OBP and a .508 team slugging percentage.

Baltimore is slashing .273/.356/.459 against left-handed pitching.

The Bullpens

The Orioles bullpen owns a 3.20 ERA this season, along with a 1.20 WHIP and a 3.10 K/BB ratio.

The Rays pen owns a 3.10 ERA, a 1.14 WHIP and a 2.00 K/BB ratio.

We rank both these bullpens among the top half-dozen or so in Baseball right now.

MLB Betting Trends

Tampa Bay is 9-4 on the road this season and 22-6 against right-handed starters.

Baltimore is 9-4 at home and 11-4 against left-handed starters.

Baltimore is 7-8 as an underdog this season.

Totals Report

The overs are 19-13 in Rays games this season.

The overs are 20-13 in Orioles games.

The overs are 7-6 at Oriole Park this season.