<h2>
MLB Betting Odds<br />
</h2>
<p>
Thursday's MLB betting odds opened Oakland at around -110 over Tampa Bay, with an over/under of eight runs. Early betting action then slipped this game into a pick 'em.
</p>
<div class="panel">
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</div>
<h2>
Rays vs. A's Set-Up<br />
</h2>
<p>
Tampa Bay just got swept three games by the Yankees in New York earlier this week, losing Wednesday's series finale 12-1. The Rays then flew cross-country to open this series.
</p>
<p>
Just before that Tampa split four games at home with the Angels, and just back, they lost two of three at home to Oakland. So the Rays are just 2-7 over their last nine games.
</p>
<p>
At 43-31 overall Tampa now trails the division-leading Yankees by 3.5 games in the AL East, although it also owns the top spot in the American League wild-card standings.
</p>
<p>
Oakland, meanwhile, just swept three games at home from Baltimore, winning Wednesday's series finale 8-3. Just before that the A's lost two of three to Seattle, but just before that they took two of three from the Rays. So Oakland is 6-2 over its last eight games.
</p>
<p>
At 39-36 overall the A's trail division-leading Houston by nine games in the AL West but they're only a game and a half back of Boston in the battle for the second American League wild-card spot.
</p>
<p>
This series is the second meeting between these teams this season. Last week the A's took two of three games from the Rays in St. Petersburg.
</p>
<h2>
Thursday's Starting Arms<br />
</h2>
<p>
Montas, by our strict standards, is 9/14 on quality starts this season, working on a run of three in a row. Last Saturday he held Seattle to two runs and six hits through six innings of an 11-2 Oakland victory. And over his last three starts, he's allowed just six earned runs and 17 hits through 18 innings, with 22 whiffs.
</p>
<p>
The A's are 10-4 with Montas this season, 3-0 over his last three starts.
</p>
<p>
This will be Montas' first-ever start against Tampa Bay, which could give him an edge, at least for the first couple of times through the lineup.
</p>
<p>
Morton is 8/15 on quality starts this season and four for his last five. Last Saturday he gave up four runs and five hits, including a couple of ding-dongs, through six innings of a 5-3 Rays loss to the Angels. But over his four starts previous to that he allowed just three runs and 14 hits through 27 innings, with 31 strikeouts against only four walks.
</p>
<p>
On the season Tampa is 10-5 with Morton and 4-1 over his last five starts.
</p>
<p>
Over his last four starts against Oakland, three last year while with the Astros and one 10 days ago, Morton allowed eight ER and 15 hits through 21 innings.
</p>
<h2>
Thursday's Batting Splits<br />
</h2>
<p>
Tampa is batting .260/.334/.448 against right-handed pitching this season. But the Rays have also been held to three runs or less seven times in their last nine games.
</p>
<p>
Oakland is batting .236/.312/.414 against right-handed pitching this season.
</p>
<h2>
The Bullpens<br />
</h2>
<p>
The Rays bullpen owns a 3.46 ERA this season and a 1.24 WHIP, which helps this unit rank among the top five relieving corps in Baseball.
</p>
<p>
The A's pen owns a 4.32 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP.
</p>
<h2>
Totals Report<br />
</h2>
<ul>
<li>
Unders are 39-29 in Rays games this season.
</li>
<li>
Unders are 38-37 in A's games this season.
</li>
<li>
Unders are 21-18 in games played at the Oakland Coliseum this season.
</li>
<li>
Unders are 3-0 in Rays-A's games this season.
</li>
<li>
Unders are 9-5 with Morton this season.
</li>
</ul>
<p><section></p>
<ul>
<li>
<span style="font-size:16px;"><b><span style="color:#008000;">Get more details:</span></b> <a class="advblue" href="https://www.sportsbettingstats.com/mlb/matchup/1078873">Tampa Bay Rays at Oakland A’s MLB Match-up Stats</a> </span>
</li>
</ul>
<p></section></p>