Tampa Bay Rays vs Atlanta Braves Prediction, 7/18/2021 MLB Pick, Tips and Odds

Game: Tampa Bay Rays vs Atlanta Braves

Date: Sunday, July 18, 2021

Location: Truist Park in Cumberland, GA

TV: Bally Sports South

Odds/Point Spread: Tampa Bay (-112) Atlanta (+100)

Drew Smyly and the Atlanta Braves (44-46, 3rd in NL East) host the Tampa Bay Rays (54-37, 2nd in AL East) at Truist Park on Sunday. The Rays open this game at -112 while the Braves are priced at +100. The O/U has been set at 9. The expected starting pitchers will be Rich Hill and Drew Smyly.

Tampa Bay has a slugging rate of .397 and have struck out 935 times, while taking a walk on 348 occasions. They have 425 RBI's in addition to 712 hits for the season, and their team batting average comes in at .231. The Rays have recorded 160 two-baggers as a squad and have knocked 111 baseballs out of the stadium. They have racked up 447 runs scored and have an OBP of .317. As a unit, the Tampa Bay Rays are putting up 4.9 runs per game, which is 7th in MLB.

Get all of our Free MLB Picks

Rays pitchers have conceded 104 long balls and 361 total runs (9th in baseball). Their pitching staff has walked 251 opposing players and their FIP is 3.75 as a team for the season. They have accrued a K/BB ratio of 3.43 and their pitching staff holds a WHIP of 1.13. The Rays hold a team ERA of 3.52 so far this season (7th in baseball), and their staff has rung up 862 hitters.

The Rays have sent 292 relief pitchers to the hill on the year. The bullpen pitchers have inherited 93 base runners for the season with 31.2% of those players earned a run for their team. They have accumulated 25 saves this season and have blown 11 out of their 36 chances to get a save. The Rays relievers have a save percentage of 69.4% and has stepped onto the mound in 92 save situations. The bullpen have accumulated 54 holds for the year (7th in the league). Rays relief pitchers have gone to the mound with players on base 76 times in addition to having 116 appearances in high leverage situations.

The Tampa Bay Rays have earned 2,460 putouts for the season, as well as 807 assists and 43 errors. Their fielding rate sits at .987 which has them ranked 4th in professional baseball, and they have twisted 585 double plays. The Rays have turned 71.2% of baseballs in play into outs out of their 7,380 innings, which ranks them 4th in pro baseball.

Hill has taken the ball for 1,067 innings and has totaled 1,122 punch outs during his MLB career. His earned run average is 3.79 (449 earned runs allowed) and his career WHIP is 1.214. He has allowed 872 hits (7.4 hits per 9 innings) and has 424 free passes. Hill (73-48 win-loss mark in his career) has a FIP of 3.99 and he has faced 4,461 hitters in the majors.

Atlanta has 126 home runs for the season to go along with 409 RBIs. They have notched 152 two-baggers, while taking a walk 330 times as well as putting up 426 runs. The Atlanta Braves are sitting with a team OBP of .321 in addition to a team batting average of .238 this year. The Braves hold a slugging percentage of .426 and they earn 4.73 runs per contest (11th in MLB). They have been rung up on 846 occasions (7th in the league) and have earned 705 hits.

The Atlanta pitching staff have given up 408 runs on the season while holding an ERA of 4.26 (371 earned runs yielded). They have conceded 105 dingers and they concede 4.68 runs per 9 innings (16th in the league). The Braves hold a team WHIP of 1.323 with a FIP of 4.18 as a squad so far this season. Their strikeout to walk ratio sits at 2.61 (808 strikeouts against 309 free passes). They come in at 16th in baseball as a staff in total hits relinquished with 728.

Sitting with 94 save situations, the Braves have compiled 60 holds in addition to 14 blown saves. Atlanta has called on relievers to enter the contest in 33 save opportunities and they have converted 19 saves. Their relief pitchers have taken the field 134 times in high leverage situations and on 82 occasions with base runners. Atlanta bullpen pitchers hold an inherited score percentage of 38.4% out of 125 inherited runners. They rank 23rd in baseball with a save rate of 57.6%, and they have dispatched 328 relievers onto the field this year.

In their 7,056 innings on the field, the Braves have accumulated a efficiency on defense of 69.2% (18th in baseball). The Atlanta Braves have twisted 53 double plays and hold a fielding percentage of .986 (6th in MLB). The Braves have racked up 799 assists, 45 errors and are sitting with 2,352 putouts for the year.

In his career, Smyly has given up 747 base knocks while he has earned 782 K's in 789 innings. He has given up 365 earned runs while holding a WHIP of 1.267 and a FIP of 4.3. He has a K/BB ratio of 3.09 and he has faced 3,313 batters thus far in his career. Smyly (42-38 career record) holds a 4.16 earned run average and has allowed 8.5 hits per 9 innings.

Who will win tonight's MLB game against the spread?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Atlanta (+100)

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here