Pittsburgh Pirates vs Tampa Bay Rays Prediction, Odds & Player Props (June 23)

Jun 17, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes (30) pitches against the Cincinnati Reds during the fifth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

• Our Pirates vs Rays prediction for Sunday’s MLB showdown is now available
• The Pirates are -155 moneyline favorites over the Rays in the Sunday MLB odds
• Read on for Pirates vs Rays prediction, odds, props and injury updates for June 23rd

The Tampa Bay Rays and Pittsburgh Pirates wrap up their three-game interleague series on Sunday afternoon at PNC Park. First pitch is scheduled for 1:35 p.m. ET and the game will be televised on Bally Sports Sun.

The Pirates are -155 moneyline favorites with the over/under set at 8 runs. Player props favor another strong showing from rookie sensation Paul Skenes on the mound. Pittsburgh evened up the series on Saturday with a 4-3 victory.

Here is our Rays vs Pirates prediction for Sunday, along with MLB odds and player props to bet on.

Rays vs Pirates Prediction

Pittsburgh rookie phenom Paul Skenes takes the hill on Sunday looking to build off an impressive start to his MLB career. The 22-year-old righty is 4-0 with a 2.29 ERA and 0.99 WHIP through his first seven starts.

Skenes has racked up 53 strikeouts in just 39.1 innings while issuing only seven walks. He’s yet to allow more than three runs in a start. You can currently get the youngster from California at +190 in the NL Rookie of the Year odds.

Paul Skenes tonight:

6.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 SO
96 pitches, 69 strikes, 18 whiffs

He now has a 2.29 ERA as a 22-year-old pic.twitter.com/zKkt6DsZuX

— Platinum Ke’Bryan (@PlatinumKey13) June 18, 2024

The Pirates offense has had some bright spots this season, namely All-Star outfielder Bryan Reynolds who carries a 19-game hitting streak into Sunday’s contest. Shortstop Oneil Cruz has prodigious power, blasting a 445-foot homer into the Allegheny River on Saturday.

Veteran Andrew McCutchen, the 2013 NL MVP, tripled on Saturday showing he still has some extra gear left in those 37-year-old legs.

On the other side, the Rays hand the ball to Aaron Civale. The 29-year-old has struggled mightily on the road this season, posting a 6.75 ERA and 1.71 WHIP in seven starts away from Tropicana Field.

Opponents are batting .308 against him in those outings. Civale faced the Pirates once last season, allowing two runs over 5.1 innings in a no-decision.

Coming up next! pic.twitter.com/HGBgZFvI8l

— Bally Sports Sun: Rays (@BallyRays) June 22, 2024

The Rays offense has been middle-of-the-pack for most of the season but did explode for 17 hits in the series opener on Friday. Yandy Diaz has been swinging a hot bat, riding a 15-game hitting streak. Isaac Paredes leads the team with 11 home runs.

With Skenes on the mound at home and Civale’s road woes, the Pirates deserve to be favored in the Sunday MLB odds. Look for the rookie to shut down Tampa Bay while Pittsburgh’s bats do just enough against a shaky Civale to secure the series win.

• Sunday MLB Pick: Pirates ML (-149 at )

Rays vs Pirates Odds

As mentioned, the Pirates are fairly heavy -155 moneyline favorites in this one. That implies a 61.4% probability that they’ll win the game. If you are super confident in the Bucs, you can back them to win by two on the run line at +140 odds.

The Rays are +135 underdogs, giving them a 43.5% implied probability. The odds are a reflection of the pitching matchup with Skenes favored over the struggling Civale.

The total is set at a modest 8 runs, likely a nod to Skenes and PNC Park which is traditionally pitcher-friendly. The under is a slight -115 favorite which means you’d need to wager $115 to win $100. The over is -105, returning $100 on a $105 bet.

Pittsburgh has been the betting favorite 32 times this year, going 14-18 in those games. The Rays are 11-17 as underdogs. The over is 40-34-2 in Rays games this season compared to 35-37-3 for the Pirates.

Odds as of June 22, 2024. Check out the available sportsbook promotions for Sunday afternoon baseball. 

Tampa Bay vs Pittsburgh Player Props

Here are a few player props to target for Sunday’s game:

Bryan Reynolds over 0.5 hits (-330):

Reynolds has a hit in 19 straight so might as well ride the hot hand, even at heavy juice.

Paul Skenes over 5.5 strikeouts (-130):

The rookie has at least six punchouts in six of his seven starts. The Rays have the 4th-most strikeouts in MLB.

Yandy Diaz over 0.5 hits (-250)

Diaz has a 15-game hit streak of his own. He’s batting .265 on the year. You have to lay some juice here, but it’s a great addition to your MLB same-game parlays.

Rays vs Pirates Injury Report

Rays third baseman Amed Rosario exited Saturday’s game after being hit in the helmet by a 99 mph fastball from Pirates starter Jared Jones. Rosario left with facial lacerations and seems doubtful to play Sunday. Richie Palacios, who replaced Rosario on Saturday, would likely get the start at the hot corner.

Second baseman Brandon Lowe was also hit by a pitch on Saturday, taking a slider off his foot. He ultimately exited the game and was diagnosed with a broken toe. His status for Sunday is officially “day-to-day” but a trip to the IL seems likely.

Pittsburgh closer David Bednar was unavailable Saturday with tightness in his left side. The injury is not thought to be related to the left lat injury that caused him to miss most of spring training. He’ll be re-evaluated on Sunday but the Pirates will likely play it safe with their two-time All-Star closer.

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