Padres vs. Rays Odds & Betting Predictions - August 30, 2024

Follow On X: https://x.com/PicksOffice Both of these teams are struggling offensively at the moment. The Rays have hit for just a .187 average in their last 10 games and the Padres managed only three hits against the Cardinals on Wednesday. With those things in mind, this game figures to be low-scoring. Against the Padres will be left-hander Martin Perez, who has been magnificent since joining San Diego, compiling a 2.70 ERA in his last five starts. While his season ERA of 4.60 might suggest some vulnerability, that recent run would suggest he should be well-equipped to keep the slumping lineup of the Rays at bay. The Tampa Bay offense rests near the bottom of league rankings in critical categories such as batting average (.230) and OPS (.673), which should rest well with Perez. On the other side, Taj Bradley has struggled a bit of late but has shown he can dominate with a 3.77 ERA on the season. His 85th-percentile fastball velocity and strong 79th-percentile whiff rate indicate that he is capable of shutting down San Diego's offense rather handily, which has been inconsistent and mediocre against right-handed pitching. Bradley's ability to induce weak contact, as evidenced by his barrel rate in the 8th percentile, further strengthens the case for a low-scorer. That said, both teams boast extremely powerful bullpens, with the Padres' relievers combining for a 2.44 ERA while Tampa Bay's bullpen comes in at 3.01. Considering relief for starters is somewhat volatile in its own ways here, it should be a case that the bullpens see a decent amount of time in this contest to further depress the overall run production. The venue, Tropicana Field, also leans more for hurlers traditionally producing low-run outcomes. Recent trends also suggest a lean to the Under with Tampa Bay having seen the total go under in 17 of their last 25 games and 11 of their last 17 home games. San Diego has also been part of several low-scoring interleague games when they are an underdog as they will be in today's matchup.