When the Tampa Bay Rays matchup against the Atlanta Braves Thursday night, it will be a clash of two of the best teams in baseball. The Braves are at the top of their division in the National League East, and the Rays are tied for the best record in the American League East with the New York Yankees.
The Braves are -125 baseball odds favorites while the Rays are listed at -105. The over/under is 8.5.
Although it is still early in the season, this is an important game for both teams. The Tampa Bay Rays are looking for the outright lead in their division, and the Atlanta Braves are trying to put some distance between them and the second place New York Mets.
The scheduled pitching matchup for Thursday’s game will be Tim Hudson for the Braves versus James Shields for the Rays. This season Tim Hudson has a record of 6-2 with a 2.43 ERA, so the Rays may find runs hard to come by. James Shields started off the season strong with a 5-1 record and 3.08 ERA, but has lost his last four outings, and has seen his ERA rise to a mediocre 4.55.
The Rays are a challenge for any pitcher. They have a good mix of power at the plate and speed on the bases. Third baseman, Evan Longoria, is currently batting .316 with 12 homeruns and 52 RBI, while center fielder B.J. Upton and left fielder Carl Crawford have 43 stolen bases between them.
Both teams have proven that they have the potential to score runs in bunches. In the first game of the series the Rays scored 10 runs in a 10-4 victory, while in game two the Braves evened the series by outscoring the Rays 6-2.
