Rays vs Diamondbacks Odds: Prospect Gets Spot Start for Arizona

• Merrill Kelly scratched from this start and put on IL
• Brandon Pfaadt set to replace Kelly for Arizona
• Teams split the first two games of this series

Rays vs Diamondbacks Odds

Odds taken from DraftKings Sportsbook. Check out other MLB betting sites for more betting opportunities! 

Rays vs Diamondbacks Picks

• Rays Moneyline (-105)

Rays vs Diamondbacks Predictions

The Tampa Bay Rays and Arizona Diamondbacks will play the third game of their series in Phoenix on Wednesday afternoon. Arizona originally expected to have one of its best pitchers on the mound for this game, but an injury has sent them to their farm system for a starting pitcher in this contest. The question is whether prospect Brandon Pfaadt can rise to the challenge against one of the most explosive offensive teams in baseball on Thursday.

Tampa Bay Rays Predictions

The Tampa Bay Rays come into Thursday’s action with the best record in the American League by a wide margin. They are 4.5 games ahead of the next best team in the AL, which is the Texas Rangers, and the Rays will aim to extend that lead in this game. To do that, they will need a solid pitching performance from Yonny Chirinos, who has mostly been decent over the course of the 2023 season.

So far this year, Chrinos is 3-3 with an ERA of 3.91 over his 48.1 innings of work. But there is one area of concern for the Tampa Bay starter in this game, and that is the number of walks that he has issued this season. Chrinios has conceded 16 walks to this point in the season, and he needs to have better control in this game so that the Diamondbacks are not granted extra chances to score runs.

Fortunately for Chirinos, he has an offense around him that should give him plenty of run support in this contest. The Rays rank second in baseball in runs scored on the year, trailing the aforementioned Rangers in that department. Against a pitcher who lacks MLB experience, the Rays should be able to put up some runs in this game to take the pressure off of Chirinos as this contest wears on.

Arizona Diamondbacks Predictions

The Arizona Diamondbacks split the first two games of this series against the Tampa Bay Rays. They are still on top of the standings in the NL West, as they lead the San Francisco Giants by 2.5 games in their division. But this game could be a difficult one for the Diamondbacks, as they send one of their prospects to the mound for this matchup with one of the best teams in baseball.

Brandon Pfaadt will be the starting pitcher for the Diamondbacks in this game, as they had to scratch Merrill Kelly due to injury. Pfaadt has limited major league experience so far this year, as he has gone 0-2 with an ERA of 8.37. He has allowed eight home runs in 23.2 innings of work on the year, and the Diamondbacks pitcher could be vulnerable to more home runs in this Thursday matinee.

For Pfaadt, the biggest key to this game is going to be keeping his composure in a really difficult spot. Against one of the best offensive teams in baseball, it could be easy to get overwhelmed by the moment and by the talent you are facing. If Pfaadt can avoid succumbing to that pressure, the Diamondbacks could be in a position to surprise the Rays in a game where the betting line is a lot tighter than expected given the difference in pitching talent.

How to Watch

• What: Tampa Bay Rays vs Arizona Diamondbacks
• When: Thursday, June 29, 2023, at 3:40 PM ET
• Where: Chase Field, Phoenix, AZ
• How to Watch: ESPN+