Rays vs. Athletics: Game 2 prediction, odds, injuries and picks

The Tampa Bay Rays take on the Athletics on Tuesday for the second of three games at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Coming into this game, Tampa Bay sits second in the AL East with a 47-38 record, while the Athletics are at the bottom of the AL West with a 35-52 record.

Let's take a look at the odds and how the action might play out in Tuesday's fixture.

Rays vs Athletics prediction

Taking the mound for the hosts is righty Shane Baz, who has been decent this year, with an 8-3 record, along with a 4.37 ERA and 86 strikeouts.

Shane Baz in action against the Kansas City Royals - Source: Getty

Offensively, Yandy Diaz, Junior Caminero, Jonathan Aranda and Brandon Lowe have been enjoying success of late.

For the Athletics, veteran Jeffrey Springs makes his latest start. On paper, Springs' stats have been almost identical to those of his counterpart, with a 6-6 record, along with a 4.30 ERA and 75 strikeouts.

At the plate, Jacob Wilson, Brent Rooker, Tyler Soderstrom and Lawrence Butler have been leading the way for the A's.

Having disappointingly lost the series opener on Monday, the hosts, who have a great chance of competing for their division this year, should get themselves back on track with an important win in Tuesday's game.

Prediction: Tampa Bay Rays 5, Athletics 3

Odds

Money Line: Tampa Bay Rays -159, Athletics +134

Run Line: Tampa Bay -1.5 (+121), Athletics +1.5 (-149)

Total Runs: Over 7.5 (-167), Under 7.5 (+135)

Injury report

Rays injuries

Richie Palacios: 10-day IL (Knee)
Hunter Bigge: 15-day IL (Lat)
Manuel Rodriguez: 15-day IL (Forearm)
Ha-Seong Kim: 60-day IL (Shoulder)
Shane McClanahan: 60-day IL (Tricep)
Nathan Lavender: 60-day IL (Elbow)
Alex Faedo: 60-day IL (Shoulder)
Jonny Deluca: 60-day IL (Shoulder)

Athletics injuries

Miguel Andujar: 10-day IL (Oblique)
Grant Holman: 15-day IL (Shoulder)
Luis Medina: 60-day IL (Elbow)
Gunnar Hoglund: 60-day IL (Hip)
Jose Leclerc: 60-day IL (Shoulder)
Ken Waldichuk: 60-day IL (Elbow)
Zack Gelof: 60-day IL (Hand)
Brady Basso: 60-day IL (Shoulder)
Austin Wynns: day-to-day (Undisclosed)

Expert's picks

Having picked up a win in the series opener, the chances of lightning striking twice for the visitors are quite low. The hosts, who have been much the better team over the course of the season, should get back to winning ways on Tuesday and level the series at one game apiece.

Money Line: Tampa Bay Rays -159

Run Line: Tampa Bay -1.5 (+121)

Total Runs: Over 7.5 (-167)

About the author

Raghav Mehta is a baseball journalist at Sportskeeda awaiting results for a Bachelor's in Journalism from Delhi University. He enjoys highlighting the key battles between players at different stages of the game and analyzing the decisive moments upon which they hinge.

One of Raghav's favorite moments, which underscores this, was the Shohei Ohtani vs. Mike Trout clash in the 2023 WBC, where two of baseball's best players faced off against each other in the 9th inning. With the score 3-2 to Japan, Shohei eventually got the strikeout, which was absolute cinema.

Raghav is a Baltimore Orioles fan and is enjoying watching such an exciting young team compete at the top in a very competitive division.

Raghav has loved watching sports for as long as he can remember and realized he was pretty decent at writing his thoughts down at around the age of 14. Combining the two meant he had something he would enjoy doing every day, and he had identified that well before going to college.

Aside from work, Raghav enjoys playing sports, working out and watching movies.

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Edited by Ribin Peter

Rays vs. Athletics: Game 2 prediction, odds, injuries and picks - July 1, 2025