Rays vs Athletics 2019 AL Wild Card Odds & Betting Preview

The 2019 MLB season extends another night for the two wild card teams in the American League, as the Tampa Bay Rays are on the West Coast to take on the Oakland A’s. Both of them played at a pace to win 100 games or more in the second half of the season, pulling away from the Cleveland Indians to take the play-in slots. The winner of this game will then head to Yankee Stadium for the American League Division Series. Tampa Bay just got Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow back from injury, giving them essentially two fresh players. Oakland saw a pitching resurgence from Sean Manaea, and prospects A.J. Puk and Jesus Luzardo pitched lights out as well down the stretch. The bat of Marcus Semien played a major role in Oakland pulling away too. Oakland won four of the seven meetings between the two teams this season. Will Tampa Bay win and head to take on their AL East foes? Or will the A’s move on to the Division Series? Don’t miss our MLB betting preview for the Rays vs Ahtletics.

Rays vs Athletics 2019 AL Wild Card Odds & Betting Preview

Off to work. #StayHungry pic.twitter.com/b1Ft9BUqPh

— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) October 2, 2019

When: Wednesday, October 2, 2019, 8:00pm ET Where: Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, CA TV: ESPN Radio: ESPN Radio Live Stream: ESPN+ MLB Odds: Tampa Bay +128 / Oakland -140 / O/U 8 Projected Pitching Matchup: Charlie Morton (16-6, 3.05 ERA) (TB) vs Sean Manaea (4-0, 1.21 ERA) (OAK)

Why should you bet on the Rays?

Charlie Morton has put up a 3-0 mark in September, with a 2.73 ERA. Over his last two starts, against the Red Sox and the Yankees, he has thrown 12 ⅓ combined innings, permitting two earned runs on six hits, striking out 17 while walking four. This includes six shutout innings against the Yankees on September 25. Morton struck out 240 batters during the regular season, which shows that he can get the punchout — but may also be susceptible to high pitch counts, which could mean an early night for the Rays’ bullpen. On the season, Tampa Bay went 48-33 on the road, which played a significant role in their hot finish. Austin Meadows has their biggest bat, with 33 long balls and 89 RBI and a batting average of .291. If you like Tampa Bay here, you see Morton shutting down the Oakland offense while the Rays get to Manaea and enforce their will on the outcome.

Why should you put your money on the A’s?

The Oakland Athletics have won 52 of their 81 home games this season, and they have ridden high when Sean Manaea is on the mound. He returned on September 1 after recovering from shoulder surgery and held the Yankees scoreless over five innings, permitting just a single hit. Since then, he has permitted more than one earned run in just one start. In his last start, on September 26 in Seattle, he threw six innings of four-hit, one-run ball, fanning five and walking none. That is the sort of arm that Oakland needs in the playoffs, although the fact that he has pitched into the seventh inning just once means that the bullpen will be in play. Oakland’s top hitters have been Marcus Semien, leading the team in average at .285 and in RBI with 92, while Matt Olson is the top power hitter with 36 home runs. The A’s have become regular players in the wild card scene, and the fact that they get to host the Rays, who have to cross three time zones to get to the Bay, plays a significant advantage.

Final Score Prediction

Tampa Bay was a regular postseason factor when Joe Maddon managed the team, but they have not been postseason participants much in recent years. Oakland has made a habit of charging late to grab a wild card, and now they get to host the play-in. I like the Rays to push hard, but I see Oakland swiping a 5-4 win.