Mady Mertens-USA TODAY Sports/Sipa USA

Tampa Bay Rays vs Atlanta Braves: Can the Braves finish a sweep today?

The Atlanta Braves are looking to sweep the Tampa Bay Rays when they host them at Truist Park on Sunday.

The Rays need to pick their game up

The Tampa Bay Rays are at the bottom of the AL East with a 33-38 record. After being swept in a four-game series against the Baltimore Orioles, they won the one against the Chicago Cubs before losing back-to-back games in Atlanta. Tampa Bay has a 4.35 ERA, a .247 batting average, a .311 on-base percentage, and 1.27 walks plus hits per inning pitched. Yandy Diaz leads the team with 72 hits, Jose Caballero is on top with 30 runs, and Isaac Paredes has 10 home runs.

The Braves are one of the best home teams in the league

The Atlanta Braves are second in the NL East with a 38-30 record including 21-12 at home. After losing five straight games, the Braves won three in a row including the first two in the series against the Rays. The Braves have a 3.68 ERA, a .238 batting average, a .306 on-base percentage, and 1.23 walks plus hits per inning pitched. Marcell Ozuna is the best player on the team, with 83 hits, 43 runs, and 20 home runs.

Betting Trends

The Braves are 4-1 SU in their last 5 home games and 9-3 SU in their last 12 games against teams from the AL East. Atlanta has played over the total run line in 6 of the last 8 games against the Rays and 13 of the last 18 games against teams from the AL. The Rays are 2-7 SU in their last 9 games, 7-3 SU in the last 10 games against teams from the NL and 7-2 SU in their last 9 games against teams from the NL East. Tampa Bay has played over the total run line in 5 of their last 6 games on the road and the last 5 games in Atlanta.

Prediction and Conclusion

The Atlanta Braves dominated the first two games of the series against the Tampa Bay Rays, winning 7-3 and 9-2. They will try to sweep the series with rookie Hurston Waldrep on the mound. The Braves selected him 24th overall in the 2023 MLB Draft, and he will have his second start of the year. Waldrep is 0-1 with a 17.18 ERA, 1 K, 3.2 IP, and 2.18 WHIP. The Rays will have a much more experienced pitcher going with Zach Eflin. The 30-year-old is 3-4 for the season, with a 4.06 ERA, 50 K, 68.2 IP, and 1.15 WHIP. There is a huge gap between the two pitchers, and the Rays will at least be close in this one, so we go with them covering the +1.5-run spread.