In the final Game of a three-Game series at PNC Park, the Tampa Bay Rays (37-40) face the Pittsburgh Pirates (37-39), Sunday at 1:35 PM ET.
The Rays (+136 underdog on the moneyline) visit the Pirates (-161). The matchup on the mound for this contest is set with the Pittsburgh Pirates looking to Paul Skenes (4-0), and Aaron Civale (2-5) answering the bell for the Tampa Bay Rays.
Jared Jones (7.0 IP, 2 R, 3 H, 8 K) earned the win in the Pirates’ 4-3 victory over the Rays yesterday. Oneil Cruz led the way offensively, going 1-for-3 with a home run and an RBI. Zach Eflin (7.0 IP, 4 R, 5 H, 6 K) took the loss for the Rays.
Before this Pirates vs. Rays matchup, here’s what you need to prepare for Sunday’s MLB action, including viewing options.
Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Tampa Bay Rays odds and betting lines
MLB odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds updated Sunday at 9:16 AM ET. For a full list of Sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub.
- Favorite: Pirates (-161, bet $161 to win $100)
- Underdog: Rays (+136, bet $100 to win $136)
- Over/under: 7.5
Pirates vs. Rays: Live streaming info & game time
- Game Day: Sunday, June 23, 2024
- Game Time: 1:35 PM ET
- Stadium: PNC Park
- TV Channel: Bally Sports
- Live Stream: Fubo (Watch for free)
Pirates stats and trends
Pirates betting records
- The Pirates have won 15, or 48.4%, of the 31 games they’ve played as favorites this season.
- Pittsburgh has entered seven games this season favored by -161 or more and is 4-3 in those contests.
- The Pirates have a 61.7% chance to win this game based on the implied probability of the moneyline.
- Pittsburgh and its opponents have gone over the total this season in 35 of 76 opportunities.
- The Pirates are 40-35-0 against the spread this season.
Paul Skenes (Pirates probable starter)
- Skenes gets the start for the Pirates, his eighth of the season. He is 4-0 with a 2.29 ERA and 53 strikeouts in 39 1/3 innings pitched.
- In his most recent time out on Monday, the right-hander went six innings against the Cincinnati Reds, giving up one earned run while surrendering six hits.
- The 22-year-old has amassed a 2.29 ERA and 12.1 strikeouts per nine innings across seven games this season, while allowing a batting average of .221 to opposing hitters.
- Skenes is aiming for his third straight quality start.
- Skenes is aiming for his seventh straight outing lasting five or more innings. He averages 5.6 innings per appearance on the mound.
- In two of his appearances this season he did not surrender an earned run.
- He will take the hill against a Rays squad that is batting .234 as a unit (21st in MLB). It is also slugging a collective .364 (27th in MLB) with 66 total home runs (27th in MLB).
Pirates batting stats
- The Pirates’ 70 home runs rank 24th in Major League Baseball.
- Hitters for Pittsburgh have combined to rank 28th in MLB with a slugging percentage of only .360 this season.
- The Pirates rank 25th in MLB with a .229 team batting average.
- Pittsburgh ranks 25th in the majors with 306 total runs scored this season.
- The Pirates have an OBP of just .298 this season, which ranks 26th in MLB.
- Pittsburgh is one of the least-disciplined teams at the plate this season, ranking 26th with an average of 9.5 strikeouts per game.
Rays stats and trends
Rays betting records
- The Rays have been underdogs in 31 games this season and have come away with the win 13 times (41.9%) in those contests.
- This year, Tampa Bay has won two of six games when listed as at least +136 or worse on the moneyline.
- The Rays have an implied victory probability of 42.4% according to the moneyline set for this matchup.
- Tampa Bay and its opponents have gone over in 40 of its 77 games with a total set by sportsbooks this season.
- The Rays are 37-39-0 against the spread in their 76 games with a line set by sportsbooks this season.
Aaron Civale (Rays probable starter)
- Civale makes the start for the Rays, his 16th of the season. He is 2-5 with a 5.42 ERA and 79 strikeouts in 76 1/3 innings pitched.
- His last time out was on Tuesday against the Minnesota Twins, when the righty tossed 3 2/3 innings, surrendering four earned runs while giving up seven hits.
- The 29-year-old has an ERA of 5.42, with 9.3 strikeouts per nine innings in 15 games this season. Opposing hitters have a .274 batting average against him.
- Civale is looking to record his fourth quality start of the season.
- Civale will try to pick up his 11th game of five or more innings pitched this season. He averages 5.1 innings per appearance.
- He has not made an outing yet in 2024 that he did not allow at least one earned run.
- He will match up with a Pirates offense that ranks 23rd in the league with 589 total hits (on a .229 batting average). The squad also slugs a collective .360 (28th in the league) with 70 total home runs (24th in MLB action).
Rays batting stats
- The Rays have hit the fourth-fewest home runs in MLB action this season (66).
- So far this year, Tampa Bay’s .364 slugging percentage is the fourth-lowest percentage in baseball.
- The Rays have the 21st-ranked batting average in the league (.234).
- Averaging 4.0 runs per game (308 total), Tampa Bay is the 23rd-highest scoring team in the majors.
- The Rays’ .309 on-base percentage ranks 17th in the majors.