Atlanta Braves vs. Tampa Bay Rays Moneyline Pick & Preview

The Atlanta Braves and Tampa Bay Rays will showcase their talents in Game 1 of their three-game series on Friday, April 11 at 7:05 PM ET at the George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida. The Rays are slight favorites to win this matchup, with a moneyline at -115 at MyBookie.

Atlanta Braves Betting Preview

The Braves have not been appealing in their last five games and need to find consistency on the road. They had a 4-3 defeat against the Philadelphia Phillies a few games back that they should have won, which shows how these games continue to slip through their fingers.

In Game 1 of that series, the Braves took charge with a 7-5 victory. Over their previous five games, they have flip flopped with teams where they would win a game and then lose the very next. Marcell Ozuna has been appealing in their offensive lineup, averaging a .273 batting average and totaling five RBIs so far.

Atlanta has a .215 batting average and allows their opponents to get .251 in return at the plate. This is not a good look so far, as they need to get their bullpen under control and be more consistent.

The Braves have an on base percentage at .305 and a slugging percentage at .327, both of which are worse than what the Rays offer. They also have a 4.39 ERA and will have Bryce Elder (6.75 ERA, 1.25 WHIP) on the mound who might not help that situation.

Tampa Bay Rays Betting Preview

The Rays have lost four out of their last five games and have looked almost as bad as the Braves to start the season, but have a few more wins under their belt. They fell short against the Los Angeles Angels in a 11-1 blowout in Game 3.

After starting 4-1, they have gone 1-6 and have battled against strong teams but have yet to impress. Luckily for them, they get a weakened Braves team that is severely struggling.

Tampa Bay is producing a .256 batting average and is holding opponents to .207 at the plate. This offers a good margin of safety or at least gives them a chance to land more hits for scoring opportunities. Brandon Lowe leads their offense with three homers, a .289 batting average, and eight RBIs so far.

The Rays have a .319 on base percentage and a .390 slugging percentage, giving them an edge over the Braves. They have a good ERA at 3.17 and will have Taj Bradley (1-0, 4.91 ERA, 1.00 WHIP) to start on the mound.

Odds, Series Trends, and Free Pick

MyBookie has you set with the best Atlanta Braves vs. Tampa Bay Rays betting odds, favoring the Rays at home. This matchup is expected to be close, according to market predictions that show the Rays having a 51.6 percent chance of winning. The Braves are not showing any signs of improvement while the Rays have what it takes to win Game 1.

Final Pick: Tampa Bay Rays -115