CLEVELAND, OHIO – JULY 06: Manager A.J. Hinch #14 of the Detroit Tigers calls for a pitching change during the eighth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on July 06, 2025 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)

The Tampa Bay Rays look to make it two wins in a row and take Game 1 against the MLB-best Detroit Tigers.

The Rays are 49-41 and tied for second in the AL East with the New York Yankees. Tampa just lost two out of three on the road against the Minnesota Twins. Both losses were by one run, and the scoring trended upward for both teams as the series progressed. The finale was a back-and-forth game, with the Rays scoring three runs in the 10th inning. Jonathan Aranda led the way with three hits and two RBIs.

The Tigers are 57-34 and first in the AL Central. Detroit just swept the Cleveland Guardians and returns home after going 4-2 on a six-game road trip. The first two games of the Cleveland series were low-scoring and extremely close. The finale was also tight until Detroit exploded for six runs in the 10th inning, making the win look more lopsided than it was. Trey Sweeney led the offense with a three-run home run in extra innings.

Spread

Rays -1.5 (-124)
Tigers +1.5 (-165)

Moneyline

Rays -120
Tigers -577

Total

OVER 9 (+105)
UNDER 9 (-124)

*The above data was collected on July 7, 2025, and may have changed since writing.

Rays vs Tigers Betting Trends

The total has gone OVER in six of Tampa Bay's last nine games.
Tampa Bay is 2-5 SU in its last seven games.
Tampa Bay is 3-6 SU in its last nine games against Detroit.
The total has gone OVER in 14 of Detroit's last 20 games.
Detroit is 6-2 SU in its last eight games.
The total has gone UNDER in four of Detroit's last five games at home.

Rays vs Tigers Injury Reports

Tampa Bay Rays

Brandon Lowe, 2B - Day-to-day
Jose Caballero, SS - Day-to-day
Ha-Seong Kim, SS - Day-to-day
Jonny DeLuca, CF - 60-day il
Richie Palacios, LF - 10-day il
Logan Driscoll, C - Day-to-day

Detroit Tigers

Gleyber Torres, 2B - Day-to-day
Kerry Carpenter, RF - 10-day il
Bryce Rainer, SS - Day-to-day
Jack Penney, SS - Day-to-day

Rays vs Tigers Predictions and Picks

Tampa Bay is 21-16 on the road and 4-6 in its last ten games. The team ranks seventh in runs scored, third in batting average, 11th in on-base percentage, and ninth in slugging percentage. On the pitching side, they are 10th in ERA. Junior Caminero leads the team in home runs and RBIs; he had three hits and four RBIs in the Minnesota series. The Rays will look to get back to winning close games consistently. On the mound for Tampa Bay is Shane Baz, who is 8-3 with a 4.33 ERA. He has recorded seven quality starts this season, and his strikeout numbers are trending up.

Detroit is 30-14 at home and 7-3 in its last ten games. The team ranks fifth in runs scored, seventh in batting average, ninth in on-base percentage, and fifth in slugging percentage. On the pitching side, they are third in ERA. Riley Greene leads the team in batting average, home runs, and RBIs; he had one home run and two RBIs in the Cleveland series. Back home, Detroit will look to get the offense firing consistently again. On the mound for the Tigers is TBA.

Best Bet: Detroit Moneyline

The Tigers are slight underdogs in this game, mainly because their starting pitcher is still to be determined. Both teams have played close games recently, but the Tigers have been better at winning one-run games. Additionally, Detroit's pitching is trending upward.

Detroit Tigers Tampa Bay Rays

Michael GaraventaWriter