Cincinnati Reds vs Tampa Bay Rays Prediction & Picks - MLB

Prediction published on 7/26/24, 9:06 PM  by Carlos Zabala | Modified on 7/27/24 at 11:42 AM in MLB Picks

The Reds are riding a 3-game winning streak into Saturday's game, although they are still 3 games under .500, 4.5 games away from the last wild card spot. "Every game is huge at this point," Lodolo said, understanding that if the Reds lose the upcoming series, they could start thinking better about the 2025 season.

The Rays got rid of two of their stars, and with 5 games to go away from the last wild card spot in the American League, the Rays management preferred to bet on the future and got rid of Arozarena and Eflin.

Saturday's pitching duel will be between Abbott for the Reds and Littell for the Rays. Littell had a 4.46 ERA this season with a 3-7 record. In his last start at Yankee Stadium against the Yankees, he allowed 5 ER and 9 hits in 5.2 IP. Abbott has been healthy most of the season and has a nice 9-6 record this season. He hasn't allowed more than 1 ER in 3 of his last 4 starts and has never faced the Rays before in his career. The game's total runs for Saturday's game are set at 8.5, the Reds haven't exceeded that mark in their games in 3 of the last 4.