Brewers vs Rays Odds, and Picks (May 19)

• The Brewers were shut out by the Cardinals, losing 3-0.
• Tampa Bay was defeated by the Mets, 3-2, on Thursday.
• Milwaukee is 9-7 in their all-time history against the Rays.

The Brewers (24-19) and the Rays (32-13) take each other on in a stellar interleague matchup. Both teams are currently leading their respective divisions, and are aiming to further the gap by winning this series.

How to Watch

• ESPN+

Preview

Milwaukee is heating back up, going 6-4 in their last 10 games since their 6-game losing streak. They currently hold a 1-game lead in the NL Central over the Pirates, but have a difficult upcoming schedule. They’ll face the MLB’s best team in the Rays first, and then prepare to host the defending champion Astros. The Brewers need their offense to get back on track, after scoring 4 runs in 3 games in St. Louis.

The Rays aren’t winning at the same unbelievable rate that they did in the first month of the season, but they still hold a solid cushion above the rest of the competition for the MLB’s top spot. They also play in a brutally tough AL East division, which requires that they continue to win as often as possible. Tampa Bay’s offense and defense both lead the MLB on the year, but have fallen out of the top-5 over the last 2 weeks.

Prediction

It’s been pretty difficult to bet against the Rays this season, considering how frequently they’ve won. I wouldn’t bet on them losing here either, with ace Shane McClanahan (7-0, 2.34 ERA) on the mound against Adrian Houser (5.19 ERA). Milwaukee leads their division and is definitely not a pushover, but I don’t see their struggling offense producing enough against McClanahan to win. I’ll take Tampa Bay.

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