The San Diego Padres (17-8) take on the Tampa Bay Rays (11-14) at Petco Park on Friday night. First pitch is scheduled for 9:40 p.m. ET; the game will be broadcast on Padres TV and FanDuel Sports Sun.
Padres starter Michael King has been lights out in April, boasting a 3-0 record, 1.78 ERA and 28 strikeouts over 28 innings. Can the right-hander keep it going tonight against the Rays?
Continue below for our Rays vs Padres prediction, plus betting trends, probable pitchers and more.
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- Rays vs Padres pick: Michael King Over 6.5 Strikeouts
My Rays vs Padres best bet is Michael King to strike out over 6.5 hitters. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live MLB odds page.
Rays vs Padres Odds
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Rays vs Padres Projected Starting Pitchers
| RHP Shane Baz (TB) | Stat | RHP Michael King (SD) |
|---|---|---|
| 2-0 | W-L | 3-0 |
| 0.5 | fWAR (FanGraphs) | 0.6 |
| 3.22 / 2.53 | ERA /xERA | 2.57 / 2.92 |
| 3.29 / 3.08 | FIP / xFIP | 3.38 / 3.62 |
| 1.07 | WHIP | 1.07 |
| 24.7% | K-BB% | 18.4% |
| 46% | GB% | 43.1% |
| 106 | Stuff+ | 100 |
| 104 | Location+ | 104 |
Rays vs Padres Preview & Prediction
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By Chris Prince
King has flashed solid strikeout upside this season as he has racked up seven or more punchouts in three of his last four starts.
The Rays are expected to roll out five left-handed hitters tonight; King has a sizable 31.1% strikeout rate against lefties this season.
As a team, Tampa Bay ranks middle of the pack in strikeout rate against right-handed pitchers, but there are five projected starters with at least a 22% strikeout rate against RHP this season.
Rays vs Padres Prediction, Betting Analysis
King has thrown at least 88 pitches in four straight starts and has gone over 100 pitchers in two of his last three outings — his leash has been long, which helps our cause.
Alternates and ladders are also in play, as he’s already delivered an 11-strikeout performance, and in this ballpark, I love his chances to potentially rack up 10+ Ks tonight.
Pick: Michael King Over 6.5 Strikeouts (-112; FanDuel)
Rays vs Padres Betting Trends
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