MLB picks: Rays vs. Phillies, Nationals vs. Marlins

All 30 MLB teams are in action this Tuesday! We crunched the numbers to come up with our top two plays for the evening.

Leading off is our look at the interleague meeting between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Philadelphia Phillies. Then we'll move on to an NL East showdown between the Washington Nationals and the Miami Marlins.

Tampa Bay Rays (77-48) at Philadelphia Phillies (63-61), 7:05 p.m. ET

The Rays’ smoldering offense should use Citizens Bank Park to their advantage in what looks like a bullpen game against the Phillies on Tuesday night.

Tampa has averaged eight runs per game over their last seven tilts, going 6-1. This lineup should not be intimidated by Philadelphia closer-turned-starter Ranger Suarez, who’s issued 10 walks over 14 2/3 innings through four starts.

Bettors should expect Wander Franco – batting .417 over the last seven days – to make an impact in this one.

Drew Rasmussen will take the hill for Tampa, and over his last nine appearances (three starts, 23 1/3 innings), he owns a strong 1.93 ERA. He went four innings in each of his last two starts, so bettors should expect something similar to that before Rasmussen turns things over to the Rays bullpen, which is seventh in baseball by ERA over the last two weeks (3.48). By contrast, the Phillies’ relief corps is 24th by ERA in the same span (5.23).

MLB pick: Rays -120

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Washington Nationals (53-70) at Miami Marlins (51-74), 7:10 p.m. ET

An uninspiring pitching matchup and two bedeviled bullpens should make for an easy Over at LoanDepot Park on Tuesday night as the Nationals visit the Marlins.

Erick Fedde starts for Washington, carrying a 5.29 ERA and 1.500 WHIP through 49 1/3 innings pitched on the road this season. Miami outfielder Bryan De La Cruz – owner of a .984 OPS over the last 15 days – should lead the assault on Fedde before the Nats’ writhing relief corps comes in. That unit is 28th in the majors by ERA (6.43) over the last two weeks.

Jesus Luzardo responds for the Fish, and the reclamation project from Oakland is not panning out so far. He owns a 9.68 ERA through four starts with the Marlins.

Juan Soto and company – averaging 6.33 runs per game over their last six contests – should make light work of Luzardo before tearing into Miami’s cellar-dwelling bullpen based on ERA over a 14-day span (7.52).

MLB pick: Over