Athletics vs. Rays Prediction and Odds for Monday, April 11 (Rays Keep It Rolling)

Coming off a dominant sweep of the Orioles, the 3-0 Tampa Bay Rays now host the 1-2 Oakland Athletics at 6:40 PM EST today. The A's dropped their first two games against the Phillies but rebounded for a 4-1 win yesterday, so they'll look to build off that momentum to get back to .500.

Oakland sends righty Paul Blackburn to the mound to duel with Luis Patiño of Tampa Bay with both pitchers hoping to make a statement.

Blackburn has started games in each of the last five seasons but has yet to fully catch on in the big leagues. The 28-year-old owns a 5.74 career ERA and has a pathetic strikeout rate, so the Athletics' defense will need a big game to prevent runs.

Patiño has an incredible amount of talent but needs to harness his abilities in his second year. He amassed a 4.31 ERA across 15 starts last year, but his 74 strikeouts in 77.1 innings give reason for optimism moving forward.

Will Patiño start his sophomore season on a high note or will the Oakland give the Tampa Bay their first loss of 2022?

Thanks to our friends at WynnBET Sportsbook, let's take a peek at the odds in this Athletics vs Rays matchup:

Athletics vs Rays Odds, Run Line and Total

Run Line

• Athletics +1.5 (-110)
• Rays -1.5 (-110)

Moneyline:

• Athletics: +190
• Rays: -220

Total:

• 8.5 (Over -115/Under -105)

Athletics vs Rays Prediction and Pick

I know it was against the Orioles, but the early returns for Tampa Bay are excellent as they dominated Baltimore across three games. Their pitching staff allowed just four runs in the entire series, and now Patiño gets the chance to keep the dominant pitching going.

Patiño has struggled to go deep in games, but he looked great to close 2021. He had a 3.89 ERA over his final nine starts and didn't surrender a run in his lone spring training start.

Blackburn, on the other hand, has struggled in each of his stints in the majors. He got shelled for nine earned runs and 13 hits over 9.1 innings in spring training while walking five batters.

The Rays' offense is deep and balanced, with Wander Franco looking like a future potential MVP, Randy Arozarena slashing all over the field, and Francisco Mejía providing a power threat late in the lineup.

I think Tampa Bay is one of the best teams in baseball and they should have no problem taking down Blackburn and the A's today. They should win handily behind a strong 2022 debut from Patiño.

Pick: Rays -1.5 (-110)

Follow all of Joe Summers' betting picks here.