A's vs. Rays Prediction, Odds, Probable Pitchers and Prop Bets for Wednesday, July 2

Betting odds, pick and prediction for the A's-Rays matchup on Wednesday, July 2.

Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz is a solid prop target on Wednesday. / Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

The A’s have picked up back-to-back wins over the Tampa Bay Rays heading into their series finale on Wednesday afternoon.

It’s been a rough season for the A’s, who are 14-32 in their last 46 games, but they have made things tough on a Tampa Bay team that was in the mix for the top spot in the AL East heading into this series.

Instead, the Rays remain 1.5 games back of the New York Yankees, but they have fallen behind the Toronto Blue Jays in the standings after Toronto took back-to-back games against New York in its early-week series.

On Wednesday, the Rays have Ryan Pepiot on the mound against A’s righty Mitch Spence, and oddsmakers have Tampa Bay set as a massive favorite.

Here’s a breakdown of the odds, players to bet on in the prop market and my prediction for July 2. 

A's vs. Rays Odds, Run Line and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Run Line

• A’s +1.5 (-102)
• Rays -1.5 (-119)

Moneyline

• A’s: +188
• Rays: -233

Total

• 9 (Over -105/Under -115)

A's vs. Rays Probable Pitchers

• A’s: Mitch Spence (2-3, 3.82 ERA)
• Rays: Ryan Pepiot (5-6, 3.36 ERA)

A's vs. Rays How to Watch

• Date: Wednesday, July 2
• Time: 12:10 p.m. EST
• Venue: George M. Steinbrenner Field
• How to Watch (TV): FDSSUN, NBCS-CA
• A’s record: 36-52
• Rays record: 47-39

A's vs. Rays Best MLB Prop Bets

A’s Best MLB Prop Bet

• Nick Kurtz to Hit a Home Run (+450)

Earlier today, I shared in SI Betting’s best MLB home run picks – Daily Dinger – why Kurtz is worth a look in this matchup: 

A’s slugger Nick Kurtz has been hot as of late, posting a .292 batting average with two homers over the last week and a .277 batting average with five homers over the last two weeks.

The young first baseman is up to 12 homers in the 2025 season, and he’s done most of his damage against right-handed pitching, hitting 11 home runs while posting a slash line of .272/.345/.584.

On Wednesday, he’ll take on Tampa Bay Rays righty Ryan Pepiot, who has struggled with the long ball so far this season, allowing 14 in 17 starts. While Pepiot has a solid 3.36 ERA, he was chased after just 1.2 innings in his last outing after giving up four runs.

This is a great matchup for Kurtz to remain hot on Wednesday afternoon.

A's vs. Rays Prediction and Pick

Even though Pepiot allowed four runs in just 1.2 innings in his last outing, he has given up more than three earned runs in just two of his 17 starts in the 2025 season.

He’s lowered his expected ERA to 3.87 in the process, and I think he can keep this A’s offense in check in this matchup. The first two games in this series have finished with 10 and seven combined runs.

Meanwhile, Spence enters this start with a 3.82 ERA and a 2.92 ERA since joining the starting rotation. He has four starts with two or fewer earned runs allowed, and the A’s are actually 2-3 in his five starts.

Tampa Bay has been one of the better UNDER teams in MLB all season (48-35-3), and I think this pitching matchup is actually one of the better ones we’ve had in this series.

With this total pushing double digits, I’ll take the UNDER in the series finale. 

Pick: UNDER 9 (-115 at DraftKings)

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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