RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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After having finished under .500 each of the past two years, not much was expected of the Tampa Bay Rays in 2026. But with two months remaining in the season, they're making a run for the fifth American League East title in franchise history.
The AL-best Rays (62-43) continue their charge toward the crown when they host the AL West-leading Texas Rangers (54-52) at 6:40 p.m. ET in the opener of their three-game series at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla. Tampa Bay, which owns a 2.5-game lead over the New York Yankees in the East, is coming off a three-game sweep of the Cleveland Guardians and has bounced back from a season-worst five-game losing streak by winning six of its last seven contests.
The Rays, who haven't won the AL East since setting the franchise record with 100 victories in 2021, have the best home record in the major leagues this year at 38-15. They've won or split 14 of their 17 series at the Trop (12-3-2), sweeping eight, and are 11-1-2 since losing two of their first three sets.
Texas is two games ahead of the Houston Astros and 2.5 in front of Seattle in the West after having won three of four against the Mariners at home this past weekend. The Rangers, who have missed the postseason each of the last two seasons after winning their first World Series championship in 2023, are seeking their eighth division title and first in 10 years.
Tuesday's MLB evening schedule features 14 other games, including the middle contest of the three-game series between the Baltimore Orioles (52-55) and Detroit Tigers (50-57) at 6:40 p.m. ET at Comerica Park. The Orioles handed the Tigers their third straight loss with an 8-5 triumph in Monday's opener and are two games back in the AL Wild Card race.
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Meanwhile, the Houston Astros (53-55) attempt to post their seventh win in eight games when they visit the Los Angeles Angels (42-65) at 9:38 p.m. ET for the second contest of their three-game series at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, Calif. Houston overcame an early four-run deficit in the opener with a late rally and recorded a 6-4 victory to remain two games behind Texas in the AL West and get within 1.5 of the third AL wild-card spot.
The Rays are -180 favorites against the Rangers in the latest consensus MLB odds, while the Tigers are -143 favorites versus the Orioles. The Astros and Angels both are -109 in their contest.
Below is a snapshot of what to watch and bet for Tuesday, July 28. All times Eastern
Time: 6:40 p.m. | Location: St. Petersburg, Fla. | TV: MLB.TV | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine picks -- Model : Rangers +1.5 (-143) | Expert : Rays ML (-172, Matt Severance)
Tampa Bay has been a bit miserly since being swept of a four-game series by the Boston Red Sox to start the second half of the season, allowing three runs or fewer in seven consecutive contests. The Rays concluded their three-game sweep of the Cleveland Guardians this past weekend with back-to-back shutouts. But Texas scored at least four in each of its four games against Seattle, and the SportsLine Projection Model expects the club to put up a good fight against the Rays as the Rangers cover the run line in 65% of its simulations. SportsLine expert Matt Severance (138-78-2, +1654 on his last 218 MLB picks) believes Tampa Bay will prevail, however, as it was idle Monday while Texas took on the Mariners and had to travel afterward.
Time: 6:40 p.m. | Location: Detroit | TV: MLB.TV | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine picks -- Model : Orioles +1.5 (-169) | Expert : Tigers ML (-135, Eric Cohen)
The Orioles have won 10 of their last 14 games to remain relevant in the AL Wild Card race, and three of those losses were by one run. The Tigers have lost three straight following a pair of one-run victories. Baltimore is 3-1 against Detroit this season, and the SportsLine Projection Model thinks the Orioles can at least keep it close Tuesday as its simulations have the Orioles covering the run line 60% of the time. SportsLine expert Eric Cohen (25-8, +1724 on his last 33 MLB picks) is backing the Tigers to halt their three-game slide behind right-hander Troy Melton , who owns a sparkling 1.95 ERA and has allowed more than two runs just once in his 10 starts this year.
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Time: 9:38 p.m. | Location: Anaheim, Calif. | TV: MLB.TV | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine picks -- Model : Angels +1.5 (-182) | Expert: Peter Lambert Under 5.5 hits allowed (0148, PropBetGuy)
Each of the Astros' last nine games have been decided by two or more runs, including the opener of their three-game series with the Angels. But Los Angeles went 4-3 against Houston in the first half of the season, and its lone home loss was a 5-4 setback in 10 innings. The Angels posted an extra-inning victory in Houston right-hander Peter Lambert's first start against them this year, and the SportsLine Projection Model sees them battling hard this time around as its simulations have them covering the run line 68% of the time. The 29-year-old Lambert has allowed fewer than six hits in 13 of his 17 turns this season, including his outing against Los Angeles. SportsLine props expert PropBetGuy (57-31, +1857 on his last 88 MLB player prop picks) is backing him to continue that trend Tuesday.
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