The Tampa Bay Rays host the Miami Marlins on June 6, 2025. First pitch from George M. Steinbrenner Field is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. EDT; the game will be broadcast on FDSFL.
Nobody needed a day off on Thursday more than Miami after getting swept at home by the Colorado Rockies.
Tampa Bay, meanwhile, was not afforded the day off, but is riding high after a three-game sweep of the Texas Rangers capped off with an exciting walk-off win on Thursday.
Read our Marlins vs Rays prediction and MLB pick below.
My Marlins vs Rays Prediction
- Marlins vs Rays Picks: Marlins ML (+154, DraftKings | Play to +140)
My Marlins vs Rays best bet is on Miami ML. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live MLB odds page.
Marlins vs Rays Odds
| Marlins Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -135 | 9 -102 / -118 | +145 |
| Rays Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +110 | 9 -102 / -118 | -185 |
Mike Ianniello’s Marlins vs Rays Preview
Miami Marlins Betting Preview
27-year-old Edward Cabrera has shown promise through his first four seasons but has struggled to remain healthy for a full season.
He started the 2025 campaign on the injured list and has since returned, making nine starts with a 4.14 ERA. He had a few blow-up outings in his first month but has appeared to settle down and find a groove as of late.
Through five starts in May, Cabrera went 2-0 with a 2.00 ERA. He allowed just six runs across 27 innings, racking up 28 strikeouts.
The improvement can be attributed to two things. Cabrera has tweaked his throwing motion slightly, lowering his arm slot to improve his pitch location and reduce the number of walks. And he is throwing his sinker much more frequently after his fastball has gotten crushed.
We know this Miami offense is starved for star power. They rank 24th among MLB lineups in runs scored, with the most significant issue being a lack of power. The Marlins get on base at a decent clip, ranking 14th in team average, but they have hit just 51 home runs this season, which ranks 27th.
Kyle Stowers is the only Marlins player with double-digit home runs, and he is sitting at 10. He is also the only regular starter with an OPS over .800.
Jesus Sanchez has been red hot at the plate, and shortstop Xavier Edwards was recently activated from the injured list to hopefully give them an injection of energy.
Tampa Bay Rays Betting Preview
Zack Littell has had a somewhat unusual career path, making it difficult to pin down.
Earlier in his career, he was a young player who seemed poised to break out. However, over the last two years, he has achieved better results than his metrics indicate, and he is fortunate that his numbers are not worse.
Littell enters Friday with a 3.86 ERA but a 4.56 xERA. He does a good job of limiting walks, but his strikeout rate has dropped to the lowest mark since his rookie year.
The big issue for Littell has always been that when he gets hard, he gets walloped. He ranks in the bottom 10% of qualified pitchers in barrel rate allowed and has given up 16 home runs.
Tampa Bay was expected to receive an offensive upgrade with the move to George M. Steinbrenner Field, but so far, the ballpark's factors have not been as noticeable on the scoreboard. The Rays rank just 14th in scoring and home runs and have a below-average team OPS.
The bright spot for Tampa Bay is that it appears the Junior Caminero era is underway. After an underwhelming rookie season, Caminero has 15 home runs on the year and is hitting .373 with a 1.329 OPS over the last two weeks.
The back half of this lineup has struggled, but Caminero, Brandon Lowe, and Jonathan Aranda have done their job at the top.
Marlins vs Rays Prediction, Betting Analysis
The Marlins desperately needed a day off after getting swept by the lowly Rockies.
Tampa Bay is riding high after sweeping the Rangers; however, that was a hard-fought series. The final two games came right down to the last out, including a wild walk-off winner on Thursday that surely took a lot out of this team.
Cabrera has struggled with injuries and consistency to start his career, but he appears to have found something recently.
During five starts in May, he posted a 2.00 ERA, allowing just six runs in 27 innings. He had 28 strikeouts to just eight walks and has tweaked his pitching motion and usage rates, lowering his arm slot and throwing his sinker more than his fastball. He is on pace to post the lowest walk rate of his career.
Littell, on the other hand, is due for big-time negative regression.
He has allowed a 12.4% barrel rate this season, and only one pitcher has given up more than the 16 home runs that Littell has served up to opponents. He doesn’t strike guys out, and he allows a ton of hard contact. That is a very dangerous recipe, and why his xERA is nearly a full run higher than his current ERA.
In his last start, Littell tossed his first-ever complete game, but he allowed 10 hits and was playing with fire for most of the game. Houston left seven runners on base. On the year, Littell has the ninth highest left on base percentage, but the highest xERA of anybody in the top 10 and the second-lowest strikeout rate of anybody in the top 50.
The Marlins had a day off to reflect on being swept by one of the worst teams in baseball history and should show up ready to play in Tampa on Friday afternoon.
With a fully rested bullpen and a pitcher who appears to have found something that is working, I like the price we are getting on the Fish.
Pick: Marlins ML (+154, DraftKings | Play to +140)
Moneyline
Take the underdog Marlins on Friday.
Run Line (Spread)
Pass.
Over/Under
Pass.
Marlins vs Rays Parlay
- Marlins ML
- Kyle Stowers HR
Parlay Odds: +600 (BetMGM)
