Day baseball between the Detroit Tigers (24-38) and Tampa Bay Rays (36-22) highlights Wednesday’s early MLB slate. After losing 21 of their previous 25 games entering this three-game series, the Tigers have won the first two contests against the Rays, including an 8-0 shutout victory Tuesday night. Detroit will now look to complete the sweep Wednesday afternoon with young right-hander Troy Melton on the mound.
Melton is making just his third start of the 2026 season, but the 25-year-old has pitched well through his first two outings. He is 1-0 with a 1.42 ERA and tossed seven strong innings of six-hit, one-run baseball in his last start against the Chicago White Sox.
Opposing him will be Nick Martinez, who is also enjoying a successful first season with the Rays. After spending most of his career as a swingman, the veteran right-hander has worked exclusively as a starter in 2026, posting a 5-1 record with a 1.62 ERA across 11 starts.
The Rays have hit a bit of a rough patch lately, losing seven of their last nine games and seeing their AL East lead shrink to one game over the New York Yankees. Tampa Bay will look to salvage the series before heading to Miami for the Battle of Florida.
Tigers vs. Rays Current Odds
The Rays may have dropped the first two games of the series, but they remain one of the best teams in baseball and are listed as home favorites at Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook for Wednesday afternoon’s finale:
- Moneyline: Rays -150, Tigers +125
- Run Line: Rays -1.5 (+140), Tigers +1.5 (-170)
- Total (Runs): Over 8.5 (-105), Under 8.5 (-115)
Tigers vs. Rays Picks & Predictions for June 3
Want to get in on the baseball betting action Wednesday without waiting all day for a result? Head over to Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook and check out the Stats Hub to see how both teams and their players are trending.
Here’s a featured pick from the Stats Hub for Wednesday’s series finale:
Tigers vs. Rays Best Bet: Troy Melton Under 3.5 Strikeouts
Troy Melton has pitched well for Detroit this season, albeit in a very small sample size. However, he has not shown himself to be a strikeout pitcher.
In his first start of the season, Melton recorded three strikeouts across 5.2 innings. He followed that up with just one strikeout over seven innings in his last outing. For his professional career, Melton has 40 strikeouts in 58.1 innings, so generating strikeouts has not been a major part of his profile.
On the other side, the Rays enter Wednesday with the fewest strikeouts in MLB this season at 421. While Tampa Bay has struck out more than usual in the first two games of this series, eight times in the opener and 10 times Tuesday night, both games ended in losses.
- Tigers vs. Rays Player Prop Pick for June 3: Troy Melton Under 3.5 Strikeouts (-125)
Top 5 Most-Bet Player Props for DET-TB
Junior Caminero enters Wednesday’s series finale riding a five-game hitting streak after recently seeing a nine-game streak snapped on May 27, making his hits prop the most-bet player prop heading into first pitch:
- Junior Caminero – Hits Over 0.5
- Junior Caminero – Home Runs Over 0.5
- Riley Greene – Hits Over 0.5
- Riley Greene – Home Runs Over 0.5
- Yandy Díaz – To Record 1+ Hits
Tigers vs. Rays Betting Splits
Here’s how the action is trending at Hard Rock Bet as the Rays look to avoid a sweep at home:
- The Rays are heavily backed on the moneyline with 70.35% of bets and 89.22% of the handle.
- Tampa Bay is also drawing most of the run line action with 59.38% of bets and 87.71% of the handle.
- The Over is by far the most popular total play, attracting 81.53% of bets and 74.06% of the handle.
Tigers vs. Rays Game Info
- 📍 Where: Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, FL
- 📅 Date: Wednesday, June 3
- ⏰ First Pitch: 1:10 PM ET
- 📺💻 TV/Streaming: MLB.TV
- ⚾ Probable Pitchers:
- Tigers: Troy Melton
- Rays: Nick Martinez
More Ways to Bet
One swing can cash your ticket, but until then, Florida players can keep things interesting with Real Money Games powered by Past Motor Racing, only on Hard Rock Bet. It’s another way to stay engaged between plate appearances.
Referenced odds are subject to change.
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