Pirates vs Rays Picks and Prediction – 4/2/2025

The Pittsburgh Pirates complete a three-game series on the road Wednesday versus the Tampa Bay Rays. Pittsburgh is 1-4 and fourth in the National League Central, 2 ½ games behind first place St Louis. Pittsburgh lost to Tampa Bay 6-1 in the opening game of the series on Monday. The Pirates have lost three straight following their only win of the season. Keep up to date with all the MLB action with our expert MLB picks.

Isiah Kiner-Falefa is batting .333 to lead Pittsburgh and has team highs in hits with five and .474 on-base percentage. Oneil Cruz is tied for the lead in home runs with two others at one, while Adam Frazier is the leader in RBI with three. On Wednesday, the Pittsburgh Pirates will send Paul Skenes to the mound. The right-hander is 0-0 with a 3.38 ERA, 7 Ks, and 2 BBs.

The Tampa Bay Rays improved to 3-1 with Monday's five-run win. The Rays are second in the American League East, a half-game behind first-place New York. Jake Mangum was 4-for-4 in Monday's victory for Tampa Bay, with a pair of hits from each side of the plate in just his second major league game. Tampa Bay has won two straight.

Junior Caminero is batting .429 to lead Tampa Bay and has a team-high six hits. Kameron Misner is tied with Brandon Lowe for the lead in home runs with one apiece. Jose Caballero is the leader in RBI with three. Tampa Bay is batting .292 with a .408 slugging percentage. On Wednesday, Tampa Bay will send Ryan Pepiot to the mound. The right-hander is 0-0 with a 1.50 ERA, 8 Ks, and 1 BBs.

The play here is UNDER. The UNDER has cashed in the 13th of Pittsburgh's last 20 and 16 of Tampa Bay's last. Pittsburgh is 2-3 on the over/under this season, while Tampa Bay is 1-3 on the over/under. Pittsburgh ace Paul Skenes threw 5.1 innings on opening day, allowing two runs on three hits, while Tampa Bay starter Ryan Pepiot pitched well in his season opener, allowing two runs on six hits across six innings. Final Score Prediction, Tampa Bay Rays win but our best play is UNDER 3-2.