The Tampa Bay Rays Betting Preview for 2017 will look a lot like last season as their expectations for postseason success will start towards the bottom of the league. They finished last in the AL East, only winning 68 games, and really had a bad year across the board. That being said, the Rays do have some solid talent on their roster. Evan Longoria is still playing at a high level and Chris Archer is one of the best young pitchers in baseball, though he did have a down year to say the least in 2016. Look for him to get back to his regular form and for the Rays front office to bring in some veterans to help improve a team that’s average player age is just 27.8, which is the second-lowest in the league.
The Tampa Bay Rays have not seen a World Series since their 2008 defeat to the Philadelphia Phillies, however, the fact that the team clinched the AL East championship and claimed their first pennant during the same year shows that anything is possible. Bookmakers have the Rays with the worst odds in their division, but the team is still ahead of other teams in both the American League and National League. The current 2017 odds for the Tampa Bay Rays to win the World Series are at +7500.
Tampa Bay Rays Key Additions For 2017
The biggest addition for the Rays so far this offseason was the acquisition of catcher Wilson Ramos. The Rays were in the market for a catcher and signed him to a two-year deal with the player option for a third year. Ramos had a huge year for the Nationals last season as he hit over .300 with 20 homers and 80 RBI’s. Those numbers were good for the fourth highest average and the second most home runs and RBI’s among catchers. This Rays offseason addition will immediately help a team that has been searching for a consistent catcher for a while now. They will certainly be looking to add a couple of other pieces but Ramos is a great add to start the offseason.
Tampa Bay Rays Key Departures For 2017
The Rays went into the offseason having four pending free agents, and just two of those four played a significant amount of time. Those two are Logan Morrison and Alexei Ramirez, both of whom, the team is unlikely to re-sign. Both players underwhelmed during their first season with the team and aren’t worth signing to new contracts.
The Rays key departures will likely come in the form of trades as there are rumors swirling that they could be looking to trade closer Alex Colome, and starting pitcher Chris Archer. Both of these players would need to yield a very high return for the Rays to actually go through with a trade but the fact that they are open to hearing offers is worth noting. Colome is the team’s best relief pitcher and Chris Archer is one of the best young pitchers in all of baseball. If there is a trade, it would likely just be one or the other.
Rays Farm Prospects To Look For In 2017
The Rays top prospect in their farm system is Willy Adames, a 21-year-old shortstop who started his career with Detroit but was traded after the Tigers traded for David Price. Adames is a great defensive prospect though his size could lead him to a switch to either second or third. He has a great arm and is consistent in the batter’s box as well. Though he isn’t projected to make the jump until 2018, the Rays could be in the market for a SS if they don’t bring back Alexei Ramirez.
Another name to keep your ears perked for is Brent Honeywell. With the potential for there to be an opening in the Rays bullpen and maybe even their starting lineup, Honeywell could get called up to help fill that need. He really impressed this past season in the minors and clearly has the stuff to compete in the majors. His fastball stays around the low 90’s but it’s his screwball that freezes batters at the plate. The Rays are notorious for not rushing their pitching prospects but Honeywell might be an exception.
Finally, the team’s third-ranked prospect, Jake Bauers is another guy with a chance to get called up in 2017. Bauer plays first-base but last season helped his minor league club out in the outfield and really impressed out there too. Bauer’s versatility could play a big factor into him being brought up to help a team that was last in the Majors in outfield assists. The depth and range he could bring would be a welcomed addition.
Making Your First Baseball Betting Deposit
When you are ready to start making money off of betting on the Rays, you will need to first add funds to your sportsbook account. Making your initial deposit at an online sportsbook is never complicated when using a reputable sports betting site. After you have created your account, visit the cashiering tab to view the available funding methods. While all payment options may not be relevant to bettors in certain countries, the cashier takes the guesswork out for you. Your account will only show the deposit options that are applicable to your individual account. There are some deposit methods that are universally common, each with their own minimum and maximum limits. Credit cards are extremely popular worldwide and are one of the fastest deposit methods available. Bitcoin, Neteller, and Skrill are also expedient online payment systems that transfer funds in one click. Bank wires and checks are excellent for high-rollers and those that want to deposit large amounts at one time. One perk of making your initial deposit is that even if a fee is typically attached to the payment method, the sportsbook will waive the fee. When we preview MLB betting, Bovada and BetOnline are both sports betting sites known for their fast and reliable deposit options.
Best Deposit Methods For Baseball Bettors
Though there are numerous deposit methods at the disposal of baseball bettors, some funding options are more fitting than others. Regardless of if you are betting recreationally or are at a more professional level, you will want to use the fastest and most reliable deposit methods. The best online deposit methods for MLB bettors are credit cards and Bitcoin payments.
Credit cards are an excellent option because you can choose from Visa, MasterCard, or American Express. There is also an option to use Visa gift cards, they just have to specify that they are good for international purchases. No matter which card you have in your wallet, your cash will be credited to your account immediately. The minimum deposit is around $20, and the maximum is about $5,000. There are transaction fees that will be between 4% and 7%, but when you factor in the level of convenience the fee is worth it.
Bitcoin is a peer-to-peer payment system that has become the go-to for baseball bettors. Bitcoin is a secure system that has been adopted by players from all over the world because it is easy to convert. The convenience of being able to use a single currency at multiple sportsbooks regardless of location is a major perk. The transfer process is also extremely fast, with a bettor only needing the sportsbook’s Bitcoin wallet address to initiate a deposit. The minimum and maximum limits are similar to those of credit cards ($20- $5,000+), with the added benefit of no transaction fees. Bitcoin is one of the best deposit methods for bettors.
What Are Online Sportsbook Deposit Bonuses?
Every online sports betting site will offer deposit bonuses that can be used to make bets with the sportsbook. These bonuses may be for those who are new to the site or those that have already made deposits in the past. New bettors will typically be offered the highest deposit bonuses, but there are other factors to consider when deciding to redeem a bonus.
There will always be a rollover requirement affiliated with a deposit bonus no matter how much it is. The rollover is the number of times that a player has to wager the deposit + bonus amount. If you were to take advantage of Bovada’s 50% Welcome Bonus that matches deposits up to $250, there would be a 5-time rollover requirement (i.e $500 deposit + $250 bonus = $750 x 5 for a total amount of $3,750 that must be wagered). There are other deposit bonuses that will have much higher requirements, but depending on how much you plan on betting the rollover may be reasonable. You will also have to wait at least 30 days before making a withdrawal if you use a bonus, and this can be an important consideration if want to make multiple payout requests per month.
The last aspect of deposit bonuses that bettors should be familiar with is the speed in which the deposit will be credited. You may assume that the funds will be available immediately, but this simply is not the case. While SportsBetting will instantly credit your bonus reward with their 25% Lifetime Bonus, 5Dimes has a new player reward that is disbursed incrementally with each wager that is placed. Though the entire bonus amount will eventually go into your account, you will have to pace your wager amounts accordingly.
You may be familiar with just one type of baseball odds, but in reality, there are various forms that odds are written in. The type of odds that you see will mostly rely on the bettors that the sportsbook caters to, such as American odds for books that serve those in North America and decimal odds for European bookmakers. Fractional odds are common when using sportsbooks that get a lot of UK traffic. No matter where you reside, it can be beneficial to learn how to read baseball odds in all of its varied forms.
The decimal odds format is the only type that displays your total return (including the stake) when calculating the payout. For example, if the Tampa Bay Rays have 2.83 betting odds, you would multiply 2.38 X $100 stake for a total return of $238. It really does not get much simpler than that. If the odds are less than 2.0 then there is a greater risk (favorite) and if the odds are more than 2.0 there is a higher potential profit (underdog). 2.0 odds will indicate an even bet.
Fractional odds are written so that you can see your profit in relation to the stake that you put in. The format is a simple win/risk ratio. If faced with 10/15 odds, a winning bet would yield $100 with a $150 stake. There is no symbol that denotes the favorite from the underdog, however a team with odds less than 1 requires a higher stake and lower profit such as in the example above, while the opposite can be said for a team with odds greater than 1.
Learning the various wager types for betting on baseball can seem overwhelming at first. There are straight bets where you just bet on one side to win, and then more complex exotic bets that take longer to master. Many bettors will wager on the moneyline, which is where you bet on either the favorite or underdog to win the game outright. If you bet on the run line, you will pick which team can cover the 1.5 spread in either direction. The underdog (+1.5) would need to lose by 1 run or win the game, while the favorite (-1.5) would need to win by 2 runs. Totals are also a popular baseball wager type where the oddsmakers set a total score for the game and bettors wager on if the number of runs will go over or under that amount. You can also opt to bet on the first five innings, which is an option only available to baseball bettors. You can bet on the total or outright winner just as you would with other wager types, but only the first five innings come into play instead of the full nine. Rather than having to consider the bullpen, you can make a bet based on the performance of the starting pitcher.
Baseball betting trends and statistics are just a standard part of MLB betting. No other sport gets as detailed as baseball does when it comes to numbers, but this also gives bettors a unique advantage. When you know which statistics to look out for, you can better predict the outcome of a game. Sabermetrics have become increasingly useful throughout the years, replacing some of the more traditional stats that bettors used in the past. xFIP (adjusted fielding independent pitching) measures the aspects of the game that the pitcher has a direct influence on. Fly ball rates, strikeouts, hit by pitches, and walks are taken into consideration to get a true picture of the pitcher’s individual performance. Though ERA (earned run percentage) is still a commonly used statistic by baseball bettors, xFIP is a better gauge of the pitcher's production. Team OBP (on base percentage) is very self-explanatory but can be a very useful tool in predicting runs. The general perception is that the more players a team has on base, the run chances there are to score runs. Calculating the team’s average runs scored is another simple stat, but by dividing the total runs by the total number of games played you can judge a team’s aptitude to score runs.
The Most Reliable Deposits For Betting On The Tampa Bay Rays
Bovada online sportsbook is one of the premiere online sportsbooks for baseball betting. The sports betting site has a reputation for being one of the most professional sportsbooks in the industry, in both design and customer service. Representatives are available from the time you sign up for a free account, to the times that you have questions on a specific promotion. Bovada works to make sure that their baseball bettors have a comprehensive betting experience. When betting on the Tampa Bay Rays, you will have a multitude of wagering options. If you have questions about a particular baseball wagering type, there are also helpful guides that you can read through to get a better understanding of parlays, moneylines, totals, and 5-inning lines.
Bovada also has reliable deposit methods that are always expedient. You can use your Visa or MasterCard, or an international gift card. The transaction fees are always low, and the money is credited to your account instantly. You can also use Bitcoin for speedy deposits, and there is no fee when using your Bitcoin wallet. Just send the funds to the wallet address provided by the sportsbook and click submit. Your cash will be reflected on your sportsbook account in minutes. You can create a Bovada online sportsbook account now and begin placing bets on the Rays in less than an hour!