Rays vs. Astros: How to Watch Friday Night's Game

The Tampa Bay Rays and the Houston Astros will face each other on Friday, July 3, at 8:15 p.m. Eastern Time. The game will be played at Daikin Park in Houston, Texas. This matchup kicks off a three-game series between two teams heading in very different directions in the standings. Fans can watch the game live on Apple TV+, so a streaming subscription is needed to tune in.

The Rays come into this series as one of the best teams in baseball. They hold a strong 51-33 record and sit in first place in the American League East. Their starting pitcher, Nick Martinez, has been excellent this year. Martinez carries a 7-2 record and a 2.66 ERA, meaning he gives up very few runs per game on average.

The Astros have had a tougher season so far. Houston is 43-46, which puts them in third place in the AL West. Spencer Arrighetti will start on the mound for the Astros. He has a 7-4 record and a 4.00 ERA, and he will need a strong outing to help his team win against a hot Rays squad.

Both teams are dealing with several players on the injured list. The Astros are missing big names like Carlos Correa, who is out 60 days with an ankle injury, and Lance McCullers, who is on the 15-day injured list with a shoulder problem. The Rays are also shorthanded, with players like Ryan Pepiot and Gavin Lux sidelined for 60 days due to hip and shoulder injuries.

Even with injuries, both teams have some powerful hitters to watch. Houston's Yordan Alvarez is one of the best hitters in all of baseball this season. He is batting .319 with 26 home runs and leads the entire MLB with an OPS of 1.053, which is a stat that measures how good a hitter is overall. Alvarez has also driven in 60 runs and scored 59 times this year.

For the Rays, young star Junior Caminero has been a standout at the plate. He has slugged 24 home runs this season, which ranks fifth in all of baseball. Caminero also has 54 RBIs and 54 runs scored, making him one of the most exciting young players in the league. Teammate Yandy Diaz has been steady too, hitting .326 with 12 home runs and 53 RBIs.

When it comes to betting odds, this game is very even. Both the Rays and the Astros have a moneyline of -110, which means oddsmakers see neither team as a clear favorite. The total runs line is set at 9, meaning bettors can wager on whether both teams will combine for more or fewer than 9 runs. These numbers suggest experts expect a close and competitive game on Friday night.