MLB Games Feature Rays, Padres, Braves, Red Sox Thursday

On Thursday, MLB action features several notable matchups with betting perspectives highlighted. The Arizona Diamondbacks lead their series 2-1 against the San Diego Padres, with Eduardo Rodriguez starting for Arizona and Randy Vasquez for San Diego; the Diamondbacks have shown strong recent performance, winning 8-2 in their last game. In the AL East rivalry, the Tampa Bay Rays visit the Boston Red Sox, where the Rays' Taj Bradley (5-6, 4.79 ERA) faces off against Boston's Walker Buehler (6-6, 6.25 ERA); the Rays have a strong record in Thursday night road games and are favored given recent Red Sox struggles in similar matchups. The Atlanta Braves face the Oakland Athletics, with Spencer Strider pitching for the Braves and JP Sears for the Athletics; betting trends favor the Athletics as underdogs given the Braves' recent difficulties covering the run line. These games highlight pitching matchups and recent form as key factors for bettors to consider across these competitive MLB contests.