Rays vs. Tigers Prediction, MLB Picks for Monday, August 24

The first pitch of the matchup between the Tampa Bay Rays (77-53) and the Detroit Tigers (61-69) is set for 6:40 p.m. ET on Monday, August 24, with the Rays favored and returning a 1.69x payout to win, via PrizePicks.

The Tigers and Rays will open a three-game series, with both teams needing wins. Tampa Bay has lost three straight series, and its lead in the American League East is shrinking. The Tigers have dropped five straight games but remain in contention in the AL Wild Card race. 

Below, we'll break down our Rays vs. Tigers prediction and picks for Monday’s MLB matchup, including the run line, over/under, and key player picks for PrizePicks.

Make your Rays vs. Tigers prediction on PrizePicks for tonight’s game.

{{mlb_offer_banner="/style-system/ui-components-playbook"}}

Rays vs. Tigers Prediction, Winner Payout, Over/Under – Monday, August 24

The Rays will start Drew Rasmussen (3.21 xFIP in 134.1 IP, 24 starts). Rasmussen is having another stellar year, including his second straight All-Star appearance. He’s been one of the top starters in baseball, boasting a league-leading 0.945 WHIP, a 5.58 K/BB ratio, and a career-best 1.7 BB/9.

The Rays are currently going through a rough stretch. At the beginning of August, they went on a nine-game winning streak and built a six-game lead in the division. Since then, they are 3-7, and that lead has shrunk to 3.5 games over the Yankees. 

The Tigers will counter with SP Framber Valdez (4.22 xFIP in 138.2 IP, 25 starts). Valdez was one of the Tigers' top free-agent signings of the offseason following eight seasons and a pair of All-Star appearances with the Astros. 

Valdez has been far from the star he was with Houston, posting some of the worst numbers of his career. His 4.35 ERA, 4.15 FIP, 9.1 H/9, and 7.2 K/9 are each his second-worst ever. August has been better for Valdez, seeing him go 3-1 with a 3.55 ERA, but all three of those wins have came against teams with losing records.

The inconsistency of Valdez is only a small part of the disappointing 2026 Tigers. There was optimism for Detroit heading into this season after last year’s impressive second-half comeback to reach the playoffs, when they beat the Guardians but lost to the Mariners in the ALDS.

However, Detroit didn't capitalize on that momentum. This season has been brutal, and the team hasn't had a winning record since April 24. To make matters worse, it traded away two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal, leaving the Tigers without a definitive ace now and potentially in the future.

The parity in the AL still has the Tigers in contention with a few other teams for a Wild Card spot. Although they are eight games under .500, they're only 3.5 games behind the final Wild Card opening.

Rays vs. Tigers Winner Payout, Over/Under – Monday, August 24

The Rays enter Monday’s game as road favorites against the Tigers, returning a 1.69x payout if they win outright, via PrizePicks Team Picks.

Here are the full payouts for the Rays vs. Tigers game on PrizePicks.

Play the Rays vs. Tigers spread or over/under on PrizePicks Team Picks to earn real money — available in 36 states!

Team Picks data is live at the time of writing and is subject to change.

Rays vs. Tigers Prediction on Winner – 8/24/26

Here are the key game stats and trends behind our Rays vs. Tigers prediction on the run line for Monday, August 24.

Lock in your Rays vs. Tigers prediction on PrizePicks now.

Unless otherwise noted, data used in this article is from Baseball Savant or FanGraphs.

• The Rays have won each of Rasmussen’s last seven starts.
• Valdez has lost his last three starts against teams with winning records.
• The Rays have a 23-13 record against left-handed starters, the third-best in the league.
• Rasmussen is allowing a 32.9% hard-hit rate, which ranks in the 86th percentile. The Tigers are struggling, posting just a 36.4% hard-hit rate since July 24, ranking 22nd in MLB.
• Valdez is struggling to generate swings and misses, posting a 20.6% whiff rate (13th percentile). This matchup could be challenging against the Rays, who have the league's best whiff rate (20.5%).

Rays vs. Tigers Picks, Player Stats for PrizePicks: 8/24/26

Here are the top Rays vs. Tigers picks to target on Monday, August 24. Today’s MLB picks for PrizePicks include Yandy Díaz and Colt Keith.

Rays DH Yandy Diaz vs. Tigers: 6.5 Hitter Fantasy Score

• Diaz is currently one of the league’s hottest hitters, ranking fifth in xBA (.342) and ninth in wOBA (.464) since August 9.
• It is difficult to get Diaz to swing and miss, as he has a 14.5% whiff rate that ranks in the 94th percentile. That is a significant disadvantage for Valdez.
• Diaz also has the ability to crush the ball, posting a 47.3% hard-hit rate (84th percentile). Hard-hit rate is yet another area where Valdez falls short at 43.7% (12th percentile).
• Valdez throws the sinker on 42% of his pitches to right-handed hitters. Diaz has been stellar against sinkers, owning just a 7.6% whiff rate and a healthy 51.6% hard-hit rate.

Add Yandy Diaz to your PrizePicks Lineup now.

{{mlb_offer_banner="/style-system/ui-components-playbook"}}

Tigers 3B Colt Keith vs. Rays: 1.5 Hits + Runs + RBI

• Keith has been hot lately as well, ranking third in hard-hit rate (69.2%) and 13th in wOBA (.508) in the last week of play.
• Keith has an excellent 20.7% whiff rate, placing him in the 70th percentile. That could be an advantage against Rasmussen, who’s allowing a 25.0% whiff rate, which ranks in the 48th percentile.
• The majority of Keith’s success has come against right-handed pitchers. He has struggled notably against lefties, including a .136 wOBA compared to a .342 wOBA against righties.
• Rasmussen throws his cutter and sinker a combined 66% of the time against right-handed hitters. Keith has done well against both offerings, earning a .310 xBA against the cutter and a .305 xBA against the sinker.

Add Colt Keith to your PrizePicks Lineup now.

Make Rays vs. Tigers Picks on PrizePicks

Despite the large gap in records, both the Rays and Tigers could reach the postseason. Tampa Bay has its top starter going tonight as it looks to win its eighth straight game with Rasmussen on the mound, while Valdez attempts to win his fourth in August for Detroit.

Don’t wait until the first pitch happens — make your Rays vs. Tigers picks on PrizePicks now and earn real money if you’re right.

Pick players, predict More or Less on their stats, and cash in if you’re right. With Team Picks, you can make predictions on MLB game winners, spreads, and over/unders, now available in 36 states.

Stay locked in on Playbook for daily MLB predictions, picks, and news every day all the way through the 2026 MLB season.