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Stan Szeto / USA TODAY Sports

After splitting the first two games, the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Tampa Bay Rays will square off in a pivotal Game 3 of the 2020 World Series on Friday evening. Walker Buehler will take the ball for the Dodgers as they aim to bounce back from a Game 2 loss. For the Rays, Charlie Morton will be on the hill as they look to continue their upward trajectory from Wednesday's win. 

First pitch for Game 3 is set for 8:08 p.m. ET. William Hill lists the Dodgers as -145 money line favorites, down from opening at -153. The over-under, or total number of runs expected, is 7.5 in the latest Rays vs. Dodgers odds. Before making any Dodgers vs. Rays picks for Game 3, check out the latest MLB predictions from the SDQL Gurus over at SportsLine. 

They're a group of data scientists who use artificial intelligence, risk management and the Sports Data Query Language (SDQL) database to capitalize on inefficiencies in the betting market. Entering Game 3 of the 2020 World Series, the SDQL Gurus are an impressive 149-88 on MLB picks, returning their followers over $1,200. They're 3-1 on World Series money line and over-under picks thus far.

Overnight, the SDQL Gurus ran 50 million database queries, each of which describes a different handicapping situation for Game 3 of Dodgers vs. Rays in the 2020 World Series. You can visit SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are the MLB odds from William Hill and trends for Rays vs. Dodgers:

  • Dodgers vs. Rays money line: Dodgers -145, Rays +135
  • Dodgers vs. Rays over-under: 7.5 runs
  • Dodgers vs. Rays spread: Dodgers -1.5
  • LAD: The Dodgers are 14-4 in the last 18 games
  • TB: The Rays are 8-5 in the last 13 games

Why you should back the Dodgers

The Dodgers are sending a top-flight starting pitcher to the mound in Game 3. Buehler posted a strong 3.44 ERA in the regular season, and he has been even better in the playoffs. In four postseason starts, Buehler boasts a 1.89 ERA with 29 strikeouts in 19 innings pitched, and he was tremendous against the Atlanta Braves in the NLCS, navigating 11 innings while striking out 13 and allowing only one run. 

On the offensive side, Los Angeles is absolutely loaded, including star power at the top. Corey Seager is tied for the playoff lead with seven home runs, and he is second in doubles (four) while producing a 1.161 OPS. Mookie Betts is one of the best players in baseball, and the talented outfielder has a 1.057 OPS in the last five games, while also contributing elite defense and base-running on a nightly basis. 

Why you should back the Rays

The Rays are not elite offensively in the way the Dodgers are, but they have a few standout performers to lean on in this matchup. Randy Arozarena has been one of the stars of the 2020 postseason, hitting seven home runs during Tampa Bay's run. Arozarena hit four home runs and produced a 1.152 OPS in the ALCS, and he reached base three times in Tampa Bay's Game 2 win over Los Angeles. 

From there, Brandon Lowe was one of the best hitters in baseball during the regular season, slugging .554 and blasting 14 home runs. He struggled in the playoffs before Game 2 but, on Wednesday, he broke out with two home runs. Tampa Bay also led the league in bullpen WAR this season, finishing third in ERA (3.37) and second in walk rate (2.9 per nine innings). The Rays can rely on their run prevention in this spot as a result, leaning on an effective starter in Morton and putting a strong defensive product on the field behind him.

How to make Dodgers vs. Rays picks

The SDQL Gurus are leaning over on the total and they've also found an alarming 17-0 betting trend that makes one side of the money line a huge value. Head to SportsLine now to see the pick. 

So who wins Rays vs. Dodgers? And which side of the money line has all the value? Visit SportsLine now to see which side to jump on, all from the group of data scientists who have returned over $1,200 on MLB picks.