The Tampa Bay Rays are looking to rebound from an extremely disappointing Wild Card series loss to the Texas Rangers in 2023. They were swept in two games by a combined score of 11-1.

It was an all too familiar result for a Rays team that has now made the playoffs in five consecutive seasons but advanced to the World Series only once. Can they finally take the next step in 2024 and win their first World Series in franchise history?

What are the Rays’ odds to win the World Series, per the World Series odds at FanDuel Sportsbook?

The Tampa Bay Rays are listed at +3300 to win the World Series, the 12th-best odds.

Let's look at what we can expect from the Rays in 2024.

All MLB odds come from FanDuel Sportsbook.

Rays World Series Odds

• Odds to Win the World Series: +3300 (12th)

Rays Betting Odds

• Win Total: 84.5
• Odds to Make Playoffs: +116
• Odds to Win the AL East: +650 (4th)
• Odds to Reach ALCS: +700 (8th)
• Odds to Win the American League: +1500 (8th)

Rays Projections

nERD via numberFire. Projections via FanGraphs.

• nERD: 0.36 (10th)
• Wins: 87 (5th)
• Runs Per Game: 4.66 (14th)
• Runs Allowed Per Game: 4.33 (2nd)
• Run Differential: +53 (5th)

Rays Analysis

Although their season ended with a disappointing Wild Card loss to the Rangers, the Rays were one of the best teams in baseball in 2023. After a historic undefeated run to start the season, Tampa Bay finished with a 99-63 record, the fourth-best in baseball, but it wasn't good enough to win the AL East thanks to the Baltimore Orioles’ 101 wins.

The Rays were excellent on both sides of the ball. Their 5.31 runs scored per game was fourth-best, and their 4.1 runs allowed per game was fifth-best. They were the only team to rank inside the top five in both categories, leading to a +195 run differential that was third-best. They accomplished that despite playing in a historically competitive AL East, which saw four teams finish with a record above .500 and sent three teams to the playoffs.

The Rays' most notable offseason departure was ace Tyler Glasnow, who was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers. They also traded Manuel Margot to Los Angeles in that deal and lost setup man Robert Stephenson to the Los Angeles Angels in free agency.

New additions to the roster include infielders Richie Palacios and Jose Caballero and pitcher Ryan Pepiot.

Looking ahead, the biggest obstacle for the Rays entering 2024 is the health of three key pitchers. Shane McClanahan (115.0 innings pitched in 2023, 2.7 WAR) is recovering from Tommy John surgery, and Drew Rasmussen (44.2 IP, 1.3 WAR) will join him on the 60-day injured list to open the season and is not expected back until August at the earliest. Jeffrey Springs, who recorded a 3.6 WAR in 135.1 innings pitched in 2022, is not expected to be available until July-August. Combined with Glasnow’s move to the Dodgers, the Rays will have a tricky situation to navigate for at least the first half of 2024.

In another division, the Rays would have a better chance of successfully navigating this situation, but the AL East is expected to, once again, be the most competitive division in baseball. FanGraphs’ projections have every team projected for at least 81 wins, the only division where that is the case. The margins will be extremely thin.

That said, the Rays still project to be one of the top teams in the league. Their 87 projected wins, per FanGraphs, is fifth-best behind only the New York Yankees (89). They are projected to score the 14th-most runs per game (4.66), a decline from last season, but remain solid defensively at 4.33 runs allowed per game, up slightly from 2023 but still second-best in the majors.

Is this the year Tampa Bay finally wins the game’s ultimate prize? They aren’t the favorites, but they are certainly again in the mix.

Every Team's Odds to Win the World Series

• Los Angeles Dodgers (+320)
• Atlanta Braves (+450)
• Houston Astros (+700)
• New York Yankees (+800)
• Texas Rangers (+1400)
• Philadelphia Phillies (+1500)
• Baltimore Orioles (+1500)
• Minnesota Twins (+2000)
• Toronto Blue Jays (+2000)
• Seattle Mariners (+2000)
• St. Louis Cardinals (+3200)
• Tampa Bay Rays (+3300)
• Chicago Cubs (+3500)
• Arizona Diamondbacks (+4000)
• New York Mets (+5000)
• Boston Red Sox (+5000)
• Cincinnati Reds (+5500)
• San Diego Padres (+6000)
• Detroit Tigers (+6000)
• San Francisco Giants (+6500)
• Cleveland Guardians (+7500)
• Milwaukee Brewers (+8500)
• Miami Marlins (+9000)
• Kansas City Royals (+15000)
• Los Angeles Angels (+18000)
• Pittsburgh Pirates (+20000)
• Washington Nationals +25000)
• Chicago White Sox (+25000)
• Oakland Athletics (+50000)
• Colorado Rockies (+50000)
  

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.