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It is the start of a weekend series as the Cleveland Guardians visit the Tampa Bay Rays. It is time to continue our MLB odds series with a Guardians-Rays prediction, pick, and how to watch.
Earlier this week, the Guardians took two of four from the Toronto Blue Jays. It was a series that was all about pitching. In game one, the Guardians lost a pitchers' duel 3-1, but the Guardians shut out the Jays 1-0 the next day. For game three, it was the Guardians' turn to be shut out, falling 1-0. In game four, for the first time in the series, a starting pitcher struggled. Alex Manoah gave up four runs in four innings for the Blue Jays. The Guardians got a solid 5.2 inning and one-run performance from Noah Syndergaard, but the pitching story in the final game was more about balls and strikes. In the seventh inning, George Springer and manager John Schneider were ejected after arguing over balls and strikes.
Meanwhile, the Rays lost two of three to the St. Lous Cardinals. The story of their series was also about pitching, but not on the field. It was the Rays trying to work together a pitching rotation amid multiple pitchers currently being injured. With the two losses, the Rays dropped to 69-48, three games behind the Orioles in the division. They do still hold the top Wild Card spot though. The Guardians are 8.5 games out of the Wild Card, but have a shot at the division, just 3.5 games back of the Twins
Here are the Guardians-Rays MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Guardians-Rays Odds
Cleveland Guardians: +1.5 (-122)
Tampa Bay Rays: -1.5 (+140)
Over: 8.5 (-106)
Under: 8.5 (-114)
How To Watch Guardians vs. Rays
TV: BSGL/BSSUN
Stream: MLB.TV/ESPN+
Time: 6:40 PM ET/ 3:40 PM PT
*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Guardians Could Cover The Spread
In the four games with the Blue Jays, Guardians pitchers gave up just seven runs in 36 innings of work. That is good for a 1.75 ERA in the series, well below their season average. Still, they are third in the team ERA while sitting 13th in WHIP and 11th in opponent batting average. The Guardians are also tied for 12th in quality starts. It will be Xzavion Curry getting the start today. Traditionally a reliever, Curry has made four starts this year. In those starts, he is 0-1 with a 2.57 ERA. Last time out, he pitched well. He went five innings giving up just two runs, but took the no-decision and the White Sox beat the Guardians 5-3.
Last night the Guardians scored four runs, which is tied for the most they have scored since the start of August. The Guardians' struggles to score is nothing new for them this year. The Guardians rank 27th this season in runs scored, while sitting 18th in batting average, 24th in on-base percentage, and 28th in slugging. In the last week, the Guardians are hitting just .195 with a .258 on-base percentage. That has led to them scoring just 17 runs. Still, they have done some work on the base path, stealing eight bases in the last week.
Leading the way on the bases is Jose Ramirez. He has three stolen bases on the week, but he is hitting just .182. Still, he is getting one base. In the last week, he has a .308 on-base percentage, while he has also driven in two runs with the help of a double. While reaching Bqse eight times in the last week, he has yet to score though. This underscores the issues the Guardians have been having scoring. There are also guys hitting fairly well. Brayan Rocchio is hitting .304 in the last week with two RBIs and four doubles. He has scored three times as well. Meanwhile, Andres Gimenez is hitting .261 with an OBP of .393. He has scored three times as well, while also driving in two runs. Giminez has done this with the help of a home run and four doubles while stealing two bases.
Why The Rays Could Cover The Spread
The Rays are one of the top teams in baseball because they have a quality combination of hitting and pitching. This year, the Rays are fourth in the majors in runs scored, while sitting fourth in slugging, and tenth in batting average and on-base percentage. On the pitching side of things, they are fourth in the majors in Team ERA, while also sitting second in WHIP and first in opponent batting average. On the hill today will be Aaron Civale facing his former squad. This year, he is 5-3 with a 2.55 ERA. In his first start with the Rays, he went 4.1 innings giving up three runs, but he took his third loss of the year.
The Rays also have multiple players that are showing production on offense. Jose Siri leads the way there. In the last week, he has had six RBIs with the help of three home runs and has scored five times. Still, he is hitting just .211 and has struck out nine times. When he is making contact, it is solid, but he has struck out in nearly half of his at-bats in the last week. Curry has the stuff to cause a lot of swings and misses, so hopefully Siri can find a way to make some contact today.
Meanwhile, Yandy Diaz, Isaac Paredes, and Wander Franco all have four RBIs in the last week. Diaz has done that with the help of a home run and a double while scoring five times. He is hitting .357 in the last week as well. Paredes also has a home run and a double in the last week, but he is hitting just .143. He does have a .280 on-base percentage though. Finally, Franco has been on fire. Franco is hitting .500 in the last week, with two home runs and a triple. He has also walked twice, giving him a .538 on-base percentage, as he has scored five times.
Final Guardians-Rays Prediction & Pick
The Guardians have been getting great pitching as of late, and while Xzavion Curry is not a well-known starter, he is a quality pitcher. He has swing-and-miss stuff that could do some damage. The Rays have struck out 53 times in the last six games. That is 8.83 times per game, and once every four at-bats. Curry will take advantage of that today. Meanwhile, as Josh Naylor is not hitting great as of late, he has not had prolonged cold streaks this year and has hit much better against right-handed pitching. Further, Jose Ramirez hits much better from the left side of the plate, especially when it comes to power. Ramirez has hit 18 home runs in his career in Tampa and will add another tonight. Take the Guardians to cover in this one.
Final Guardians-Rays Prediction & Pick: Guardians +1.5 (-122)
