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The Tampa Bay Rays will continue their three-game series with the Cleveland Guardians on Saturday at Progressive Field. We're in Ohio, sharing our MLB odds series while making a Rays-Guardians prediction and pick and evaluating both teams.
Rays-Guardians Projected Starters
Drew Rasmussen vs. Joey Cantillo
The Rays plan to use an opener for this game with the Guardians, with a bulk reliever going a few innings afterward.
Joey Cantillo (1-3) with a 5.96 ERA
Last Start: Cantillo dominated in his last outing, going seven innings, allowing one earned run on two hits while striking out 10 for his first career win, beating the Chicago White Sox.
2024 Home Splits: Cantillo is 0-1 with a 4.76 ERA over two starts at home.
Here are the MLB Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Rays-Guardian Odds
Tampa Bay Rays: +1.5 (-178)
Moneyline: +120
Cleveland Guardians: -1.5 (+146)
Moneyline: -142
Over: 8.5 (-104)
Under: 8.5 (-118)
How to Watch Rays vs. Guardians
Time: 6:10 PM ET/3:10 PM PT
TV: BSSUN
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why The Rays Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Rays have had a season to forget. They have hovered around .500, falling victim to mediocrity more often than not. Thus, they will likely miss the playoffs this season (they have not been mathematically eliminated yet). Much of this failure has been due to their pathetic offense, which continues to struggle. But there are still a couple of players who can do some damage.
Yandy Diaz has endured injuries and other setbacks this season, which have derailed what has been a mostly positive career. Regardless, he will be one of the better hitters in this game. Diaz is batting .283 with 17 hits, four home runs, and 11 runs over 15 career games against the Guardians. Moreover, he hit .308 with four hits and two RBIs in the three-game series with the Guardians at Tropicana Field earlier this season. The only other significant threat on offense is Brandon Lowe. However, he is heavily inconsistent at the plate. Tampa Bay needs more hitters to help out and have a chance of stealing a game or two this weekend.
Unsurprisingly, the team that invented the “opener” concept is still using one in 2024 and has influenced others to do it, too. Whether it has worked or not is another story. Regardless, that is likely the plan for the Rays on Saturday. This bullpen is ranked eighth in team ERA. Thus, expect them to be tougher to solve than most relievers.
The Rays will cover the spread if they can deliver some clutch hits and get on base early and often. Then, they need their bullpen to hold the fort and prevent the Guardians from getting into any groove.
Why The Guardians Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Guardians have dominated the American League Central this season and have done it with a mix of offense, defense, and pitching. Overall, they look as stout as any contender. It all starts with their hitters and how well they can drive runners home.
Steven Kwan has been one of the best leadoff hitters in baseball. Now, he hopes to continue that trend this weekend. Kwan came into the weekend with career marks of .338 with 23 hits, six RBIs, and nine runs over 15 career games against Tampa Bay. Therefore, expect him to be a key factor in this one. Jose Ramirez is one of the best bats in the game. Thus, it's no surprise that he has battered 43 hits, six home runs, 23 RBIs, and 21 runs over 45 career games against them. Josh Naylor has struggled against the Rays. Sadly, he is batting just .133 with four hits, one RBI, and one run over nine career games against Tampa Bay.
After notching his first career win, Cantillo looks for an encore. While it happened against the White Sox, he still displayed what he is capable of. Tampa Bay is not nearly as bad as the White Sox. Yet, their offense is still pitiful. This gives Cantillo a good chance of having another solid performance. When he finishes, he will turn it over to the best bullpen in baseball. Of course, having a lead means they will turn it over to Emmanuel Chase, the best closer in baseball.
The Guardians will cover the spread if they can string together some hits early and garner an early lead. Then, they need Cantillo to find the strike zone again.
Final Rays-Guardians Prediction & Pick
The Rays and Guardians are both 75-72 against the run line coming into the weekend. Tampa Bay is also 41-31 against the run line on the road, while Cleveland is 33-36 at home. Yet, it is tough to trust the Rays when they will be using an opener. Their bullpen is strong. However, using that many arms in one game does not always work well. Expect the Guardians to do enough to cover the spread in front of their fans.
Final Rays-Guardians Prediction & Pick: Cleveland Guardians -1.5 (+146)
