The Cleveland Guardians will battle with the Tampa Bay Rays as the team AL teams meet on Saturday at Tropicana Field. It's time to continue our MLB odds coverage with a Guardians-Rays prediction and pick.
The Guardians defeated the Rays 4-1 on Friday. It was 1-1 in the third inning when Jose Ramirez approached the plate with a runner on base. Then, Ramirez blasted a two-run bomb into deep center field. The home run was the 21st of the season for Ramirez, giving the Guardians a 3-1 lead. Later, Ramirez struck again with an RBI single to give the Guardians a 4-1 advantage. He finished with three RBIs, contributing to all the go-ahead runs in the victory. Shane Bieber went seven innings, allowing one earned run on five hits with eight strikeouts to pick up the victory.
The Guardians will go with Zach Plesac today. Plesac is 2-8 with a 4.09 ERA. Recently, he went five innings while allowing three earned runs on three hits with four strikeouts and three walks. It has not been a good month for Plesac, as he is 0-3 with a 5.03 ERA in four starts this month. Significantly, he has struggled against the Rays throughout his career, going 0-1 with a 6.17 ERA over two starts.
The Rays will go with Corey Kluber on the hill. Kluber is 6-6 with a 3.91 ERA. Recently, he went five innings while allowing five runs (four earned) on seven hits with two strikeouts. Kluber has had mixed results in July, going 3-2 with a 5.19 ERA over five starts this month. He has faced the team that drafted him once, tossing six scoreless innings while allowing four hits in a walk last year while pitching for the New York Yankees.
Here are the Guardians-Rays MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Guardians-Rays Odds
Cleveland Guardians: +1.5 (-178)
Tampa Bay Rays: -1.5 (+146)
Over: 7.5 (-110)
Under: 7.5 (-110)
Why The Guardians Could Cover The Spread
Ramirez was the catalyst in last night's game and has been awesome for the Guardians in 2022. He is batting .287 with 21 home runs, 83 RBIs, and 57 runs. Likewise, he has remained consistent in July, batting .261 with five home runs, 20 RBIs, and 11 runs. After last night, Ramirez is now batting .269 with six home runs, 29 RBIs, and 18 runs in his career against the Rays.
Josh Naylor has been consistently good for the Guardians in 2022. He is batting .282 with 14 home runs, 53 RBIs, and 32 runs. However, he did not play in last night's game, so today could be his season debut against Tampa. Naylor is having a good month, batting .333 with five home runs, 12 RBIs, and 10 runs over 19 games. Conversely, he has struggled against the Rays in his career, going .143 (1 for 7) over three games against Tampa.
The Guardians will cover the spread if Ramirez and Naylor contribute and execute their opportunities. Likewise, Cleveland needs Plesac to have a good game against the Rays. If he can generate at least five to six innings of quality baseball, it should help the Guardians.
Why The Rays Could Cover The Spread
Randy Arozarena is not having the best season but remains one of the bigger threats in the Tampa lineup. He is batting .255 with 12 home runs, 47 RBIs, and 43 runs. Also, Arozarena has kept the consistency in July, batting .264 with five home runs, 14 RBIs, and 10 runs in the month. He went 0 for 3 last night and will look to recover. The performance brought his stats against the Guardians down, as he is now batting .208 (5 for 24) with an RBI and six runs in his career against Cleveland.
Brandon Lowe is not great, but he is one of the few healthy options in the lineup. He is batting .234 with six home runs, 14 RBIs, and 25 runs. However, Lowe is having a good month, batting .300 with a home run, two RBI, and five runs in July. He went 0 for 4 last night, so he will look to adjust and garner some hits. Now, Lowe is batting .254 with five home runs, 12 RBIs, and 10 runs in his career against the Guardians.
The Rays will cover the spread if they can hold the Guardians to under four runs. They are a team that does not score much, so they rely heavily on their pitching staff. Ultimately, it will be up to Kluber to shut his former team down.
Final Guardians-Rays Prediction & Pick
The Guardians are behind the Rays in the standings and hope to catch them soon. However, Tampa will throw out one of their best. Kluber is locked, loaded, and ready to face the Guardians. Expect the Rays to garner just enough runs to support their starter. Then, look for the Rays to cover the spread.
Final Guardians-Rays Prediction & Pick: Tampa Bay Rays: -1.5 (+146)
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