The Tampa Bay Rays (85-70) and Cleveland Guardians (87-68) will square off on Thursday.
The Guardians have been unable to cover the spread in each of the first two games of this series. Cleveland dropped Tuesday’s game 6-5 in 11 innings, but they rebounded with a 2-1 victory in 10 innings on Wednesday.
AL Central
The Guardians already clinched their AL Central. But the Rays are still looking to wrap up an AL Wild Card spot.
Tampa Bay’s motivation will lead to a solid effort on Thursday in the series finale. However, will the Rays be able to upset the odds on the road in Cleveland?
First pitch is scheduled for 6:10 PM EST on Thursday, September 29 at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH. Let’s take a look at the Rays vs. Guardians betting analysis.
Rays vs. Guardians Last Records
Cleveland took care of business on Wednesday to even the series at one apiece. Tampa Bay jumped out to an early 1-0 lead but the Guardians tied it up in the third.
Neither team was able to score again until the 10th when the Guardians walked it off. The Guardians are aiming to make it back-to-back wins on Thursday.
They have been one of the best teams in baseball during the month of September. Cleveland wants to keep the positive momentum heading into the playoffs.
The Rays have played a decent brand of baseball as of late. But they would love to get on a hot streak ahead of the postseason. Let’s take a closer look at the Rays vs. Guardians betting analysis.
Tampa Bay Rays vs. Cleveland Guardians Betting Analysis
Tampa Bay holds an against-the-run line record of 76-79 on the season. The Guardians are 82-73 against the run line this year.
Cleveland is 34-40 against the run line when playing at home. The Rays are 39-35 against the run line when playing on the road.
Guardians as the Favorites
The Guardians are the favorites in this contest. But as mentioned, Cleveland has endured a difficult time attempting to cover the spread against the Rays. Tampa Bay has played them in a competitive fashion so far during this series.
The Guardians’ standings placement takes the pressure off Cleveland. But will it have an effect on our final Guardians vs. Rays picks on Thursday?
Tampa Bay Rays
The Rays’ offense is below average this season. But they make up for it with strong defense and pitching. And despite their lackluster performance on offense, they find ways to score just enough runs.
Rays’ Batting Average
On the season, the Rays are 15th in batting average, 20th in OBP, 24th in slugging percentage, 20th in runs scored, and 25th in home runs.
Pitching-wise, they are fourth in ERA, fourth in WHIP, 16th in home runs allowed, and seventh in batting average against.
Jefrey Springs (9-4, 2.56) draws the start for the Rays on Thursday. Springs has been an extremely pleasant surprise in the rotation this year.
Tommy John’s Surgery
With Tyler Glasnow missing most of the season recovering from Tommy John surgery, the team needed someone to step up behind Shane McClanahan in the rotation. Drew Rasmussen and Jeffrey Springs did just that in 2022.
Springs will look to cap off an impressive season performance with a strong outing in Cleveland against the Guardians.
Cleveland Guardians
The Guardians are turning into one of the best teams in baseball. Their lineup is sneaky productive while the starting rotation and bullpen is excellent.
Guardians’ Batting Average
Cleveland is eighth in batting average, 12th in OBP, 21st in slugging percentage, 17th in runs scored, and 29th in home runs.
On the pitching side of the equation, they are sixth in ERA, fifth in WHIP, 14th in home runs against, and fifth in batting average against.
Who Is Taking the Mound?
The Guardians will send Cal Quantrill (14-5, 3.49) to the mound on Thursday. Quantrill has been a tremendous third starter in Cleveland’s rotation.
Rays vs. Guardians Updates
For the Rays, Ryan Yarbrough was recently placed on the IL. Additionally, Brandon Lowe is expected to miss the remainder of the season. For Cleveland, Zach Plesac is expected to return this weekend.
Tampa Bay Rays vs. Cleveland Guardians Betting Preview
After reviewing the Rays vs. Guardians betting analysis, which team should you place your money on? Cal Quantrill has pitched in a number of clutch situations this year.
Cleveland would like to win this series, so I expect Quantrill to perform well against Tampa Bay. In what projects to be another competitive game, the Guardians are the pick to click.
Tampa Bay Rays vs. Cleveland Guardians Betting Prediction
Go ahead and take the Guardians -1.5 in this game. The Guardians are the favorite in this one, so they need to win by at least two runs in order to cover the spread. Take Cleveland on both the moneyline and run line on Thursday.
MLB Pick: Guardians -1.5 (+160)
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