Rays vs Guardians Betting Preview: Cleveland Not Giving Up Playoff Hopes

Hoping to strengthen their case for the playoffs, the Cleveland Guardians begin a pivotal three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays Friday (7:10 p.m. ET) at Progressive Field. Tampa Bay is -1.5 (+102) on the run line and a -162 favorite to win outright in the opener, with Cleveland priced +136. The projected total is 7.5, with the Under boosted to -105.

Read on as we break down both teams in our Rays vs Guardians betting preview.

Playoff-Hopeful Guardians Loading Up

The Cleveland Guardians are still well under .500 at 64-70, 5.0 games behind the American League Central-leading Minnesota Twins. Yet they remain aggressive in their playoff push.

Cleveland’s front office was busy on Thursday, claiming three pitchers off waivers from the Los Angeles Angels: right-handed starter Lucas Giolito, left-hander reliever Matt Moore and right-handed reliever Reynaldo Lopez.

Giolito, one of the biggest movers at the Aug. 1 trade deadline, could do well with a change of scenery. He went 1-5 with a 6.89 ERA in six starts with the Angels, nearly twice his ERA (3.79) with the Chicago White Sox. Both Moore and Lopez join a bullpen that already includes Trevor Stephan and Emmanuel Clase, the 2023 MLB leader in saves (36).Generating offense has been a far bigger problem for Cleveland. The Guardians rank 26th in runs scored (545) and have hit only 103 home runs, 18 fewer than the next-closest team, the Washington Nationals.

As such, the Guardians are still +900 longshots to make the playoffs, according to MLB lines. That’s in line with their divisional odds of +1000.

Rays Remain Among WS Favorites

The Tampa Bay Rays (82-52) remain in the thick of the playoff race, 1.5 games behind the Baltimore Orioles in the AL East baseball standings but 5.5 games up on the top wild card spot.

The Rays have helped solidify their status as a contender by going 10-2 over their last 12 games. During their last four games, all wins, they’ve allowed only six runs. Notably, they still rank fourth in MLB with a 3.83 ERA. That’s despite losing multiple prominent starters to season-ending injuries, including two-time All-Star lefty Shane McClanahan.

Oddsmakers remain bullish on the Rays despite the absence of shortstop Wander Franco, pricing them +170 to win the division and +340 to make the World Series. The only other AL team with better odds are the Houston Astros are +320. Tampa Bay is also +700 to win it all, matching the defending champion Astros for the third-lowest odds on the board.

Outfielder Josh Lowe has been especially hot of late for Tampa Bay, hitting 7-of-19 with a pair of homers and five RBI over the last seven games.

Odds Outlook

Tampa Bay has been among the most profitable teams for bettors, registering a record of 69-65 against the run line, including 35-31 on the road. Its 51.5% cover rate ranks ninth in MLB. Meanwhile, Cleveland has gone 68-66 ATS but just 31-35 at home. The Guardians have also gone under the projected total at an MLB-high 58.8% clip, compared to 45.4% for the Rays. That’s important to remember when assessing the odds in our Rays vs Guardians betting preview.

Quantrill is expected to return from the injured list after missing nearly a month with right shoulder inflammation. Prior to his last start, July 5 against the Atlanta Braves, Quantrill had made just one appearance since May 30. He’s been mostly ineffective, going 2-6 with a 6.45 ERA. The Rays will counter with Glasnow, who is 7-4 with a 3.12 ERA and has struck out 114 in 86.2 innings. Glasnow was named the AL Pitcher of the Month for July after recording a 2.11 ERA across six starts.

Allen has been solid as a rookie, going 6-7 with a 3.21 ERA. He’s struck out 102 in 107.1 innings. He faces Littell, who has bounced between the rotation in bullpen. In 20 appearances (nine starts) since joining Tampa Bay, Littell has recorded a 4.20 ERA. Notably, Littell’s struck out 51 while walking just eight.

Curry is 3-3 with a 4.10 ERA in 33 appearances (eight starts). The right-hander last faced Tampa Bay on Aug. 11, allowing five runs over five innings in a 9-8 loss. Tampa Bay has yet to name a starter to oppose him. That could affect the odds in our Rays vs Guardians betting preview.

For Major League Baseball betting news, Rays vs Guardians odds, analysis and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.

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