Tampa Bay Rays (73-75) vs. Cleveland Guardians (84-64)
September 14, 2024 6:10 pm EDT
The Line: Cleveland Guardians -118 / Tampa Bay Rays +100; Over/Under: +8.5
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In this article we will formulate a Cleveland Guardians vs Tampa Bay Rays prediction for this MLB game on Saturday, September 14th at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio. Let’s take a look at the prediction for game three in the series.
Cleveland Guardians Betting Preview
The Cleveland Guardians are 84-64 this year and they have won three of their last five games. Cleveland has lost the first two games in this series and they have only scored three runs in the series. Prior to this series, the Guardians swept the White Sox, lost two out of three against the Dodgers, and won two out of three against the Royals. Cleveland is 3-4 in their last seven games and they are first in the AL Central.
The Cleveland pitching staff has a 3.76 ERA, a 1.21 WHIP, and a .232 opponent batting average. The Guardians offense has scored 660 runs with a .238 batting average and a .309 on base percentage. Jose Ramirez is batting .270 with 34 home runs and 106 RBI’s for the Guardians this season.
Tampa Bay Rays Betting Preview
The Tampa Bay Rays are 73-75 this season and they have lost three of their last five games. Tampa Bay has won games one and two in this series by scores of 5-2 and 3-1. Prior to this series, the Rays lost all three against the Phillies, won two out of three against the Orioles, and split four games with the Twins. Tampa Bay is 4-5 in their last nine games and they are fourth in the AL East.
The Tampa Bay pitching staff has a 3.87 ERA, a 1.22 WHIP, and a .238 opponent batting average. The Rays offense has scored 569 runs with a .231 batting average and a .305 on base percentage. Yandy Diaz is batting .284 with 14 home runs and 65 RBI’s for the Rays this season.
Starting Pitchers
The projected starting pitcher for Cleveland is Joey Cantillo, who is 1-3 with a 5.96 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP over 25.2 innings pitched this year. Cantillo has allowed at least three earned runs in three of his last four starts. The projected starting pitcher for Tampa Bay is Tyler Alexander, who is 6-4 with a 5.50 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP over 93.1 innings pitched this season. Alexander has allowed at least four earned runs in two of his last three outings.
Why the Guardians will beat the Rays
- The Guardians have won eight of their last 10 home games against AL East opponents that held a losing record.
- The Rays have lost four of their last five night games against AL Central opponents following a road win.
- The Rays have failed to cover the run line in each of their last six Saturday games against AL Central opponents.
Total Runs Facts
- Each of the last six games between the Rays and Guardians have gone UNDER the total runs line.
- Thirteen of the Rays’ last 15 road games against American League opponents have gone UNDER the total runs line.
- The ‘Inning 1 OVER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in each of the Rays’ last five Saturday games.
Cleveland Guardians vs Tampa Bay Rays Prediction
Cleveland has lost the first two games in this series and they are just three games up on the Royals in the AL Central, so they need to bounce back here. The Guardians are 43-27 at home this year, while the Rays are 36-37 on the road. Tampa Bay has been a tough team to play against with how well they are pitching, but the offense has been a problem this season. The Rays haven’t announced a starting pitcher for this game, but I expect Alexander to pitch at some point. I don’t love Alexander or Cantillo on the mound and I think we are going to see plenty of runs, but I give the edge to Cleveland at home here.
