The Cleveland Guardians (57-35) travel to face off against the Tampa Bay Rays (46-47) on Friday, July 12th. This game will be played at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg and televised on APLTV. The Rays are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Guardians are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Tigers. First pitch is set for 5:50 CT.

Guardians vs. Rays Betting Prediction

• Money Line Prediction: Guardians (+116)
• Over/Under Prediction: Over 8 Runs

• The Guardians have scored 5 or more runs in 7 of their last 15 games.
• The Guardians have won 4 of their last 6 road games.
• The Guardians have a higher overall win percentage (.620) compared to the Rays (.495).
• The Guardians have a positive run differential in their last 15 games (+3).
• The Guardians have a better record against teams with a losing record (27-24) compared to the Rays (21-21).

Guardians vs Rays

The Rays Took The Last Game Of This Series

Cleveland closed out their series vs. the Tigers with a 10-1 loss. Heading into the game, the Guardians were the slight favorite at +104 on the money line. Things really got away from the Guardians in the 4th inning, as the Tigers scored four runs in the inning. Cleveland’s offense scored their only run in the 3rd.

Spencer Howard got the start for the Guardians and took the loss. He only lasted three innings, giving up four earned runs. Offensively, the Guardians only had three fewer hits than the Tigers but scored just one run. Bo Naylor had a homer in the 3rd but went only 1/3.

After losing three of four games to the Tigers, the Guardians are looking to bounce back as they face the Rays on the road. Cleveland’s overall record is 57-35, placing them 1st in the AL Central, with a 4.5-game lead over the Twins.

For the season, the Guardians have an over/under record of 47-39, with their games averaging 8.8 runs. The over has hit in three straight games, and the O/U line for today’s game is set at 8 runs.

Carlos Carrasco Gets The Start For The Guardians

Right-hander Carlos Carrasco gets the start for the Guardians today as he faces the Rays on the road. He has made 16 starts this season and has a record of 3-6 with an ERA of 5.22. Carrasco’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.36. Opposing batters are hitting .263 this season off Carrasco, and he has made four quality starts. Carrasco’s last outing came on July 7th, where he finished with a no-decision, giving up three earned runs in five innings of work. He has not taken a loss in his last three outings.

Guardians Offense Breakdown

Heading into today’s game, the Guardians are 6th in the league in scoring at 4.9 runs per game. They have been even better at home, averaging 5.1 runs per contest. As a team, they are batting .245, which is 9th in the league, and are also among the league leaders in home runs. Cleveland’s offense has been good at putting the ball in play, as they have the 4th fewest strikeouts in the league.

Cleveland’s top two home run hitters, José Ramírez and Josh Naylor, are also among the league leaders in RBIs, with Ramírez’s 77 RBIs being the 2nd most in the MLB. Steven Kwan comes into the game on a three-game hitting streak and has gone 12/33 over his last eight games. During this stretch, he has two homers and three RBIs.

The Rays Are Coming Off A Win

The Rays’s offense was hot right out of the gates in their most recent game vs. the Yankees, closing out their series with a 5-4 win. After allowing the Yankees to score one run in the top of the first, the Rays responded with two runs of their own. Tampa Bay went on to add another three runs in the 3rd inning.

Shane Baz got the start for the Rays, going 4 1/3 innings, and picked up the win. He gave up three earned runs on six hits and issued one walk. Randy Arozarena had only one hit, but it was a home run, and Brandon Lowe had a good day at the plate, going 3/4 with a run scored.

Overall, the Rays are 46-47 this season and are 25-26 at home. They are 5-5 in their last 10 games and have a series record of 16-12-2. Tampa Bay’s average run margin in wins is 2.5, but they lose by an average of 3.8 runs.

When the over/under line is set at 8 runs, the Rays have a 11-13-1 O/U record. This season, their games have averaged 8.7 runs, and their overall O/U record is 45-43.

Taj Bradley Gets The Start For The Rays

Taj Bradley gets the start for the Rays today and comes into the game with a record of 3-4 and ERA of 3.23. Looking at his overall numbers, Bradley has made 11 starts, and opponents are batting .207 this season. In his 11 appearances, he has turned in four quality starts and is averaging 11.3 strikeouts per nine innings. Bradley’s last outing came on July 6th, where he finished with a no-decision, giving up one earned run in six innings of work. Before that, he hadn’t allowed an earned run in two straight starts.

Rays Offense Breakdown

Yandy Diaz has been one of the most consistent hitters for the Rays this season, as he is batting .272 with eight homers and 44 RBIs. He is also currently on a five-game hitting streak. Isaac Paredes has been the team’s top power threat, as his 15 homers are 13th in the league. However, he is hitting just .263 for the season and has gone 7/33 over his last 10 games.

As a team, the Rays are batting just .236 and are near the bottom of the league in scoring, averaging just 4 runs per contest. They have been even worse at home, averaging just 3.8 runs per game. Overall, they are 18th in homers and have a collective OPS of just .681.

Guardians vs Rays Prediction

Our predicted score for this Guardians vs. Rays matchup is 5-4 in favor of the Guardians. Given that the Guardians are the underdogs in this one, we really like their odds on the money line at +116.

Looking at the starting pitchers, we have Carlos Carrasco finishing with five strikeouts compared to Taj Bradley for the Rays with six. Offensively, the Guardians are projected to finish with nine hits compared to the Rays with eight.

Another option would be to take the over/under, and if we had to pick, we would go with the over, as the line is sitting at eight runs, and we have both teams combining for nine runs.

As for the Rays, they are projected to finish with the 17th most strikeouts among starters today, and offensively, they have the Rays finishing with just four runs compared to the Guardians with five.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.