Tampa Bay Rays vs Cleveland Guardians Prediction: Guardians to shock Rays in the opener

Tropicana Field will be the venue for this Major League Baseball action between Tampa Bay Rays and Cleveland Guardians. Let’s preview this game and provide betting opportunities. 

Tampa Bay Rays

The Tampa Bay Rays are coming off a series against the New York Yankees, and in this game, they will look to keep things going. In that series, the Tampa Bay Rays won two games of the series, securing a 5-3 and 5-4 win. However, they lost 1-2 in game 2, extending their defeat to four in just six matches, having also lost to the Texas Rangers. 

In this opener, the Tampa Bay Rays will send Taj Bradley to the mound. This season, Taj Bradley has a 3-4 record with a 3.23 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP over 61.1 innings pitched. Bradley has allowed two earned runs or fewer in five straight starts.

Cleveland Guardians

Cleveland Guardians are coming off a series against the Detroit Tigers, and in this game, they will look to do better. In that series, Cleveland Guardians lost the opener, 1-0, and then in game 2, they stepped up, winning 8-9. However, games 3 and 4 saw the Cleveland Guardians lose 5-4 and 10-1. However, the Cleveland Guardians secured wins over the San Francisco Giants and Chicago White Sox in prior series, extending their record to 57-35 this season. 

For this opener, the Cleveland Guardians will send Carlos Carrasco to the mound. In his record this season, Carrasco is 3-6 with a 5.22 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP over 81.0 innings pitched. 

Expert Betting Tips

The Cleveland Guardians keep struggling, and in this game, they will have to do better. The Tampa Bay Rays, on the other hand, are not doing bad lately, and I think they will have a chance here. However, the Cleveland Guardians have been decent all season, and their road record is not too bad. The Rays have a better advantage to the bookmarkers, but the Guardians are having a better season. This is a flip of a coin, but the Cleveland Guardians have my backing, and I expect them to win.