The Cleveland Guardians face off against the Tampa Bay Rays in the opener of a three-game American League series at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, so here’s the best Guardians vs Rays betting pick for Friday, July 29, 2022. These two foes meet for the first time in 2022. Last season, Tampa Bay went 6-1 against Cleveland.
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Guardians vs Rays Betting Pick
This game will be played at Tropicana Field at 7:10 PM ET on Friday, July 29, 2022.
Why Bet The Rays:
✅ Jeffrey Springs will take the mound for the Rays. The 29-year-old left-hander is having a nice season and holds a 3-2 record with a 2.50 ERA and 1.10 WHIP. The Guardians have been awful against the southpaws so far this season, posting a .221/.292/.323 slash line and a 73 OPS+.
✅ Shane Bieber will get the nod for the Guardians. The 27-year-old righty is 4-6 with a solid 3.55 ERA and 1.15 WHIP, but he’s struggled a lot lately. Bieber has registered a troublesome 4.81 ERA over his previous five starts. Last Sunday, he was shelled for six earned runs on eight hits across six innings in a losing effort against the Chicago White Sox.
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✅ The Rays’ offense is doing a good job in July, slashing .266/.341/.423 with 23 home runs and 54 doubles in 796 at-bats. Yandy Diaz is 29-for81 with 11 doubles, while Randy Arozarena has 23 hits and five home runs in 82 at-bats this month.
Cleveland Guardians
Thursday’s games are not included in this preview, and the 50-47 Guardians were searching for their third consecutive win. Cleveland had a chance to clinch a four-game set at Fenway Park and cut its deficit in the wild-card chase. The Guardians were 2.5 games behind the Rays, who held the final wild card in the American League.
Cleveland is hitting .275/.337/.412 with 21 homers and 44 doubles across 822 at-bats in July. On the pitching side of things, the Guardians’ bullpen has compiled a 4.23 ERA, 3.39 FIP, .290 BABIP, and 0.92 HR/9 so far this month.
Tampa Bay Rays
At the time of writing, the 53-45 Rays were playing the Baltimore Orioles in a four-game series finale at Camden Yards in Baltimore. Last Wednesday, Tampa outlasted Baltimore 6-4 in ten innings to stop its four-game losing streak.
The Rays’ bullpen has already thrown 94.1 frames in July while tallying a 4.29 ERA, 3.88 FIP, .326 BABIP, and 1.05 HR/9. Tampa continues to fight through an injury crisis. The Rays have 17 players on the IL, including Wander Franco, who’s recorded a 105 OPS+ in 227 at-bats this season.