Cleveland Guardians vs Tampa Bay Rays Prediction MLB Picks 7/14/24

Rays Trying to Get Back to .500 

The Tampa Bay Rays are 47-48 this year and they have won three of their last five games. Tampa Bay won game one in this series by a score of 2-0, but they did drop game two. Prior to this series, the Rays won two out of three against the Yankees, lost all three against the Rangers, and won two out of three against the Royals. Tampa Bay is 3-5 in their last eight games and they are fourth in the AL East. 

The Tampa Bay pitching staff has a 4.24 ERA, a 1.26 WHIP, and a .246 opponent batting average. The Rays offense has scored 374 runs with a .236 batting average and a .312 on base percentage. Isaac Paredes is batting .264 with 15 home runs and 50 RBI’s for the Rays this season. Tampa Bay has scored two runs or fewer in four of their last six games. 

Starting Pitchers

The projected starting pitcher for Cleveland is Ben Lively, who is 8-4 with a 3.59 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP over 82.2 innings pitched this year. Lively has allowed three earned runs or more in three of his last five starts. The projected starting pitcher for Tampa Bay is Ryan Pepiot, who is 5-5 with a 4.20 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP over 81.1 innings pitched this season. Pepiot has allowed two earned runs or fewer in four straight starts, but two of those outings lasted four innings or fewer. 

Why the Rays will beat the Guardians

• The Rays have won each of their last six home games following a loss.
• The Guardians have lost nine of their last 10 day games against AL East opponents following a road win.
• The Guardians have failed to cover the run line in each of their last seven games following a win.
• The Rays have covered the run line in each of their last six games at Tropicana Field following a loss.
• The Rays have led after 3 innings in each of their last three games against American League opponents.

Why the Guardians will beat the Rays

• The Rays have lost three of their last four games as home favorites against AL Central opponents following a loss.
• The Guardians have won five of their last six day games against teams that held a losing record.
• The Rays have failed to cover the run line in seven of their last eight games as favorites against American League opponents following a home loss.
• The Guardians have covered the run line in five of their last six road games against the Rays.

Total Runs Facts

• Four of the Rays' last five games against AL Central opponents have gone UNDER the total runs line.
• Four of the Guardians' last five games against AL East opponents have gone UNDER the total runs line.
• The 'Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs' market has hit in each of the Rays' last seven day games against AL Central opponents.
• The 'Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs' market has hit in each of the Guardians' last three road games against AL East opponents.

Tampa Bay Rays Player Prop Facts

• Jose Siri has hit at least one home run in four of the Rays' last 10 games as home favorites.
• Yandy Diaz has recorded at least one Double in four of the Rays' last five games against the Guardians at Tropicana Field.
• Yandy Diaz has recorded an RBI in each of the Rays' last five games against the Guardians at Tropicana Field.
• Brandon Lowe has scored a run in each of his last five Sunday day appearances with the Rays as favorites.
• Josh Lowe has recorded at least one Single in each of his seven previous home appearances against the Guardians.
• Yandy Diaz has recorded two or more total bases in each of the Rays' last seven day games against AL opponents that held a winning record.
• Josh Lowe has recorded at least one hit in each of his eight previous appearances against the Guardians after playing the previous day.

Cleveland Guardians Player Prop Facts

• Steven Kwan has hit a home run in each of the Guardians' last two day games against AL East opponents that held a losing record.
• Josh Naylor has recorded at least one RBI in six of his last seven appearances in day games.
• Jose Ramirez has recorded two or more total bases in five of his last six appearances in day games against AL East teams that held a losing record.
• Jose Ramirez has scored at least one run in 14 of his last 16 appearances in day games against teams that held a losing record.
• Steven Kwan has recorded at least one Single in nine of the Guardians' last 10 day games against opponents that held a losing record.
• Jose Ramirez has recorded at least one hit in each of his last seven road appearances against the Rays after playing the previous day.

Cleveland Guardians vs Tampa Bay Rays Prediction 

Cleveland hasn’t played their best over the last two weeks, but they continue to lead the AL Central over a red hot Minnesota team. The Guardians are 28-25 on the road, while the Rays are 26-27 at home this year. Tampa Bay has been up and down this season, but their pitching staff has had some issues. The Rays are starting Pepiot, who hasn’t been very good over the last two weeks. The Guardians are going with Lively, who started the season pitching very well, but has fallen off in recent outings. I don’t like how either team is hitting the ball right now, but I also think these pitchers are going to have some troubles. My Cleveland Guardians vs Tampa Bay Rays prediction is for this game to go over the total.