The MLB regular season wrapped up on Wednesday and finalized its'official 2022 postseason bracket. There are 12 teams, six from each league, fighting for an opportunity to take home the World Series title.
One of the series many baseball fans have circled is a matchup between the 3-seed Cleveland Guardians and 6-seed Tampa Bay Rays. The Guardians proved a lot of doubters wrong this season, including by going 32-18 over their last 50 games – tied for the third-best record over that stretch. Success against the Rays won't be easy after Tampa Bay's pitchers combined for a 3.41 ERA this season (fourth-best in the MLB).
Rays vs Guardians TV Schedule and Start Times
Game 1: Friday, Oct. 7 at Progressive Field (ESPN – 12:07 p.m. ET)
Game 2: Saturday, Oct. 8 at Progressive Field (ESPN2 – 12:07 p.m . ET)
Game 3: Sunday, Oct. 9 at Progressive Field (ESPN- 4:07 p.m. ET)'
Rays vs Guardians Betting Odds
The following'MLB Playoffs odds'are provided from FanDuel Sportsbook. Oddsmakers give Cleveland the edge, both in Game 1 of the series and across the entire matchup. The Guardians are listed with -124 moneyline odds in Game 1 compared to Tampa Bay's +106 odds.
For the series, the Guardians hold -128 odds to advance while the Rays maintain a +108 figure. FanDuel Sportsbook also lists some other series prop bets, including correct series score and an over/under on total games played.
Total Games:'2 Games (-110) | 3 Games (-110)
Series Betting:'Guardians: 2-0 (+210) | 2-1 (+240)
Series Betting:'Rays: 2-0 (+320) | 2-1 (+280)
Rays vs Guardians Probable Pitchers
Rays:'Shane McClanahan (12-8, 2.54 ERA)
Guardians:'Alek Manoah (13-8, 2.88 ERA)
Rays:'Tyler Glasnow (0-0, 1.35 ERA)
Guardians:'Triston McKenzie (11-11, 2.96 ERA)
Rays:'TBD
Guardians:'Cal Quantrill (15-5, 3.38 ERA)
Rays vs Guardians Prediction & Pick
The Rays are a solid team, but the Guardians have gotten the better of them lately, winning five of the last seven meetings. Furthermore, Tampa Bay limped into the postseason on a five-game losing streak and even owned the 10th-worst record league wide since the start of September (14-19). The Guardians are playing with a chip on their shoulder and with their being one of the best MLB teams over the last month or so, I like their odds of making quick work here.
Fin al Series Prediction:'Guardians win, 2-0