Rays vs Guardians Game 2 Picks, Odds & Lines
By Robert Duff in MLB Baseball
Published:
- Cleveland is a -120 home favorite over Tampa Bay in Game 2 of their American League Wild Card series on Saturday, October 8
- A victory by the Guardians would sweep the best-of-three series; Cleveland won Game 1 over Tampa Bay, 2-1
- See the Rays vs Guardians picks and odds for Game 2 below
With the Tampa Bay Rays (0-1, 0-1 away) on the ropes, the Cleveland Guardians (1-0, 1-0 home) are one win away from doing something they haven’t accomplished since 2016.
That would be to win a playoff series.
The Guardians beat the Rays 2-1 on Friday in the opening game of their best-of-three AL Wild Card series. Game 2 is set for Saturday and oddsmakers are thinking that Cleveland should be getting out the brooms.
The Guardians are set as -120 home favorites to dispatch the Rays from the postseason. Cleveland has lost its last four playoff series. However, the last time the club won their opening playoff round, they went all the way to the 2016 World Series before falling to the Chicago Cubs in seven games.
Rays vs Guardians Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Runline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tampa Bay Rays | +100 | +1.5 (-250) | O 5.5 (-125) |
| Cleveland Guardians | -120 | -1.5 (+205) | U 5.5 (+105) |
Odds as of October 7 at Caesars Sportsbook. Get Caesars Sportsbook bonus code and see the latest on Ohio sports betting.
At moneyline odds of -120, the Guardians have an implied probability of victory of 54.55% in the MLB betting line. A successful $10 wager on Cleveland would create a payout of $18.30.
First pitch at Progressive Field goes at 12:07pm ET on Friday, October 7. The weather forecast is calling for clear skies with 11 mph wind and a temperature of 54 degrees. Cleveland is now a -360 favorite to take this set and advance in the MLB playoff bracket.
MLB betting trends are displaying that moneyline bettors are with the Guardians, while runline bettors are supporting the Rays. Tampa Bay is drawing 92% of handle and 70% of bets in runline wagering. Meanwhile, it’s Cleveland getting the backing of 72% of handle and 59% of bets in moneyline wagers. The under is getting the total action. The public is hitting the under at a rate of 68% of handle and 57% of bets.
The Guardians are the +20000 co-seventh betting choice in the World Series odds, while the Rays are at 10th at +4000. As far as the MLB pennant odds are concerned, Cleveland is the fourth pick in this betting market at +800 and Tampa Bay is the longest shot at +1800.
Tampa Bay vs Cleveland Probable Pitchers
In the MLB lineups, Tampa Bay is going with left-hander Tyler Glasnow. He made two late-season starts after being activated from the IL. He sat out the entire season up to that point following Tommy John surgery. Glasnow was a combined 16-4 for the Rays over the three seasons prior to undergoing the surgery.
Tyler Glasnow goes 3.2 innings 2 hits and SEVEN K's throwing 64 pitches 🔥
His curveball on a strikeout knocks him out of the game pic.twitter.com/iAIGajKg53
— Chris Rose Sports (@ChrisRoseSports) October 4, 2022
Working a total of 6.2 innings, Glasnow was definitely effective. He allowed four hits and one earned run on a solo home run. Glasnow struck out 10 against two walks. But he didn’t work beyond the fourth inning in either appearance, so how far can he be expected to go into Game 2?
The first of those two starts on Sept. 28 was against the Guardians. He worked three innings and surrendered that solo home for the only run he’s allowed this season. Over his career, Glasnow is 0-2 with a 2.12 ERA in three starts against Cleveland.
Glasnow vs McKenzie Stats
| 0-0 | Record | 11-11 |
| 1.35 | ERA | 2.96 |
| 5.75 | xERA | 3.54 |
| 0.90 | WHIP | 0.95 |
| 5.00 | SO/W Ratio | 4.32 |
Guardians right-hander Triston McKenzie is like Forrest Gump’s box of chocolates. You just never know what you’re going to get. Over an 11-11 regular season he posted three streaks of 2+ wins and four streaks of 2+ losses.
McKenzie hasn’t lost since Aug. 31. He’s 2-0 through his past six starts.
A NEW CAREER HIGH 🔥
Triston McKenzie struckout 14 batters in seven innings 💪
(via @MLB)pic.twitter.com/rLi3OIXrT8
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) August 20, 2022
Interestingly, McKenzie’s only appearance this season against Tampa Bay was that Sept. 28 game when he was squaring off with Glasnow. Over six innings of work McKenzie struck out six, allowing three hits and one earned run. He was a factor in the decision as Cleveland won 2-1.
McKenzie is 0-0 with a 2.25 ERA in two starts against the Rays. His only previous postseason action was a 1.2-inning relief appearance against the New York Yankees in the 2020 AL Wild Card series.
Batting Average vs Starting Pitchers
| Rays Batters | Batting Average vs McKenzie | Orioles Batters | Batting Average vs Gasnow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christian Bethancourt | .400 | Gabriel Arias | 1.000 |
| Ji-Man Choi | .250 | Will Brennan | 1.000 |
| Isaac Paredes | .200 | Andres Gimenez | .333 |
| Jose Siri | .250 | Jose Ramirez | .000 |
Tampa Bay’s Christian Bethancourt is 2-for-5 (.400) with a double and an RBI off of McKenzie. Jose Siri and Ji-Man Choi are each 1-for-4 (.250).
Based on their reactions, it almost looks like Andrés Giménez and Terry Francona called José's bomb before it happened pic.twitter.com/mWdo1eJHLW
— Casey Drottar (@CDrottar19) October 1, 2022
Cleveland’s Gabriel Arias and Will Brennan are both 1-for-1 (1.000) against Glasnow. Arias clouted a solo homer. Andres Gimenez is 1-for-3 (.333) with a solo dinger.
Rays vs Guardians Prediction
Glasnow is 2-5 in his postseason career over eight starts. He’s lost his last three starts. His postseason ERA is 6.56.
The Cleveland Guardians (-127 ML @WynnBET) win Game 1 over Tampa Bay! #ForTheLand #Postseason
— MLB Gambling Podcast (@MLBSGPN) October 7, 2022
Cleveland ended a three-game home playoff losing streak with the Game 1 victory.
Pick: Cleveland Guardians ML (-120)
Sports Writer
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
