Last updated on January 13th, 2023 at 09:34 pm
On Friday, the first of two Wild Card games between American League teams will begin when the Rays take on the Guardians. On May 5, the Cleveland Guardians will host the Tampa Bay Rays at Progressive Field. Shane McClanahan and Shane Bieber will also face off against one another. Here is our Rays at Guardians betting pick.
McClanahan is expected back after a shoulder injury, per bookie pay per head services reports. His lifetime strikeout percentage of 29.1% is lower than his rate of 15% in innings 20+.
Rays at Guardians Betting Pick Details
From 34% before the injury to 23% in his last four outings, McClanahan’s called strike whiff percentage plummeted. It’s concerning that his percentage of swinging strikes (whiffs) has plummeted from 17 percent before his injury to 9.8 percent after.
Point spread betting experts don’t expect him to go Over on his 5.5 strikeout prop since he has struck out only 12 hitters in his previous 19 innings and may have a shorter leash owing to the big stakes and a new bullpen.
According to baseball news sources, the Guardians have the lowest strikeout percentage in baseball at 18.2 percent, which is almost seven points lower than the highest club. So despite the hefty odds of -166, supporting him against the Guardians is a solid decision (LAA).
The Guardians were -130 home favorites, to begin with, but those odds have already plummeted to -125 and even -120. Sports coverage claims a 4-2 victory for the Guardians in the season series, with a 2-1 home record. Should the closing line for Shane Bieber’s home start on September 27 versus the Rays, when he was a -150 favorite, be closer in light of the presence of Shane McClanahan?
- Date & Time: October 8, 2022, 12:07 PM ET
- Location: Progressive Field
- TV Channel: ESPN
Our Prediction for the Matchup
Pick: Guardians at -120
Because Bieber is on fire and McClanahan scares us, we’re going with Cleveland at home.
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