Rays vs. Guardians Betting: Can Kluber cool off his former club?

The spotlight will be on Corey Kluber tonight in Cleveland, as the two-time AL Cy Young winner will face off with his former team as the Rays take on the Guardians at Progressive Field.

Tonight’s game will Kluber’s first start at Progressive Field since April 20, 2019, when he pitched (and won) for Cleveland against the Atlanta Braves.

The Guardians, who have won seven straight and 18 of 21, wrapped up its first AL Central title since 2018 by breaking out the brooms against the Texas Rangers in Arlington.

The @CleGuardians sliding into the postseason like…#ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/0zZbgfemm2

— Bally Sports Cleveland (@BallySportsCLE) September 25, 2022

The Houston Astros have almost locked in the #1 seed in the American League, and the New York Yankees have almost locked in the #2 seed. So, barring the unforeseen, the Guardians will be the #3 seed when the playoffs get underway on October 7.

While Cleveland is sitting pretty with their place in the postseason already certain, the Rays still have some work to do. After losing the final two games of their series with the Toronto Blue Jays, Tampa Bay is a half-game ahead of the slip-sliding Seattle Mariners for the #5 seed.

So, tonight’s game is a big one for the visitors, as Seattle has a 10-game homestand against the Rangers, A’s, and Tigers to finish up the season and theoretically should finish strong, provided inexplicably throwing away a nine-run lead on Sunday in Kansas City doesn’t send them into a full-on collapse.

Tampa Bay Rays vs. Cleveland Guardians Matchup Information and Betting Odds

Matchup Information

• Matchup: Tampa Bay Rays (84-69, 33-39 away, 3rd in the AL East) vs. Cleveland Guardians (86-67, 40-32 home, 1st in the AL Central)
• Venue & Location: Progressive Field (Cleveland, Ohio)
• Date: Tuesday, September 27, 2022
• Game Time: 6:10 p.m. Eastern Time

Rays vs. Guardians Pitching Matchup

• Tampa Bay: RHP Corey Kluber (2022: 29 starts, 10-9, 4.30 ERA)
• Cleveland: RHP Shane Bieber (2022: 29 starts, 12-8, 2.81 ERA)

Rays vs. Guardians Odds

Game odds are via BetOnline. Odds from our other recommended legal sports betting sites may also appear in this article.

Moneyline

• Tampa Bay Rays +132
• Cleveland Guardians -156

Over/Under

• Over 6.5 (-118)
• Under 6.5 (-104)

Run Line

• Tampa Bay Rays +1.5 (-178)
• Cleveland Guardians -1.5 (+146)

Rays vs. Guardians Prediction and Best Bets

Rays vs. Guardians Prediction: Cleveland to win

Rays vs. Guardians Best Bets: Cleveland ML (Best Value: -150 at BetUS & BetMGM)

This will be Kluber’s third start against Cleveland since his departure. He won both of the previous starts, one last September with the New York Yankees and the other on July 30 of this year at Tropicana Field.

The Rays have dropped Kluber’s last three starts, including his most recent road start, which came at Yankee Stadium on September 10. It was a rough outing, to put it mildly, as he gave up six runs and eight hits in only two-thirds of an inning.

Prior to that start, Kluber had seven quality starts in his previous nine road starts, and he is coming off of an excellent outing at home against the Astros last Wednesday (7 IP, 6 H, R). So, while he may sport a 3-6 record and a 5.05 ERA in his 14 road starts, there’s a lot of reason to feel he will pitch well tonight in his return to Cleveland.

Unfortunately for he and the Rays, the Guardians have been on fire, and that includes Bieber. The 2020 AL Cy Young winner has been pitching like one over the last two months, recording 11 straight quality starts. In that stretch, he is 8-2 with a 1.75 ERA.

Last 11 Starts for Shane Bieber

• Home (four starts): 2-2, 2.30 ERA
• Away (seven starts): 6-0, 1.44 ERA

Bieber has given up more than three runs only once in 11 home starts and just three times all season long, so the feast or famine Rays, who were held to just one run in each of their last two games against the Blue Jays after scoring 10 runs in each of the first two games, are up against it tonight at Progressive Field.

Tonight’s game is the first of a nine-game road swing to close out the season for the Rays, and if they land in the #6 seed or somehow get passed by the Baltimore Orioles, it will ultimately be because of their road results throughout the season and not just down the home stretch.

They average more runs on the road (4.26 per game) than at home (4.15), but while they are one of just seven teams with 50+ home wins this season, they are the only potential playoff team that is under .500 on the road. And since the All-Star break, they are 13-16 on the road.

They may well survive those struggles to make the postseason, but they won’t come out the winning end tonight against Bieber and the scorching Guardians.

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