Cleveland Guardians vs Tampa Bay Rays Prediction, Preview and Odds - 07/24/2026

Game Time: 7:10 pm ET, Friday, July 24, 2026

Venue:  Tropicana Field, Petersburg, FL 

Where to Watch:  MLB TV

DraftKings:  Moneyline odds:  Guardians +118, Rays -142; Over/Under:  7.5 runs

Bet365:  Moneyline odds:  Guardians +115, Rays -135; Over/Under:  7.5 runs

BetMGM:  Moneyline odds:  Guardians +115, Rays -140; Over/Under:  7.5 runs

Cleveland Guardians:  54-50 (2nd place, AL Central)

Tampa Bay Rays:  59-43 (1st place, AL East)

Do not miss out on our expert handicapper analysis! Tom Stryker is on a HOT STREAK in MLB on a 9-3 MLB RUN for +$5,800 PROFIT! Make sure you check out his picks and many more from the expert handicappers featured in the Shop Picks section.

Cleveland Guardians:  6-4 last 10

Tampa Bay Rays:  4-6 last 10

The Guardians are entering this series off a loss and split their 4-game series against the Minnesota Twins 2-2 in their last series. They enter this game with a 54-50 record overall and have a road record of 27-24. This is the series opener of a 3-game series with the Rays on Friday. Their offense ranks 26th in the MLB with a .690 OPS. Gavin Williams was their starting pitcher on Thursday while Joey Cantillo is making his start in this game on Friday. He is 8-5 with a 3.74 ERA this season. His team lost 2 of their last 3 games this season with him making an appearance. In his last MLB regular season appearance, he allowed 4 ER, 0 HR, and 3 BB with 7 SO on 7 hits through 5 IP against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Rays are entering this series off a loss and won their 4-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays 3-1 in their last series. They enter this game with a 59-43 record overall and have a home record of 35-15. This is the 1st game of a 3-game series with the Guardians on Friday. Their offense ranks 6th in the MLB with a .738 OPS. Casey Legumina was their starting pitcher on Thursday while Shane McClanahan is making his start in this game on Friday. He is 8-6 with a 3.16 ERA this season. His team won 2 of their last 3 games this season with him making an appearance. In his last MLB regular season appearance, he allowed 5 earned runs, 1 homer, and 3 walks with 3 strikeouts on 5 hits through 5 innings pitched against the Boston Red Sox.

The current betting odds have the Rays listed as a favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Rays have looked great in their games this season with their 59-43 record overall which has them right at the top of the AL East with one of the best records in MLB. They have looked great in their own ballpark too with their 35-15 home record this season. Meanwhile, the Guardians have looked good in their games this season with their 54-50 record overall which has them right near the top of the AL Central. They have been a good road team too with their 27-24 road record this year. The Guardians are 6-4 in their last 10 games and they have been rolling lately with a great pitching staff, but they do have one of the worst offenses in the league. The Rays are only 4-6 in their last 10 games, but they also have a great pitching staff along with a top offense in the league. The Rays are going with McClanahan in this one and he has looked great this season. He is 8-6 with a 3.16 ERA and he hasn't been giving up many runs all year. He did give up 5 earned runs in his last start, but that hasn't been a common theme for him, and the team has still won 2 of their last 3 games with him starting. The Guardians are going with Cantillo in this one and he hasn't looked bad this season. He is 8-5 with a 3.74 ERA, but lately the team has had some trouble with him. They have lost 2 of their last 3 games with him starting and he did give up 4 earned runs in his last start too. The Rays definitely have the edge in this game with the stronger offense and they have looked like a completely different team at home all year. The best way to place a bet here is on the Rays to win this game. 

Guardians Rays Prediction:  Our MLB Pick for Friday, July 24, 2026 (7:10 pm ET start time) is Rays 4 Guardians 1.

Don't miss our champion handicappers free picks, best bets, and expert baseball picks today.  And if you enjoyed this Cleveland Guardians Tampa Bay Rays prediction, be sure to drop by every day for our daily MLB projections and previews.

Cleveland Guardians: 239-200 (+35.2 units) on the moneyline in all games. 113-105 (+25.2 units) on the moneyline in road games. 89-103 (+13.6 units) on the moneyline as an underdog of +100 or higher. 84-51 UNDER as a road underdog of +100 or higher.

Tampa Bay Rays: 42-43 (-11.8 units) on the moneyline against AL Central opponents. 216-209 (-6.1 units) on the moneyline in all games. 87-117 (-22 units) on the moneyline when playing against a team with a winning record. 18-10 UNDER when playing against a team with a winning record.

Cleveland Guardians:  T. Herrin (RP) Fifteen Day IL - Elbow. A. Martinez (LF) Ten Day IL - Foot.

Tampa Bay Rays:  T. Walls (SS) Day To Day - Finger. S. Matz (SP) Fifteen Day IL - Ankle. J. Heasley (RP) Sixty Day IL - Elbow. G. Lux (LF) Sixty Day IL - Shoulder. J. Scholtens (SP) Fifteen Day IL - Wrist. J. Fraley (RF) Ten Day IL - Groin. R. Pepiot (SP) Sixty Day IL - Hip. E. Uceta (RP) Sixty Day IL - Shoulder. S. Wilson (RP) Sixty Day IL - Back. M. Rodriguez (RP) Sixty Day IL - Elbow.

“The last five weeks could have been a lot different, and it wasn't. We kept our heads above water. You can use all the clichés you want, but we did not let the last five weeks determine the rest of our season, and that's really what I'm proud of." - Stephen Vogt after his team’s loss against the Twins in their game on Wednesday.

“Some big hits. We had some good at-bats. Ben, to come off the bench right there and be selective enough not to try to overdo anything [was big]. Happy with the way that we put together some at-bats.” - Kevin Cash after his team’s win against the Blue Jays in their game on Wednesday.

Steven Kwan (L) LF

José Ramírez (S) 3B

Chase DeLauter (L) RF

Brayan Rocchio (S) SS

Travis Bazzana (L) 2B

Rhys Hoskins (R) DH

Kyle Manzardo (L) 1B

Patrick Bailey (S) C

Petey Halpin (L) CF

Yandy Díaz (R) DH

Jonathan Aranda (L) 1B

Junior Caminero (R) 3B

Victor Mesa Jr. (L) RF

Jonny DeLuca (R) CF

Chandler Simpson (L) LF

Ben Williamson (R) SS

Richie Palacios (L) 2B

Hunter Feduccia (L) C

Batting Average:  Chase DeLauter (.287)

Hits:  Brayan Rocchio (95)

Home Runs:  Angel Martínez (11)

RBI:  Chase DeLauter (50)

Stolen Bases:  José Ramírez (24)

Wins:  Gavin Williams (10)

Saves:  Cade Smith (29)

ERA:  Franco Aleman (1.64)

Batting Average:  Yandy Díaz (.308)

Hits:  Yandy Díaz (116)

Home Runs:  Junior Caminero (29)

RBI:  Jonathan Aranda (65)

Stolen Bases:  Chandler Simpson (26)

Wins:  Nick Martinez (9)

Saves:  Bryan Baker (26)

ERA:  Michael Grove (0.00)

Managers:

Cleveland Guardians: Stephen Vogt (3rd season)

Tampa Bay Rays: Kevin Cash (12th season)