Tampa Bay Rays vs Cleveland Guardians Prediction, Odds and Picks for Today, 04/28/26

The Tampa Bay Rays picked up a 3-2 victory in Monday’s series opener, and the Rays have now won five consecutive games, outscoring the opposition 25-8. The pitching has been tremendous, allowing two or fewer runs in each of the games during the win streak. That includes a 6-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds with RHP Nick Martinez on the bump on Wednesday. However, backing Martinez comes with some risk, as he was on the hill in a 5-1 loss in Pittsburgh in his most recent road outing. However, the Rays are 4-1 in his five starts, and he is 1-1 with a 2.10 ERA and 1.10 WHIP across 30 IP in five outings with three quality starts.

The Guardians are calling up top prospect and former No. 1 overall pick 2B Travis Bazzana, as they look to give their flagging offense a boost of energy. Cleveland has dropped three in a row, and they’ve averaged just 2.3 runs per game (RPG). They’ve played three or fewer runs in five of the past seven outings, too. Too bad Bazzana cannot pitch, as that’s where Cleveland has really struggled lately, allowing 4.6 RPG in the past 10 outings. RHP Tanner Bibee is just 0-3 with 4.45 ERA and 1.45 WHIP, definitely not good for an Opening Day starter.

Rays ML (+110) at time of publishing. Playable to -105.