2012 Rays vs Indians Betting Predictions
The Rays were in a bad way but may be turning the corner with a series win against the Yankees.
Tampa Rays (43-39) vs Cleveland Indians (42-39)
Thursday July 5
Progressive Field – Cleveland, OH
7:05PM
Moneyline: Tampa -115, Cleveland +105
O/U: 9
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH Jeremy Hellickson (4-4, 3.44 ERA) vs. Indians RH Josh Tomlin (4-5, 5.85)
Tampa
Now they are off to Cleveland a team they haven’t played yet this season but will see 8 times in the next 11 games. If they can handle the Indians they could very well leap back towards the top of the division. Especially with key players returning from injury like Thursday’s starter Jeremy Hellickson.
After going a couple of weeks between starts Hellickson was nailed by a line drive last time out. It appears he is OK but it is hard to predict what you are going to get with him. In his last three starts he has not gotten deeper than the 4th inning for one reason or another and the Rays still baby him a little bit. Cleveland is better than you think offensively and the Rays still struggle to score. [dfads params=’groups=10&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]
Cleveland
The surprising Indians are just a smidge behind the White Sox in the competitive AL Central. They put the Angels away early yesterday and now are looking to do some damage against the Rays. This team is a conundrum because they own one of the least effective pitching staffs in the League. Their hitting numbers aren’t great overall either but they seem to be able to get the hits when they matter most.
Josh Tomlin is one of the least effective starters in the League. The Indians keep running him out there because they don’t have many options right now. They are hoping he can revert to last year’s form when he won 12 games with very good peripherals. Yesterday the Tribe scored 12 runs against Los Angeles. It might take a similar offensive outburst to earn another victory with Tomlin on the hill Thursday night.
O/U Pick: Over
Score Prediction: Tampa 6 – Cleveland 4
