Rays, Guardians American League Best Bets for September 23

There are multiple games tonight on the American League schedule, and there’s value to be found. Below, you can find our AL best bets from FanDuel Sportsbook.Toronto Blue Jays (+102) vs. Tampa Bay Rays (-120) Total: 7 (O -108, U -112)

The Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays are set to play Game 2 of a four-game weekend series from Tropicana Field tonight. The Rays opened the series with a convincing 10-5 victory. Both teams are competing for the top Wild Card position in the American League, and the results in this series could very well dictate who finishes where. The Blue Jays enter this second matchup with a one-game lead as the top Wild Card seed over the Rays, while both respective teams sit comfortably in playoff positions. Tampa Bay hasn’t played their best baseball of late, and last night’s contest could help change that. They’ve posted a 4-6 record over their past ten games, while the Blue Jays are 5-5 over that same stretch of games. The Rays should also have an advantage on the mound and a big one, which could be the direction to look.

Pitching has been a strength for the Rays (more than the Blue Jays), which should be evident in this second pitching matchup. The visiting Blue Jays are expected to send right-hander Mitch White to the bump, while the Rays will be countering with left-hander Jeffrey Springs. White has primarily been used as a spot starter of late, owning a 1-6 record, paired with a 5.05 ERA and 71 strikeouts, while Springs is 9-4 with a 2.45 ERA and 130 strikeouts. With that, it’s hard to say that the Rays don’t have a sizable advantage in this contest, especially considering White’s struggles.

Pitching wins games, and the Rays have been proving that for years, which will likely be no different in this matchup. The Blue Jays have struggled at Tropicana Field, so it’s hard to look in their direction, meaning siding with the Rays at home with Springs on the mound makes a ton of sense at -120. 

Best Bet: Rays moneyline (-120)

The Cleveland Guardians and Texas Rangers will kick off a three-game weekend series tonight from Globe Life Field. The Guardians are coming off a three-game sweep over the Chicago White Sox and have essentially put their stamp on the AL Central crown, while the Rangers just took two-of-three games from the Los Angeles Angels. Cleveland leads the AL Central by seven games and has a magic number of six to clinch the division, while the Rangers will try to continue playing spoiler down the stretch. The Guardians have been one of the hottest teams in baseball of late, owning an 8-2 record over their past ten games, paired with four straight victories. The Rangers have been playing mediocre baseball and posted a 5-5 record over that same sample size. The Guardians have much more to play for, but the Rangers won’t be an easy out in this matchup. 

Pitching has been the biggest strength of this Guardians team, while the Rangers have primarily struggled with that, but they do have a quality starter on the bump tonight. The visiting Guardians are expected to send right-hander Cody Morris to the bump, while the Rangers will be countering with Jon Gray. Morris has posted an 0-2 record, paired with a 2.30 ERA and 15 strikeouts, while Gray is 7-7 with a 3.80 ERA and 125 strikeouts. Morris has brought some consistency to the back half of the Guardians rotation of late, while Gray has been solid for the Rangers in his first season with them, especially pitching at his home ballpark. 

Even though Gray has been effective and done a solid job keeping the Rangers in games, there’s too much value with the Guardians on their trajectory to clinch a playoff spot. The bats have been finding some consistency for the Guardians, and that should help lead them to a victory, meaning you should consider their solid moneyline price of +100. 

Best Bet: Guardians moneyline (+100)