Tampa Bay Rays vs Cleveland Indians Prediction, 7/23/2021 MLB Pick, Tips and Odds

Game: Tampa Bay Rays vs Cleveland Indians

Date: Friday, July 23, 2021

Location: Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH

TV: SportsTime Ohio

Odds/Point Spread: Tampa Bay (-116) Cleveland (-105)

Rich Hill and the Tampa Bay Rays (57-39, 2nd in AL East) go to Progressive Field on Friday where they'll meet the Cleveland Indians (48-45, 2nd in AL Central). The line on this contest has the Rays priced at -116 and the Indians are at -105. The total has been set at 8.5. The pitchers who are expected to start are Rich Hill and Zach Plesac.

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As a team, the Tampa Bay Rays are notching 4.9 runs per contest, which has them at 7th in MLB. They have earned 464 runs scored while having a team on-base percentage of .315. The Rays have recorded 166 doubles as a squad and have hit 115 baseballs out of the park. They have 441 RBI's and 739 hits this year, while their batting average comes in at .230. Tampa Bay is slugging .396 and have struck out 962 times, while drawing a walk on 357 occasions.

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Rays pitchers have conceded 106 long balls and also 384 runs (10th in baseball). Their pitching staff has walked 262 opposing players and their FIP is 3.71 as a team on the season. They have a K/BB ratio of 3.43 and their pitching staff holds a collective WHIP of 1.15. The Rays have a team earned run average of 3.59 on the season (7th in the league), and they have struck out 899 hitters.

The Rays have sent 307 relievers to the mound over the course of the season. The relievers have inherited 97 base runners over the course of the season and 32.0% of them ended up scoring. They have accumulated 26 saves over the course of the season and have missed out on 11 of 37 chances to get a save. The Rays bullpen have accumulated a save rate of 70.3% and has entered the game in 95 save situations. The relief pitchers have a total of 56 holds so far this year (7th in the league). Rays bullpen pitchers have entered the game with players on base 79 times in addition to having 119 appearances in high leverage situations.

The Rays have converted 70.7% of baseballs in play into outs out of their 7,695 innings on the diamond, which has them sitting 6th in pro baseball. The Tampa Bay Rays have accumulated 2,565 putouts on the year, as well as 837 assists and 50 errors. Their fielding rate is holding at .986 which ranks 7th in baseball, and have earned 609 double plays.

Hill (73-48 mark in his career) has a FIP of 3.99 and he has faced 4,481 opposing hitters in the majors. He has allowed 878 base hits (7.4 hits per 9 innings) and has had 426 free passes. His earned run average is 3.80 (452 ER's allowed) and his career WHIP is 1.217. Hill has taken the mound for 1,071 innings and has earned 1,126 K's during his pro baseball career.

Cleveland has accounted for 114 home runs this season as well as 377 runs batted in. They have 132 doubles, while walking 258 times and putting up 396 runs. The Cleveland Indians have accounted for a team on-base percentage of .298 as well as a batting average of .230 this year. The Indians have a team slugging percentage of .397 and they are earning 4.30 runs per contest (17th in baseball). They have been called out on strikes on 783 occasions (24th in MLB) and have totaled 689 base knocks.

The Indians have a WHIP of 1.307 and have a FIP of 4.32 as a unit on the year. Their K/BB ratio is 2.65 (859 strikeouts vs 324 bases on balls). They rank 10th in baseball as a pitching staff in total hits allowed with 714. They have conceded 120 long balls and they allow 4.73 runs per 9 innings (17th in baseball). The Cleveland pitching staff have allowed 417 runs this year and come in with a team ERA of 4.43 (391 earned runs conceded).

Cleveland has had relief pitchers step onto the mound in 33 save opportunities and they have recorded 24 saves. They are ranked 3rd in the league with a save rate of 72.7%, and they have dispatched 305 relief pitchers to the mound for the season. Their relief pitchers have come in 91 times in high leverage situations and also on 81 occasions with runners on base. Cleveland relievers have an inherited score percentage of 32.8% of 116 inherited base runners. Sitting with 78 save situations, the Indians have accrued 43 holds and also 9 blown saves.

In their 7,146 innings on the field, the Indians are sitting with a defensive efficiency of 69.5% (17th in professional baseball). The Cleveland Indians have turned 75 double plays and hold a fielding percentage of .985 (8th in pro baseball). The Indians have accrued 785 assists, 47 errors and have a tally of 2,382 putouts this year.

So far in his pro baseball career, Plesac has surrendered 197 hits while he has totaled 190 strikeouts in 239 innings pitched. He has given up a total of 95 ER's while holding a WHIP of 1.068 and having a FIP of 4.5. His strikeout to walk ratio is 3.22 and he has faced 956 batters so far in his MLB career. Plesac (17-11 career record) has a 3.57 ERA while allowing 7.4 hits per 9 innings.

Who will win tonight's MLB game against the spread?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Cleveland (-105)

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