A chance to clinch at home for Tampa Bay.
Game 6 of the ALCS heads back to St. Petersburg on Monday where the home team Rays will send prized trade deadline acquisition Freddy Peralta to the mound.
Peralta and the Rays are a solid -141 favorite (58.51 percent on Novig), while the Guardians will throw Shawn Armstrong out there for the first inning in Game 6.
Armstrong, 36, is going to get the beginning of Sunday’s matchup while a combination of bullpen arms is projected to get the bulk of the work for Cleveland.
Guardians vs. Rays prediction
Peralta pitched wonderfully for the Rays in Game 2 of the ALCS, tossing six scoreless innings, while Armstrong has been strong for the Guardians in October where he hasn’t allowed a run in the postseason.
During the season he struggled considerably, with a 4.58 ERA and 1.36 WHIP, so manager Stephen Vogt is showing some legitimate confidence in his reliever to give him the beginning of this game.
The Rays have scored in the first inning twice in five games this series, including in Game 5 where they won 3-1.
Vogt is playing games here for Cleveland, as it appeared that the Guardians would be sending Williams out there for the bulk of the work in Tampa Bay, though he’s now saying that the team’s ace is not available in short rest.
It’s anyone’s guess who will pitch after Armstrong, who is far from a lock to continue this hot play.
I expect Armstrong to regress to his usual self pitching for the third consecutive game and whether it’s Tanner Bibee, Joey Cantillo, or a different option, I can’t bet on the full game until I know more about who is actually playing.
Learn all you need to know about MLB Betting
Target the over 0.5 runs in the first inning (+141, 41.49 percent, Novig) and I’d recommend the under live after the first inning should someone score in the opening frame.
PREDICTION: Yes runs first inning (+141, 41.49 percent Novig) | Live bet under pending who is pitching for the Guardians in the second inning
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Erich Richter is a brazilian jiu-jitsu blue belt but he has a black belt in MMA betting. During the football season he’s showcased massive profits at The Post in the player prop market the last two seasons. While constantly betting long shots, his return on investment is 30.15 percent since 2022.
