Rays Begin ALCS Against Guardians as Series Favorites
Tampa Bay opens the ALCS as a -165 favorite over Cleveland, which is +135. The Rays swept the Yankees in the divisional round, while the Guardians rallied from an 0-2 deficit to beat the White Sox. Game 1 on Oct. 12 features Drew Rasmussen against Foster Griffin.
Tampa Bay is a -165 ALCS favorite; Cleveland is +135. The Rays took the regular-season series 5-1. Both had wild-card byes, but Tampa Bay swept the Yankees, while Cleveland recovered from 0-2 down to beat the White Sox. Game 1 on Oct. 12 matches Drew Rasmussen against Foster Griffin.
Tampa Bay's last playoff berth was 2023 and its last series win was 2020, when it lost a six-game World Series to the Dodgers; its previous Fall Classic was 2008, a five-game loss to Philadelphia. Cleveland last reached the World Series in 2016, losing to the Cubs in seven. The franchise also appeared in 1997, 1995, 1954, 1948 and 1920, winning in 1948 and 1920.
The ALCS could draw heightened attention from baseball fans in Tampa Bay and Cleveland, with local businesses near stadiums potentially seeing game-day spending. Expanded betting interest may increase engagement, though it can also raise responsible-gambling concerns. Players and coaches may face added pressure, while national viewers may tune in for a compelling comeback-versus-sweep narrative.