Tampa Bay Rays at Cleveland Guardians, MLB forecast
Win probability
Starts from the pregame forecast, then moves with the score and the time left after each inning. Above the line favors CLE.
Game center
From the ESPN box score.
Top performers
Rays- Jonathan ArandaBatting1-4, 1 HR, 1 RBI
- Steven MatzPitching7.0 IP, 2 ER, 2 K
Guardians- Daniel SchneemannBatting1-4, 1 HR, 2 RBI
- Parker MessickPitching5.2 IP, 1 ER, 9 K
Scoring summary
- 8Vilade singled to center, Palacios scored.3–2
- 8Aranda homered to right (373 feet).2–2
- 6Vilade singled to right, Díaz scored.1–2
- 5Schneemann homered to left center (386 feet), Fry scored.0–2
The pick
Reconstructed from what was known before the game: the ratings at that point and the closing line.
Guardians 56%
Forecast Elo ratings alone
How often that comes true: MLB favorites the forecast gave 55–60% have won 55.5% of 2,596 graded games.
- Market
- CLE 56%
- ML TB +119 / CLE -143
- Pre-line forecast
- CLE 56%
- Elo + market-implied
- Elo ratings
- CLE 56%
- Ratings vs. market
- −0.4 pts
- CLE: Elo 56.0%, market 56.3%
- Fair odds
- CLE -129
- TB +129 · the forecast as odds, no margin
- Pregame projection
- TB 3.7 – 4.3 CLE
- Margin from the forecast, posted total 8
How the number is built
Elo inputs in rating points (higher favors that team; 25–28 Elo is about a point of spread in football and basketball), then how the pieces combine.
| Factor | TB | CLE | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Team rating | 1503 | 1510 | Elo entering the game; 1500 is league average |
| Home field | — | +18 | Worth 18 Elo in MLB |
| Starting pitchers | −5 | +11 | TB: Steven Matz: team allows 0.27 more runs than with its usual starter (≈10 weighted starts) · CLE: Parker Messick: team allows 0.55 fewer runs than with its usual starter (≈7 weighted starts) |
| Elo ratings | CLE +42 Elo | CLE 56.0% | |
| Market-implied ratings | CLE 56.1% | Team strength as past closing lines priced it, same game context | |
| Pre-line forecast | CLE 56.1% | 15% Elo, 85% market-implied (log-odds blend) | |
| Forecast | CLE 56.3% | Follows the market (vig removed): in testing, adding the ratings made it less accurate | |
Tale of the tape
This season coming into the game, regular season, each number with its league rank (the longer the bar, the higher). Home and road: the host's record at home against the visitor's on the road. Opponent Elo: how strong the teams each has played are, 1st the toughest.
| TB | Stat | CLE |
|---|---|---|
| 7th of 304.9 | Runs scored | 4.123rd of 30 |
| 21st of 304.9 | Runs allowed | 4.313th of 30 |
| 14th of 300.0 | Margin | −0.317th of 30 |
| 7th of 306–4 | Last 10 | 5–511th of 30 |
| 9th of 308–7 | Road vs home | 8–58th of 30 |
| 15th of 301501 | Opponent Elo | 15123rd of 30 |
| 16th of 301503 | Elo rating | 151011th of 30 |
Rating history
Each team's Elo over the last two seasons. Hover or drag to compare on any date.
Recent form
Last five results, and whether the forecast hit.
Against the line
How each team has done against the closing spread and total, coming into this game.
| This season |  TB |  CLE |
|---|---|---|
| Run line | 17–10 | 15–14 |
| Last 10 | 6–4 | 5–5 |
| Favorite | 9–5 | 7–6 |
| Underdog | 8–5 | 8–8 |
| Overs–unders | 16–9–2 | 15–14 |
| Overs–unders, last 10 | 4–6 | 6–4 |
Against each game's closing line. Books set every line knowing these records: across 3,901 past games, the team with the better record against the spread so far that season covered 51.2%, short of the 52.4% a standard −110 bet needs, and over/under streaks held 48.0% of the time. They describe the past.
Head to head
TB 9–11 CLE in their last 20 meetings; the forecast called 10 of 20.