Guardians vs. Rays: Game 1 prediction, lineup, odds, injuries, and picks

The Tampa Bay Rays are on the road to face the Cleveland Guardians for a three-game stretch. The Rays (63-67) head into the series after winning two games against the St. Louis Cardinals, snapping a four-game losing streak. They are fourth in the AL East.

The Guardians (64-65), meanwhile, are on a slippery slope of their own, with eight losses in their last nine games, derailing their postseason aspirations. In a rollercoaster of a season, they find themselves 5.0 games outside the AL Wild Card spots and are third in the AL Central.

Guardians vs. Rays Game 1: Betting Odds & Weather

Time: 6:40 p.m. ET at Progressive Field

Money Line: Guardians -143, Rays +121

Total Runs: Over/Under is 8.0 runs

Weather: Rainy, 68 degrees F, 50% chance of rain, Wind 10 mph L-R

Guardians vs. Rays Game 1: Injuries & Lineups

Injuries

Guardians

Lane Thomas: 10 Day IL (Foot),
Ben Lively: 60 Day IL (Forearm),
John Means: 60 Day IL (Elbow),
Andrew Walters: 60 Day IL (Lat),
Will Brennan: 60 Day IL (Forearm),
Sam Hentges: 60 Day IL (Shoulder)

Rays

Ha-Seong Kim: 10 Day IL (Back),
Jonathan Aranda: 10 Day IL (Wrist),
Taylor Walls: 10 Day IL (Groin),
Jonny Deluca: 10 Day IL (Hamstring),
Hunter Bigge: 60 Day IL (Lat),
Richie Palacios: 60 Day IL (Knee),
Stuart Fairchild: 60 Day IL (Oblique),
Shane McClanahan: 60 Day IL (Tricep),
Nathan Lavender: 60 Day IL (Elbow),
Alex Faedo: 60 Day IL (Shoulder),
Manuel Rodriguez: 60 Day IL (Forearm)

Lineups

Guardians

LF Steven Kwan L
RF D. Schneemann L
3B Jose Ramirez S
DH K. Manzardo L
C Bo Naylor L
SS G. Arias R
1B C.J. Kayfus L
2B B. Rocchio S
CF A. Martinez S

Rays

LF C. Simpson L
DH Yandy Diaz R
2B Brandon Lowe L
3B J. Caminero R
RF Josh Lowe L
CF Jake Mangum S
C H. Feduccia L
SS C. Williams R
1B Bob Seymour L

Guardians vs. Rays Game 1: Expert picks and Prediction

Tanner Bibee (9-9, 4.62 ERA) will be on the mound for Cleveland, while Tampa Bay's Ian Seymour (1-0, 3.86 ERA) will be their starter. Bibbe will hope for a return to form, having earned 18 runs over his last five starts. Seymour is expected to act as an opener, getting a few innings in before the rest of the bullpen takes charge.

The lineups are unevenly matched, with the Rays the eighth-best in the league with a .251 average despite their poor record, while the Guardians are the last with a .223 average.

The Rays' Junior Caminero heads into the game having hit a grand slam on Sunday. Jose Ramirez continues to lead all batting all major metrics for the Guardians.

Prediction: Guardians 5, Rays 4

Picks: Guardians ML (-143), Over 8.0 runs

About the author

Nikhil Parshy is a baseball and ice hockey journalist at Sportskeeda, and after starting out as a cricket reporter, he has been an analyst with SK since November 2022. His interest in the sports were piqued a few years back after watching highlights on YouTube and he has followed the game ever since.

The Chicago Cubs breaking the 108-year curse in 2016 to lift the World Series remains Nikhil's favorite baseball moment. Two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani has been his favorite player ever since he started following the game, while the LA Dodgers are his favorite team.

As a writer, Nikhil maintains a strong attention to detail and rigorously cross-checks information. He seeks to strike a balance in his writing such that the regular reader gains an insight into player profiles, while also keeping in mind that the non-regular reader is not put off by jargon and shallow analysis.

Nikhil is an avid public speaker, and when not writing about baseball, he regularly participates in debates and quizzes.

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Edited by Bhargav

Guardians vs. Rays: Game 1 prediction, lineup, odds, injuries, and picks - Aug. 25, 2025

Guardians vs. Rays Game 1: Betting Odds & Weather

Guardians vs. Rays Game 1: Injuries & Lineups

Injuries

Guardians

Rays

Lineups

Guardians

Rays

Guardians vs. Rays Game 1: Expert picks and Prediction