Surging Rays in Cleveland

The Tampa Bay Rays had their issues earlier this year, but after winning 10 of their last 14 games, the Rays are on top of the revitalized AL East at 37-30, good enough for six betting units in earnings. Tampa Bay visits Cleveland (30-34, minus-11.20 units) this Friday night; first pitch is at 7:10 PM ET. Nate Karns (4.15 FIP) continues to impress for the Rays in his first full year as an MLB starter. Karns is 1.06 units in the red on a team record of 6-7, but the towering righty has allowed two runs or fewer in seven of his last nine starts. Getting through more than five innings has been difficult, though, and Tampa Bay's bullpen ranks No. 28 in the majors with a combined 4.28 FIP. The Tribe will send sixth-year northpaw Carlos Carrasco (2.67 FIP) to the mound on Friday. Carrasco has pitched very well since making a full recovery from Tommy John surgery in mid-2013, and this year, the Venezuelan native is up 1.46 units on a team record of 8-5. Cleveland won four of Carrasco's last five starts, and he's gotten plenty of run support this year at 5.15 runs per game.