In this article, we will formulate an Athletics vs Guardians prediction for this MLB game on Friday, June 20, at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento, California. Let’s take a look at the prediction for this MLB matchup.
Cleveland Guardians Betting Preview
The Cleveland Guardians (37-36, 18-21 Away) were swept by the Seattle Mariners but bounced back with a series win over the San Francisco Giants on the road. Cleveland won the opening two games but couldn’t get a sweep after falling short 2-1 in Game 3. Carlos Santana drove in the lone run for the Guardians, while Gavin Williams pitched for 6.0 innings in a no-decision, allowing no runs on two hits with six strikeouts and three walks. Matt Festa took the loss.
This season, the Guardians average 3.85 runs per game (25th in the MLB) on a .231/.303/.374 triple-slash. When it comes to pitching, the Guardians’ staff has a 3.93 ERA (18th) and 1.37 WHIP (23rd). Carlos Santana leads the Guardians with a .245 batting average, eight home runs, and 36 RBI this season.
Tanner Bibee will take the mound for the Guardians on Friday. The 26-year-old right-hander has a 4-6 record in 14 starts this year with a 3.79 ERA and 1.21 WHIP in 80.2 innings.
Athletics Betting Preview
The Athletics (31-46, 14-25 Home) won five of the previous seven games. They swept the Kansas City Royals on the road and then earned a split with the Houston Astros. The A’s won the opening game of that four-game series, and also closed it with a win. In that 6-4 extra innings victory on Thursday, Nick Kurtz led the offense with two RBI, while Jacob Lopez pitched for 6.0 innings in a no-decision, allowing one run on four hits with nine strikeouts and three walks. Michael Kelly was credited with the win.
This year, the Athletics average 4.24 runs per game (16th in the MLB) on a .252/.320/.415 triple-slash. When it comes to pitching, the Athletics’ staff has a 5.55 ERA (30th) and 1.51 WHIP (29th). Tyler Soderstrom leads the Athletics with a .246 batting average, 14 home runs, and 45 RBI this season.
The projected starting pitcher for the Athletics is Jeffrey Springs, who is 5-5 in 13 starts this season, with a 4.52 ERA and 1.29 WHIP in 79.2 innings.
Total Runs Facts
- Each of the Guardians’ last four road games have gone UNDER the total runs line.
- Six of the last seven games between the Guardians and Athletics have gone OVER the total runs line.
- The ‘Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in each of the Guardians’ last six games as favorites against American League opponents.
- The ‘Inning 1 OVER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in each of the Athletics’ last three games as home underdogs against AL Central opponents.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Athletics rank 30th in the league for home runs allowed this season (114).
- The Athletics rank 2nd in the league for hits this season (665).
- The Guardians rank 25th in the league for runs scored this season (278).
- The Guardians rank 25th in the league for RBIs this season (263).
Athletics vs Guardians Prediction
The Guardians won nine of the previous ten H2H encounters, including the last three. I have no doubt that the Guardians are a better team here, but I am going with Over instead of backing the winner. Seven of the last ten H2Hs went Over, while the A’s are 43-29 in Over/Under this season. Tanner Bibee allowed multiple runs in his last four starts, while Jeffrey Springs surrendered multiple runs in his previous five starts. That said, I expect both starters to let 3+ runs in the opening five or six innings. Back the Over.