Guardians vs. Yankees: Joe’s MLB Pick for ALCS Game 2

Cleveland Guardians vs. New York Yankees
Date: Tuesday, October 15th, 7:38 ET
Location: Yankee Stadium
TV: None
Money Line: Guardians +144/Yankees -170
Total Line: 7

Betting Preview

Here’s our betting preview for the upcoming MLB clash between the New York Yankees and the Guardians on Tuesday, October 15th at Yankee Stadium. We provide you with a comprehensive analysis, odds, and predictions to help with your handicapping decision or tail our expert based on the projected lineups and listed starting pitchers.

Betting Odds

The Guardians and Yankees will face off in an AL matchup at 7:38 PM ET at Yankee Stadium in New York, NY. Cleveland is currently on a two-game losing streak and their record of 92-69 has them first in the AL Central. The Yankees, meanwhile, are 1st in the AL East with a record of 94-68.

The money line odds have the Yankees as the favorites, with their line sitting at -170 compared to the Guardians at +144. Tonight’s over/under line is at seven runs, and the forecasted temperature in New York is 54 degrees with broken clouds. Gerrit Cole will start for the Yankees, and he is facing off against Tanner Bibee.

Guardians vs. Yankees Projected Lineup

Straight Up/Over-Under/ Runline Record

Cleveland Guardians: 92-69 SU / OU 70-85 / Runline 84-83
New York Yankees: 94-68 SU / OU 87-75 / Runline 86-81

Carlos Rodón pitched well for the Yankees in the most recent game of this series. He went six innings, giving up just one hit and one earned run while striking out nine. New York went on to win the game 5-2. Heading into the game, the Yankees were favored at -171 on the money line.

Both offenses scored one run in the first inning of the game, and the Yankees took the lead for good with a three-run 3rd inning. As for the Guardians, they scored their final run in the 6th. The Yankees added an insurance run in the 7th, and both offenses went silent after that.

Juan Soto and Giancarlo Stanton each homered for the Yankees, while Brayan Rocchio hit a home run for the Guardians. Soto, Stanton, and Rocchio were the only three players in the game to have more than one hit.

Guardians Records & Recent Play

As the Guardians prepare for game two of their series against the Yankees, they’re looking to even things up, trailing 1-0. Cleveland is on the road, where they posted a 42-39 record this season, compared to 50-30 at home. They went 66-37 as favorites but struggled as underdogs, going 29-35.

During the regular season, Cleveland went 84-83 against the run line, with an average run margin of +0.5 per game. On the road, they finished 43-41 against the run line. Their over/under record is 70-85, and today’s line of 7 runs is lower than 95.7% of their games this year.

Yankees Records & Recent Play

As the Yankees prepare for game two against Cleveland, they hold a 1-0 lead in the series. New York posted a 94-68 regular season record, including a 44-37 mark at home and 50-31 on the road. As favorites, they’ve won three straight games and went 80-61 in that role this season.

New York’s run line record is 86-81, with a home scoring margin of +0.4 runs per game, compared to +1.4 on the road. They’ve dropped four straight against the under, and their over/under record stands at 87-75. Today’s 7-run line is lower than 99.4% of their games this season.

Pitching Matchup

Cleveland is sending right-hander Tanner Bibee to the mound today as he faces the Yankees on the road. Bibee has made 31 starts this year and has a record of 12-8 with an ERA of 3.47. In his 33 appearances, he has turned in 12 quality starts and is averaging 9.69 strikeouts per nine innings. Overall, Bibee has allowed 22 home runs and is coming off an outing in which he allowed one homer and two earned runs in four innings of work. He finished with a no-decision in that outing. Bibee has finished with a no-decision in each of his last three starts.

Gerrit Cole will be looking to build off his last outing, where he faced off against the Royals and picked up the win. In that start, which came on October 10th, Cole went seven innings and gave up just one earned run. Looking at his overall numbers, Cole has made 17 starts, and eight of them have been quality starts. His ERA for the season is 3.41, along with a record of 8-5. For the year, Cole has a WHIP of 1.13 and is averaging 9.38 strikeouts per nine innings. Overall, he has allowed 11 homers. Per nine innings, Cole is giving up just 2.75 walks.

Guardians vs. Yankees Offense Outlook

Jose Ramirez has been one of the league’s top power threats this season, as his 39 home runs are 5th in the league and the best mark on the Guardians. He also comes into the game with a team-high 118 RBIs and a batting average of .279. Over his last nine games, he has gone 8/30 with three homers. Steven Kwan has also been swinging a hot bat of late, going 14/30 in his last eight games.

As a team, the Guardians are averaging 4.4 runs per game, which is 14th in the league. They have been a better offense at home this season, averaging 4.7 runs per contest. Overall, they are batting just .238 and have the league’s worst BABIP. However, they have done a good job of avoiding strikeouts, as they have the 4th fewest Ks in the league.

So far this season, the Yankees are the top home run hitting team in the league and are 3rd in the league in runs scored at 5 per game. They are also one of the best teams in terms of getting on base, as they lead the league in walks and have an OBP of .333. As a team, the Yankees are batting .248, which is 7th in the league.

Aaron Judge has been the team’s top hitter this season, with a batting average of .322, and he also leads the league with 144 RBIs and 58 home runs. Juan Soto is also having a strong season for the Yankees, as he is batting .288 and is 5th in the league with 109 RBIs. Giancarlo Stanton has been swinging a hot bat of late, going 7/19 in his last five games with two homers.

Free Guardians vs. Yankees MLB Pick

We hit yesterday’s bet by taking the under at 7.5 runs, and I feel like going right back to the well on Tuesday’s matchup. With this pitching matchup, look for game two to be another low-scoring game. Don’t be scared off by the line sitting at seven runs, I like the under again.