Oakland Athletics vs. Cleveland Guardians Top Bet

Oakland Athletics vs. Cleveland Guardians
Date: Wednesday, June 21st, 7:10 ET
Location: Progressive Field
TV: BSGL
Money Line: Athletics +147/Guardians -178 (You’re pissing away money if you’re not betting MLB dimlines!)
Total Line: 8

Betting Preview

Here’s our betting preview for the upcoming MLB clash between the Cleveland Guardians and the Athletics on Wednesday, June 21st at Progressive Field. 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

Athletics vs. Guardians Projected Lineup

Straight Up/Over-Under/ Runline Record

Oakland Athletics: 19-56 SU / OU 37-35 / Runline 34-41
Cleveland Guardians: 34-38 SU / OU 29-41 / Runline 35-37

If the Athletics are going to climb out of last place in the AL West, they will need to turn things around with a win over the Guardians. Heading into the game, the Athletics have lost six straight games and stand with an overall record of 19-56. On the road, the Athletics are 10-27 and 9-29 at home. The team’s overall series record is 4-18-1.

• The Athletics have covered the runline in three straight games and have a season-long run margin of -2.7.
• The Athletics have been favored in 1.3% of their games and have runline records of 17-21 and 17-20 at home and on the road, respectively
• The over has hit in 51% of the Athletics’ 75 games at 37-35.

On a record of 34-38, the Guardians are 2nd in the AL Central. Currently, they are one game out of the division lead. Against the Athletics, they will be seeking their 3rd straight win. On the road, they have a record of 17-21 while going 17-17 at home. Cleveland’s overall series record is 9-13-1.

• The Guardians have covered the runline in 48.6% of their games and have an average run margin of -0.3
• The Guardians have been favored in 52.8% of their games and have runline records of 15-19 and 20-18 at home and on the road, respectively
• So far, the Guardians have an over/under record of just 29-41.

Pitching Matchup

With four appearances so far, Paul Blackburn takes the mound with a record of 0-0. He has an ERA of 3.48 and has allowed a batting average of .265. Moreover, he has allowed two home runs and has an OPS of .749.

Paul Blackburn finished with a no-decision in his last outing against the Rays. He allowed three runs on seven hits over 5 2/3 innings. The Athletics went on to lose the game by a score of 4-3.

With Gavin Williams set to make his major league debut, the Guardians will be eager for him to get off to a strong start. As a staff, the Guardians have been excellent of late, giving up the 7th fewest runs over their last three games.

Athletics vs. Guardians Offense Outlook

This season, Oakland is ranked 27th in the league in terms of runs scored, averaging 3.5 runs per game. Although they are not at the top of the league in home runs, they have hit 69 long balls so far. The team’s batting average stands at .222, which ranks 25th in the league. On the road, their batting average is 21st compared to 30th at home.

Oakland Athletics Team Hitting Stats

Oakland Athletics Top Hitters: Last Five Games

In terms of home runs, the Cleveland team ranks just 24th in the league with 46 home runs. When looking at their batting average, they are 14th in the league at .245. Currently, they are 23rd in OPS at .679.

Cleveland Guardians Top Hitters vs. Righties

Cleveland Guardians Top Hitters: Last Five Games

Free MLB Pick

The Athletics are dead last in the MLB in runs scored per game, averaging just 3.59. They come in ice-cold, scoring a combined 15 runs over their past seven games (2.14 RPG). They’ll face a pitcher Gavin Williams, who was been climbing up the ladder and will be making his first MLB start. He was impressive in Triple-A, with 61 strikeouts in 46 innings pitched.
Oakland is going with Paul Blackburn who excelled in the first half of last season before tailing off. He got a late start on the season because of an injury but has looked pretty good over four starts. Especially so, in his past two, where he pitched six scoreless innings against the Brewers and followed that up with 5 2/3 frames against the Rays, where he allowed three runs (two earned). Blackburn doesn’t have a lot of experience against the Guardians roster, but he has held them to a .185 batting average and a .214 on-base percentage across 27 at-bats. He’s also not facing much with Cleveland’s 27th-ranked scoring offense. Take the Under 8 -110. 

Got a minute? I highly recommend you check out this article on betting baseball underdogs. You might just learn something!