Moneyline pick for Yankees vs. Guardians in Game 5 of ALDS

The New York Yankees will look to advance in Game 5 of the ALDS in the 2022 MLB postseason against the Cleveland Guardians on Monday night at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx at 7:07 p.m. ET on TBS.

Let’s take a look at the moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook and make a pick.

Yankees vs. Guardians Game 5 moneyline odds

CLE: +135
NYY: -155

So here we are in a decisive Game 5. The Yankees were one strike away from winning Game 3 and had to scratch and claw to get back to the Bronx. You would think for that alone they wouldn’t squander a chance to get back to the ALCS in front of the home fans.

The pitching matchup is Jameson Taillon vs. Aaron Civale. We shouldn’t expect either pitcher to last very long and we should see plenty of bullpen action. For that reason, you’d give the edge to the Guardians. Cleveland’s lineup is scrappy and has been able to get on base, steal bases and manufacture runs a little easier than New York. The Yankees have relied mostly on home runs throughout the series. Of the 15 runs, 11 have been from home runs.

Civale hasn’t pitched at all this postseason. In the regular season, his ERA was just under 5.00 and he allowed 14 home runs over 97 IP (20 starts). That may actually be a good thing for the Yankees. It isn’t like their lineup isn’t capable of mashing and grinding out runs. Civale also barely walked anyone in 2022, so he’s pitching to a lot of contact.

Taillon entered in Game 2 and left without getting an out, allowing three hits and two runs in a 4-2 loss. One of those hits was that flukey pop up to left field by Jose Ramirez. Overall, Taillon wasn’t bad and it was a tough spot. Taillon had 14 wins and an ERA just under 4.00 during the regular season. He pitched well in one start against Cleveland, allowing one run on seven hits over 5.0 IP with five strikeouts. Taillon also pitches to a lot of contact.

Cleveland has the advantage in the bullpen, though the Yankees will likely use a combination of Taillon, Domingo German and Nestor Cortes to bridge to Wandy Peralta and Clay Holmes. The Guardians have been better at grinding out runs but don’t have the offense to pull away. The Yankees are at home and shelled Civale in two games this season for 10 runs on 12 hits (three HRs) over 9 IP. If the Bronx Bombers can get on Civale early this game could be quick and painless.

Pick: Yankees -155