After winning six of their last seven games, the Guardians enter the second half with momentum. Still, Cleveland (46-49) has some work to do in order to return to the postseason. The Athletics, despite their 41-57 record, have one of baseball’s most underrated offenses. Can the underdogs pull off a road win tonight? Below, I’ve laid out my preview, prediction, and best bet for Friday’s matchup between the Athletics and the Guardians.
The Guardians are favorites (-132) over the Athletics, with the over/under set at eight runs. Let’s break down which side has the edge on DraftKings Sportsbook entering tonight’s contest.
Athletics vs. Guardians prediction, preview
After a decent first few weeks, the Athletics have fallen off a cliff. Since May 15th, the team owns baseball’s third-worst record at 19-36. That’s due primarily to their troubles on the mound. The A’s have surrendered an American League-worst 5.62 runs per game. Granted, some of those issues are due to pitching at Sacramento’s hitter-friendly Sutter Health Park.
JP Sears has been one of the pitchers most impacted by the move to Sacramento. The southpaw’s 4.14 road ERA is far better than his 5.61 mark at home. He’s well-positioned for success tonight against a light-hitting Guardians offense. Cleveland is averaging just 3.72 runs per game, the fifth-lowest mark in baseball. Just three hitters in this lineup have a wRC+ over 100: Jose Ramirez (136), Steven Kwan (110), and Kyle Manzardo (104). When these teams last met in June, Sears tossed five innings of three-run ball. The Guardians have recorded baseball’s second-lowest batting average this season vs. lefties (.217).
Taking the hill for the Guards is Slade Cecconi, one of the hottest pitchers in baseball. Since June 1st, the right-hander owns a 2.72 ERA and 1.21 WHIP. He’ll attempt to keep the good times rolling against an Athletics offense led by All-Stars Brent Rooker and Jacob Wilson. However, the A’s only rank 21st in runs per game when playing on the road (4.02). Cecconi tossed seven scoreless innings when these squads played on June 22nd.
Athletics vs. Guardians pick, best bet
Best Bet: Guardians ML (-132)
Despite their road struggles, this Athletics lineup is nothing to sneeze at. In addition, facing a left-hander such as Sears could prove difficult. Still, Cleveland has the edge tonight with the red-hot Cecconi on the mound. It helps that the Guardians have scored more runs than all but four teams over their previous seven contests. Keeping that in mind, expect a win for the home team on Friday.
