Division leaders clash on the West Coast Saturday night, as the Cleveland Guardians visit the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Cleveland kicked off the 3-game set Friday with a win, but the books have them as +130 moneyline underdogs in the MLB odds.
Yet, our Guardians vs. Dodgers predictions and MLB picks lean towards the visitors, as LA’s starting pitching options aren’t great following the latest injury to Gavin Stone.
Guardians vs Dodgers prediction
My best bet
Guardians moneyline (+130 at DraftKings)
My analysis
Gavin Stone landed on the 15-day IL with shoulder inflammation. He was the only Los Angeles Dodgers starter to take his turn in the rotation every time this season, posting an 11-5 mark with a 3.53 ERA.
His replacement is likely lefty Justin Wrobleski, a recent call-up from AAA, and the drop-off is substantial: Wrobleski is 1-2 this season, posting a large 6.82 ERA.
He had a forgettable last start on September 1, getting blasted for 10 hits and 10 earned runs in a 14-3 loss to the Diamondbacks.
Some offensive support would help, and the Dodgers can certainly do that, ranking Top 4 in runs scored and averaging just under five runs per contest.
But they’ll also be missing a key piece, as Teoscar Hernandez got hurt last game fouling a ball off his foot, and also hit the DL. He’s Top 20 in the majors in both homes (28) and RBI (87).
Cleveland keeps chugging along, with wins in six of its last eight, as they battle New York and Baltimore for the best record in the American League.
The Guardians’ offense is above average, inside the Top 15 in runs scored, which is just enough for a pitching staff that sits eighth in ERA.
They’ve been dominant the last week, posting a 1.87 ERA, the second-best mark in baseball.
They turn to Gavin Williams, who’s coming off perhaps his best start of the year, going a season-best seven innings, giving up just one hit and one earned run in a 4-2 win over the Royals.
This would likely have been a look at the Under had Stone been healthy for the Dodgers, but with the latest round of injuries to LA, the Guardians should take advantage.
Shohei Ohtani pick: Ohver and over again
My best bet
Shohei Ohtani Over 1.5 total bases (-135 at DraftKings)
My analysis
Shohei Ohtani ripped his 45th homer of the year in the series opener, reaching the 100-RBI mark for the second time in his seven years in the majors.
He’s been raking of late, piling up six homers and 12 RBI over his last 13 games. In that span, Ohtani has picked up at least two total bases in nine of them.
He’s lighting up right-handed pitching to the tune of a .307 batting average, a .699 slugging percentage, and a 1.102 OPS.
I’ll take the MVP favorite in the first-time matchup with Williams.
Guardians vs Dodgers same-game parlay (SGP)
Guardians moneyline
Andres Gimenez 2+ total bases
Jose Ramirez 1+ hit
Cleveland leadoff man Andres Gimenez drilled his eighth homer of the season in the series opener, continuing to wield a hot bat.
Over his last 11 games, Gimenez has hits in nine of them.
However, there’s little value in picking up a hit, but targeting the plus odds he’s been given to pick up two total bases should be the play.
Gimenez has grabbed two total bases five times in his last seven appearances.
We’ll wrap this up with Jose Ramirez, who picked up a hit last game, the 10th time he’s picked up a hit in the last 13 games.
He is hitting a blistering .353 against lefties on the year, with a 1.083 OPS – by far his best-hitting splits of any category.
Ramirez will be a tough out for Wrobleski on Saturday night.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
Guardians vs Dodgers odds
Guardians vs Dodgers live odds
Guardians vs Dodgers opening odds
- Moneyline: Cleveland +1.5 (-155) | Los Angeles -1.5 (+130)
- Run line: Cleveland +130 | Los Angeles -155
- Over/Under: Over 9 | Under 9
Guardians vs Dodgers moneyline and Over/Under analysis
- At 45-25, the Dodgers have the 2nd-best home record in MLB
- The Guardians have been moneyline dogs three times in their last 10, going 2-1.
- Cleveland’s Under record is 5-0-1 in its last six games.
- The Over is 6-3-1 in the last 10 head-to-heads.
Guardians vs Dodgers trend
Eight of the Guardians' last nine road games vs NL teams has gone Under the total. Find more MLB betting trends for Guardians vs. Dodgers.
Guardians vs Dodgers game info
| Location: | Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, CA |
| Date: | Saturday, 9-7-2024 |
| First pitch: | 9:10 p.m. ET |
| TV: | Bally Ohio, SNLA |
| Guardians starting pitcher: | Gavin Williams (3-7, 4.55 ERA) |
| Dodgers starting pitcher: | Justin Wrobleski (1-2, 6.82 ERA) |
Guardians vs Dodgers latest injuries
Guardians vs Dodgers weather
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