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With this series deadlocked at one game apiece, the New York Yankees will serve as the visiting team for the first time in the series as they head west to “The 216” to battle it out with the Cleveland Guardians in what should serve as the most important game of the season for both sides. It is time to check out our MLB odds series where our Yankees-Guardians prediction and pick will be revealed.
After capturing game one of the series by a score of 4-1, the rain brought a damper upon the Yankees as their momentum was halted in a cancellation on Thursday that led to the second game being played yesterday instead. When the dust settled, New York saw themselves fall short at home in defeating fashion as the Yankees could not get anything going offensively after mustering up a pair of runs in the first inning. With the hope that the offense comes to play in game two, New York will send out Luis Severino, as the righty twirler was 7-3 with a 3.18 ERA during the regular season.
Without a doubt, Cleveland showcased its grit, toughness, and the ability to respond to adversity as they shut out the Yankees for eight innings and came away with some key hits that led to runs in the victorious triumph on Friday. Clearly, the winner of this matchup later this evening will prove to be a huge advantage for whoever takes care of business and will be one step closer to having their dreams come true. In order to win for the second consecutive day, the Guardians will send out the very talented RHP Triston McKenzie, who was an even 11-11 with a 2.96 ERA this season.
Here are the Yankees-Guardians MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Yankees-Guardians Odds
New York Yankees: -1.5 (+150)
Cleveland Guardians: +1.5 (-182)
Over: 6.5 (-108)
Under: 6.5 (-114)
Why The Yankees Could Cover The Spread
Like many other teams throughout the league that experience a roller coaster of emotions during the marathon of the MLB regular season, New York was surely at the forefront of this as they got off to a scalding hot start before stumbling later in the year only to recover when it mattered most. Finishing one victory shy of the 100-win mark, New York has found themselves at a fork in the road. With the loss yesterday, the importance of winning today's contest is as vital as it gets.
In order to cover the spread and take a commanding 2-1 series lead, New York has to be more effective at the plate. More specifically, the hands-on favorite to win the AL MVP in OF Aaron Judge needs to finally show up in this ALDS. Thus far, Judge has been more invisible than a camouflaged chameleon. In fact, Judge struck out four times in game two which also was the fourth time that the towering Yankees slugger has received the golden sombrero in his playoff career, marking the most in major league baseball history.
Nevertheless, good news should be in store for the Yankees as RHP Luis Severino will be in line for the start. Although Severino has struggled with injuries since 2019 and even finished third in the AL Cy Young voting a few short seasons ago. The 28-year-old hurler pitched against Cleveland during the 2017 ALDS when he pitched solidly with seven innings pitched and only allowing three runs.
Why The Guardians Could Cover The Spread
Although yesterday's pivotal matchup wasn't a must-win game, it was vital for the Guardians to win in order to avoid going down 0-2 in this best-of-five series. Outside of keeping Aaron Judge's bat quiet, Cleveland excelled at taking advantage of every opportunity that they got in a hostile environment of Yankee Stadium. Now shifting back home, the Guardians and their fans will certainly be amped up for this one.
While failing to cover the spread in the opening game of this series, Cleveland responded nicely with a simply dominating pitching performance. If the Guardians are going to cover the spread, a lethal dosage of Triston McKenzie will have to take place. In two career starts versus the Yankees, McKenzie has not lost with a 1-0 record and a 2.45 ERA. While the playoffs are definitely a different kind of beast, Cleveland should have a tremendous chance to build off of the momentum that was implemented on Friday.
Offensively, the Guardians were far from perfect in their last outing but were able to do just enough to overcome the slumping Yankees. Whether the offensive production has come from the rookie Steven Kahn, the steady Ahmed Rosario, or the elite Jose Ramirez, there are multiple weapons to choose from that can get the job done against New York this evening.
Final Yankees-Guardians Prediction & Pick
At first glance, the winner of this all-important game may end up punching their ticket to the ALCS. With the line currently set at -1.5 in favor of the Yankees, the hitting struggles is a slight concern for New York to win by multiple runs and the Guardians seemingly have all of the momentum. It is probably wise to side with Cleveland in this one.
Final Yankees-Guardians Prediction & Pick: Guardians +1.5 (-182)
